Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 25
Overview:
Confidence in
Prayer.
(1-7) Prayer for remission of sins.
(8-14) For help in affliction.
(15-22)
1-7 In worshipping
God, we must lift up our souls to him. It is
certain that none who,
By a believing attendance, wait
On God,
and,
By a believing
Hope, wait for him, shall be ashamed of it.
The most advanced believer both needs and desires to be taught
of
God. If we sincerely desire to know our duty, with resolution
to do it, we may be sure that
God will direct us in it. The
psalmist is
Earnest for the
Pardon of his sins. When
God pardons
Sin, he is said to remember it
No more, which denotes full
remission. It is
God's
Goodness, and not ours, his
Mercy, and
not our merit, that must be our plea for the
Pardon of
Sin, and
all the good we need. This plea we must rely upon, feeling our
own unworthiness, and satisfied of the riches of
God's
Mercy and
Grace. How boundless is that
Mercy which covers for ever the
sins and follies of a youth spent without
God and without
Hope!
Blessed be the
Lord, the
Blood of the great
Sacrifice can wash
away every stain.
8-14 We are all sinners; and
Christ came into the world to save
sinners, to teach sinners, to
Call sinners to
Repentance. We
value a promise
By the character of him that makes it; we
therefore depend upon
God's promises. All the paths of the
Lord,
that is, all his promises and all his providences, are
Mercy and
Truth. In all
God's dealings his people may see his
Mercy
displayed, and his
Word fulfilled, whatever
Afflictions they are
now exercised with. All the paths of the
Lord are
Mercy and
Truth; and
So it will appear when they come to their
Journey's
End. Those that are humble, that distrust themselves, and desire
to be taught and to follow Divine guidance, these he will guide
in
Judgment, that is,
By the rule of the written
Word, to find
Rest for their souls in the
Saviour. Even when the body is sick,
and in pain, the soul may be at ease in
God.
15-22 The psalmist concludes, as he began, with expressing
dependence upon
God, and desire toward him. It is good thus to
Hope, and quietly to wait for the
Salvation of the
Lord. And if
God turns to us,
No matter who turns from us. He pleads his own
integrity. Though guilty before
God, yet, as to his enemies, he
had the
Testimony of
Conscience that he had done them
No wrong.
God would, at length, give
Israel Rest from all their enemies
round about. In
Heaven,
God's
Israel will be perfectly redeemed
from all troubles. Blessed
Saviour, thou hast graciously taught
us that without thee we can do nothing. Do thou teach us how to
pray, how to appear before thee in the way which thou shalt
choose, and how to lift up our whole hearts and desires after
thee, for thou art the
Lord our
Righteousness.