PSALMS 26

     We will begin this lesson by giving the 25th Psalm in metre.

                   THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE

verse 1  "To thee I lift my soul, O Lord: My God, I trust in thee;
          O let me never be ashamed, nor foes exhult o'er me ."
verse 2  "O Lord, let none be put to shame Upon thee who attend;
          But make all those to be ashamed Who causelesly offend."
verse 3  "Thy ways, Lord, show; teach me thy paths; Lead me in truth,
          teach me; For of my safety thou art God; All day I wait on
          thee."
verse 4  "Thy mercies that most tender are, To mind, O Lord, recall,
          And loving-kindness, for they Have been through ages all."
verse 5  "Let not the errors of my youth, nor sins remembered be;
          In mercy, for thy goodness' sake, O Lord, remember me."
verse 6  "Jehovah good and upright is, The way he'll sinners show;
          The meek in judgement he will guide, And make his path to
          know."
verse 7  "The whole paths of the Lord our God Are truth and mercy sure
          To such as keep his covenant, And testimonies pure."
verse 8  "Now, for thy own name's sake, O Lord, I humbly thee intreat
          To pardon my iniquity, for it is very great."
verse 9  "What man fears God? him shall he teach The way that he shall
          choose; His soul shall dwell at ease; his seed The earth, as
          heirs, shall use."
verse 10 "Jehovah's secret is with those That fear his holy name;
          And he his gracious covenant Will manifest to them."
verse 11 "My waiting eyes upon the Lord Continually are set;
          For he it is that shall bring forth My feet out of the net."
verse 12 "O turn thee unto me, my God, To me thy mercy show;
          Because by solitude and grief I am brought very low."
verse 13 "The sorrows of my heart increase; Me from distress relieve:
          See my affliction and my pain, And all my sins forgive."
verse 14 "Consider thou my enemies, Because they many are;
          And it a cruel hatred is Which they against me bear."
verse 15 "O Lord, in safety keep my soul; Do thou deliver me;
          And let me not be put to shame, Because I trust in thee."
verse 16 "Let rectitude and truth me keep, For on thee I attend.
          Redemption, Lord, to Israel From all his troubles send."

     We will now begin the verse by verse study of Psalms chapter 25.
Psalms 25:1 "{ [A Psalm] of David.} Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my
soul."

     The first thing that stands out, in this, is the fact that it was
a voluntary act to lift up his soul. Lord, here, is Jehovah. Every
time we pray in earnest, we lift our soul to God. Prayer, in a very
real sense, is fellowship with God. The soul of man has to do with the
will of man. Sometimes our soul struggles whether to follow the flesh,
or the spirit.

     Psalms 25:2 "O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed,
let not mine enemies triumph over me."

      Notice, he says, my God. This shows that God is a God of
individuals. God is not God of collective groups. Salvation is
individual. He saves us one at a time. God is trustworthy. We can
safely place our trust in Him. One of the arguments Moses gave God,
for not destroying all the Israelites at the foot of mount Sinai was
so the heathen world would not look on and think that God had let His
people down. Faith, or trust, in God will not go unnoticed. We may
sometimes think God is not going to answer our prayer, but He does in
His own time.

     Psalms 25:3 "Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them
be ashamed which transgress without cause."

     The word transgress, in this particular Scripture, means to
cover, to act covertly, or deal deceitfully.  Proverbs 20:22 "Say not
thou, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the LORD, and he shall
save thee." When we are waiting for God, we must be careful not to be
deceptive. We can not fool God. There will be those who profess
Christianity, who will stand before Jesus, and He will say, Get away
from me I never knew you. We may deceive the world, but we cannot
deceive God. He knows what is in our heart. Many will tire of waiting
on the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't be one of them. Those
who have walked with God, and tire of waiting, and go back into a
sinful life, should not only be ashamed, but are in danger of hell's
fire.

     Psalms 25:4 "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths."

     Jesus is the Way. He is the bright and shining Light that we are
to follow. The way is very narrow, and sometimes obstacles are in the
path. Get your eyes off the obstacles and the fact that the path is
narrow. Fix your eyes on Jesus Christ the Light. Follow His lighted
path as the next 3 Scriptures state and you will make it all the way.
John 8:12  "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light
of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life."  Ephesians 5:8 "For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of
light:" I John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

     Psalms 25:5 "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou [art]
the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

     The God of our salvation is Jesus. The name, Jesus, means
Saviour. John 1:17 "For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and
truth came by Jesus Christ."  John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me."  The Holy Spirit {the Comforter} will teach us all truth. John
16:13 "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever
he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to
come." The best thing, I see here, is that those who are willing to be
taught of God, will be taught of God. David wants to be taught of God.
We must desire to be taught of the Spirit, before we can be taught.

     Psalms 25:6 "Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy
lovingkindnesses; for they [have been] ever of old."

     God never changes. David is reminding Him of His lovingkindness
in the past. I Chronicles 16:34 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he
is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever."  God had a mercy seat in
the holy of holies, but even better than that, He was merciful to us
the sinners and sent the Saviour. The love of God for mankind is not
easy to understand. While we were yet in sin, God sent the Saviour.
God did not save us, because we deserved to be saved, but because He
loved us. His mercy endureth forever.

     Psalms 25:7 "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my
transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy
goodness' sake, O LORD."

     We, like David, could ask this same thing. There is none who has
not sinned. I John 1:10 "If we say that we have not sinned, we make
him a liar, and his word is not in us."  We talked about how the blood
of animals could only cover the sin. The precious blood of the Lamb of
God {Jesus Christ} did away with the sin of those who choose to be
Christians. Psalms 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, [so]
far hath he removed our transgressions from us."  Notice, whose
goodness it is. It is God's goodness. Jesus took our sin upon His body
on the cross and gave us His righteousness in return.

     Psalms 25:8 "Good and upright [is] the LORD: therefore will he
teach sinners in the way."

     The best teacher there is shows us the way. Jesus was our
example. If we are to be Christians, we must become Christlike.
Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me." The goal of every believer in Christ should be to
learn to be more like Jesus every day.

     Psalms 25:9 "The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek
will he teach his way."

     We know that the Lord does not like a proud and haughty spirit in
a person. Jesus was meek, even though He was Emmanuel {God with us}.
We are told in the Scriptures that Moses was a very meek man, as well.
The meek can be easily taught. I Peter 3:4 "But [let it be] the hidden
man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the
ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of
great price."  We must humble ourselves and repent, then the Lord will
save us.

     Psalms 25:10 "All the paths of the LORD [are] mercy and truth
unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies."
     Sin is disobeying God. Those who want to please God, try to obey
all of His instructions. I Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the
LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than
sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams."  I John 2:3
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."
The sign, then, that we are a believer is we keep His commandments.

     Psalms 25:11 "For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity;
for it [is] great."

     This was prayed in the name of Jesus. Forgive me Lord of my sin,
because you are the great God that forgives. We see an admission of
guilt which is the first step toward forgiveness. I John 1:9 "If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  When we pray, it is
important to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus.

     Psalms 25:12 "What man [is] he that feareth the LORD? him shall
he teach in the way [that] he shall choose."

     Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom:
and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding."  Wisdom is a gift
from God. Knowledge is accumulated learning. To get knowledge, we must
be willing to be taught. If we truly humble ourselves and ask God to
teach us His ways, He will teach us all truth.

     Psalms 25:13 "His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall
inherit the earth."

     There is no greater peace than the peace that comes from knowing
you are saved, and should you die to this world, you would be in
heaven. Christians are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the
promise. Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  Abraham was
promised the promised land.

     Psalms 25:14 "The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear
him; and he will shew them his covenant."

     Jesus spoke in parables, so that the unbelieving world would not
understand the secrets He was revealing to His children. Every time
you look into the sky and see a rainbow, you should remember the
covenant God made with man. The Bible reveals God to the believer. The
Holy Spirit teaches us all truth. Jesus kept no secrets from His own.
He showed them, and us, as much of the Father as we can bear at this
time. The Bible, itself, is a revealing of God to mankind.

     Psalms 25:15 "Mine eyes [are] ever toward the LORD; for he shall
pluck my feet out of the net."

     Believers are not at home in this world. We may be in the world,
but we are not of the world. Our eyes, like David's, should be turned
to the heavenlies. We are told, when things in this world become
almost unbearable, to look up and rejoice for our redemption draweth
nigh. We may be entangled in the flesh in this earth, but we must look
up from whence cometh our help. Our help cometh from the Lord. Psalms
121:2 "My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

     Psalms 25:16 "Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I
[am] desolate and afflicted."

     We may be looking toward heaven, and still be facing problems
here on the earth. Desolate, above, means lonely. Afflicted, above,
means depressed. If we start looking at the circumstances around us,
it is enough to depress a person. Look, with me, at the next verse at
what happens in the end.  Luke 21:26 "Men's hearts failing them for
fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the
earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."  As I said in the
beginning: look up and rejoice, for your redemption draweth nigh.

     Psalms 25:17 "The troubles of my heart are enlarged: [O] bring
thou me out of my distresses."

     John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not
as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."  We are told of God not to let our heart be
troubled. God will bring us out of our distresses, but we must have
faith that He will. Trust God, and He will deliver you.

     Psalms 25:18 "Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive
all my sins."

     David, like so many of us, is connecting the sin he has committed
with the affliction and pain he has now. Some illness is brought on by
sin, but not all. James 5:14 "Is any sick among you? let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the name of the Lord:" James 5:15 "And the prayer of faith
shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."  Notice the word {if}. We
must, also, notice that the prayer of faith shall save the sick.

     Psalms 25:19 "Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they
hate me with cruel hatred."

     They hated Jesus, so they will hate His followers. We, like
David, can say to God, Consider these many enemies that surround me.
They may hate us, but God fights our battles, and it does not make any
difference how many they are. Look at the great promise from God that
David could depend on, and we can depend on, too. Psalms 91:7 "A
thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand;
[but] it shall not come nigh thee."

     Psalms 25:20 "O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be
ashamed; for I put my trust in thee." Psalms 25:21 "Let integrity and
uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee."

     Integrity, in the verse above, means innocence. Proverbs 2:7 "He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them
that walk uprightly." Even the worldly appreciate a person who is
honest and upright in all of his dealings. God appreciates these
virtues even more than the world does. He will keep us in His loving
care, if we are honest and upright. He said, As ye have done it unto
the least of these, ye have done it unto me.

     Psalms 25:22 "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles."

     David realizes that he is week and has sinned, but God forgave
him. He, now, is asking for forgiveness and redemption for his
fellows. It is interesting to me that not only the physical house of
Israel, but the spiritual house as well, ask for this same thing. We
Christians, as soon as we have been redeemed, begin to cry to God to
redeem our families and our friends. Let the redeemed of the Lord say
so. Let them bring all their friends and loved ones to be redeemed,
too.




































                             Questions 26

1.  Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my _____.
2.  What does the author believe is the first thing that stands out in
    this verse?
3.  Who is the Lord, in verse 1?
4.  Every time we pray earnestly, we do what?
5.  Prayer, in a very real sense, is what?
6.  What does the statement {my God] make us aware of?
7.  What was one of the arguments Moses made to God to save the
    Israelites?
8.  What does transgress mean, in verse 3?
9.  Who is the way?
10. What should we keep our eyes on in our walk with God?
11. Who is the Light of the world?
12. What cleanses us from all unrighteousness?
13. Who is the God of my salvation?
14. Who was the law given by?
15. What 3 things did Jesus call Himself, in John chapter 14 verse 6?
16. Who is the Comforter?
17. What must we do, before we can be taught?
18. How long does the mercy of God endure?
19. Quote 1 John chapter 1 verse 10.
20. What was the difference in the results of the lamb's blood and the
    blood of Jesus for sin?
21. If we are to be Christians, we must become ___________.
22. Quote Galatians chapter 2 verse 20.
23. Who, besides Jesus, was known as a meek man?
24. What is sin?
25. What is better than sacrifice?
26. What is the first step to forgiveness?
27. What is the beginning of wisdom?
28. What is the difference in wisdom and knowledge?
29. What brings the greatest peace to a man?
30. Who are the true seed of Abraham?
31. Why did Jesus speak in parables?
32. What does the rainbow in the sky remind us of?
33. Believers are __ the world, but not __ the world.
34. Where does the believer's help come from?
35. What does desolate, in verse 16, mean?
36. Is it in our power not to be troubled?
37. What does James chapter 5 verses 14 and 15 tell us about illness?
38. Quote Psalms chapter 91 verse 7.
39. What does integrity, in verse 21, mean?