God – Guiding And Teaching The Meek

Serving – March 2014 – Grace & Truth Magazine

GOD – Guiding And Teaching The Meek

Psalm 25 speaks much about God’s leading – something we all need in our lives. The psalmist David experienced this guidance in his life when he, God’s anointed, was being persecuted and attacked. Even though David was weak and failing in himself, the Lord protected and helped him. We can identify with many details in David’s life, especially with his prayer, “Show me Your ways, O L ORD ; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (vv. 4-5 NKJV ). David started this Psalm by casting himself entirely on the Lord: “To You, O L ORD , I lift up my soul” (v. 1). This specific verb-form “I (will) lift up” or “take up” occurs seven times in the Hebrew text of the Psalms (16:4; 25:1; 63:5; 86:4; 116:13; 121:1; 139:9). It shows David’s dependence on the Lord and this parallels what he says in verse 2, “O my God, I trust in You.” Other verses also express David’s relying on and trust in the Lord: “Wait on the Lord” (vv. 5,21).

David In God’s School
David had learned to rely on the Lord while taking care of his father’s flock. When the sheep were attacked by a lion and a bear he was able, in the Lord’s strength, to rescue them (1 Sam. 17:34-35). This is an example of how God had prepared David to “take on” Goliath, the Philistine giant, and how He continued to form him for his later exploits. Recognizing God’s leading, David expressed his appreciation of God’s care while realizing his need to be taught and led, as described in Psalm 25. These details represent precious truths for us today, even though we live in an entirely different dispensation. Several verses in this Psalm show, indeed, that David lived in a time quite unlike the period of grace to which we belong. He lived before Christ’s accomplished work on the cross, His death and resurrection. He did not yet know Him as exalted and crowned with glory and honor (Heb. 2:9). Therefore, when reading this psalm carefully, we discover several elements that we cannot identify with because we are not under the Law of Moses, but under “grace and truth” (see Jn. 1:17). We may note that David also represented the future remnant in Israel – Jewish believers who will follow the Lord here on earth when we will be in heaven after the rapture of the Church. Our position in Christ and our relationship with the Lord Jesus are greater privileges than the greatest blessings David had ever known. Yet as far as our practical lives are concerned, there is much that we can learn from David and his experiences in God’s school. Notice that he says, “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (v. 10). This thought fits well with verse 9 where David speaks about “His way” – which is a righteous way – and his own desire to be in tune with God, the righteous Judge of all.

Christ’s Supreme Example
Even though we may have the best intentions to follow God’s way, are we not inclined to do things in our own way? That is why we need to go to the Lord, take His yoke upon us and learn from Him. He was meek as no one else (Mt. 11:29) – meek, but not weak! Meekness knows no self-will, self-seeking, prejudice or stubbornness. Being meek implies that one does not give offence or provoke. It also suggests not taking offence – not getting provoked by what others say or do. Why? Because when one does not allow himself to be provoked, this presupposes that the flesh in him is dealt with through the continuous practice of self-judgment. This is an ongoing exercise, is it not? In order to enhance this quality of meekness we need further instruction. Remarkably, verse 9 speaks of meekness twice (the only verse in the Bible to do so). This is a quality quite often referred to in the Psalms and something we may learn from our Master-Teacher and His example. Such an attitude of meekness parallels the mind-set of the “poor in spirit” – those who the Lord Jesus called “blessed” (Mt. 5:3). “The meek He will guide in judgment” (Ps. 25:9); this last word is sometimes translated: “in the right way” and links to “His way” in the same verse. “He will guide” is closely linked in the Hebrew language with “His way” since both terms derive from the same root. “He teaches/will teach” implies that God Himself is the Teacher, just as Christ was in Matthew 11:29. How wonderful! Let’s learn more of David and, most of all, of Christ! “Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (Ps. 25:4-5). “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (v. 14).

In Conclusion
By way of conclusion we can say that David discovered some of God’s wonderful qualities and attributes. Psalm 25 shows that David realized God’s dealings with him and had learned to rely on Him and on His goodness. Taught in God’s school, David was able to teach others about God’s right way (v. 9). This is how our God forms us today, so that we may become an instrument fit for the Master’s use (2 Tim. 2:21) and function in this way until He comes to take us to Himself (Jn. 14:3).

By Alfred Bouter

Psalm 25(NKJV)
To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them Hiscovenant. My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!