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Psalm 25 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Have you ever wondered why David prayed so regularly for his enemies to be routed? So far, he has appealed to God on this matter in Psalm 3, 6, 9, 17, 18, 21, 23, and now we read it again here in Psalm 25.
David was a paradox. On one hand, he was a famous, rugged warrior who slew many men during his life. He was a powerful military leader and near-absolute monarch. He lived during a dog-eat-dog era of extremes. He had to eat or be eaten. On the other hand, he was a lover. Being a songwriter and musician, he had a soft, sensive side to him. He loved God and made it clear that he would follow Him with all his heart. This doesn’t mean he was perfect (far from it). His sins were known by the public and brought great humiliation. But, he learned from his struggles.
One of the ongoing themes we see in David’s life is the issue of vengeance. King David was wronged by many in his life, and being the most powerful man in the ancient world, he could have killed (or had them killed) whenever he wanted. At least one time he exercised this power just because he wanted a woman. As far as Saul was concerned, this happened on several occasions. Not only was David justified with Saul, he had the capability of taking matters into his own hands. Vengeance was his… or was it?
We read that, although David was wronged (by Saul and many others), and could have taken matters into his own hands (being the most powerful man during that time), he mostly chose to let God deal with situations. Think about that for a second. David was fully capable of handling these matters in his own strength. He could exterminate an individual (or an entire nation for that matter) with one simple order. But time and time again we read that David appealed to God for justice to be served to his enemies. He laid down his sword to seek wisdom from above.
O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. 4 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
Psalms 25:2-4 NASB
None of those who wait for You will be ashamed. Wow, what a statement. Waiting can be trecherous. This is especially true of situations where someone is completely in the wrong and continuing to cause turmoil and destruction. Righteous anger rises inside of us and our immediate response is to take control.
Don’t let my enemies exult over me. It’s almost as if he’s saying, “God, I am angry with this person. They have wronged me and wronged You. They deserve to be punished. But God, I trust You, so I’m going to leave the execution of judgment to You. Please just kill them or make sure that they at least suffer from some horrible disease for the rest of their lives…”
OK, maybe not that last line. But seriously, David made it a habit of trusting God for wrongs to be made right even though he was fully capable of doing so himself. He repeatedly humbled himself before the Lord with faith, not allowing his pride to take control and react recklessly to a situation or individual. Gosh… how badly does the church need to take this message to heart?
I am personally in a situation like this right now. Believe me, it’s one of the most difficult struggles I’ve faced. Some days, it eats me alive. Others, I am able to wrestle my emotions down in confession as I plead with God to bring conviction and truth to the situation. I believe with all my heart He will be faithful and just in His timing. It’s not easy, but it’s right. Where do you need to let go of your need for control in order for God to bring truth?