Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ps 26.1 and following. Indeed, in Psalm 25 the faithful had sins to confess. And his prayer was, “Make me walk in your truth.” Here the tone changes. The believer stands before God with a good conscience and can declare, “I walked in your truth.” He is one of those blesseds who, according to Psalm 1:1-3, have not associated themselves with those who do evil. A holy occupation absorbs all his thoughts: that of verses 6 and 7. Having washed his hands in the bronze vat, in other words having judged himself, he goes around the altar, considering in all its aspects the work of the cross and the One who was the perfect Sacrifice. His mouth then opens for praise and tells “all the wonderful works” carried out by grace. For the Christian life is not only about withdrawing from iniquity. Having purified himself of the vessels of dishonor, the child of God finds those who with him invoke the Lord with a pure heart (2 Tim 2.19-22).
Indeed, this psalm has the same character as the previous one: it corresponds to David’s feelings on the other side of the Jordan. However, the awareness of his righteousness vis-à-vis men is more assertive. For we also find in it something of the fervor that carried him to the house and congregation of the Lord, after which, as we know from the historical record, David sighed ardently (2 Sam 15:25-26). He sees them here in advance, and his desire will be fulfilled. That he relies on God’s mercy and redemption, while protesting his integrity, as he does, denotes great righteousness. Considering this psalm following the previous one, is it not beautiful to see in it the progress in the experience of the believer who has sinned? In this psalm, in fact, although the faithful declare his integrity, and at the same time implore mercy, he no longer has any sin to confess and anticipates the enjoyment of the house of God.
Thus, we have the confession of sins and the integrity of which pious man claims, the double witness of the renewal of understanding. Although the possibility of God’s government, in forgiveness and mercy, is based on the Atonement presented to us and which is fully recognized by Israel in Isaiah 53, after the time of these Psalms, is the well-known character and government of Jehovah in Israel; the feelings of the renewed heart are expressed in relation to this government, that is, to the ways of jehovah. His name is the key to their thoughts and awakens their best and truest affections. This is the faith of a pious Israelite in the last days. For this whole portion of the Psalms deals us especially with the moral state of the residue, and more particularly with the state of the faithful towards the Lord, the circumstances in the midst of which the faithful find themselves being less prominent, although the enemies outside and the transgressors within are necessarily the occasion for the expressed feelings as to deliverance and redemption.
The heart of the faithful has the secret of the whole history of Israel and all of Jehovah’s ways toward his people, because the faithful expect grace and have confessed to sin. This is the true principle of intelligence at all times, and for the residue too. God’s ways have been and are perfect: He is invoked to remember His compassions and not the sins of his people’s youth: He is presented with the enemies of the people. The hope of forgiveness is based on the name of Jehovah (it is linked, as we have seen, with His government; the faithful have not yet turned their gazes to Christ and understood the Atonement); the faithful in his conduct seek the direction of Jehovah and rely on his faithfulness: he presents all his sins, all his afflictions, all his enemies, with an open heart, to the Lord; he can contemplate and await the graces of the covenant, because Jehovah is really with a sinner who confesses his sin with a right heart.
The lowlier and unjustly slander David observed himself, the more forcefully the vehemence of his sorrow excited him to assert his rectitude without fear. Nor does He simply cleanse Himself from external sins; he also boasts of the righteousness of his heart and the purity of his affections, comparing himself at the same time to his enemies. As they were gross hypocrites, proudly boasting of their reverence for God, he exposes before him their shameless effrontery and endurance. This protest also shows how intimately he knew himself, when he dared to offer to subject the whole palm of his heart to God’s examination. It should be noted, however, that it was the wickedness of his enemies that forced him to recommend himself. If he had not been unjustly condemned by men, he would have humbly belittled such an examination, for he knew well despite his zeal to act well, that he was far from perfection. But when he felt falsely accused, the injustice and cruelty of men encouraged him to appeal without hesitation to God’s court.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
An innocent man appeals to God:
· God as Judge
Gen 18:25 To make the righteous die with the wicked, so that it is the just as the wicked, far from you this way of acting! far from you! Won’t he who judges the whole earth exercise justice? Ps 58:12 And men will say, Yes, he is a reward for the righteous; Yes, he is a God who judges on earth. Ps 96:13 Before the Lord! For he comes, for he comes to judge the earth; He will judge the world justly, and the people according to his faithfulness. Ec 3:17 I said in my heart: God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for all things and for all works. Hb 12:23 of the assembly of the firstborn inscribed in heaven, of the judge who is the God of all, of the spirits of the righteous who have come to perfection,
· Integrity Examples
Number 16:15 Moses was very irritated, and he said to the Lord, “Have no regard for their offering. I didn’t even take a donkey from them, and I didn’t hurt any of them. 1 Sam 12:4 They answered: You have not oppressed us, and you have not treated us harshly, and you have received nothing from anyone. 2 Sam 18:12 But this man said to Joab: When I weighed in my hand a thousand sicles of money, I would not put my hand on the king’s son; for we have heard this command that the king has given to you, to Abischai and to Ittaï: Beware each of the young Absalom! 1 Kings 13:8 The man of God said to the king, “When you give me half of your house, I will not enter with you. I will not eat bread, nor will I drink water in this place; 2 Kings 5:16 Elisha answered: The Lord, of whom I am the servant, is alive! I will not accept. Naaman urged him to accept, but he refused. 2 Kings 12:16 The money from the sacrifices of guilt and the sacrifices of atonement was not brought into the house of jehovah: it was for the priests.
· Security of the saints, they cannot falter
Ps 15:5 He does not demand interest in his money, and he does not accept a gift against the innocent. He who behaves in this way never falters. Ps 21:8 The king trusts in the Lord; And, by the goodness of the Most High, he does not falter. Ps 55:23 Hand over your fate to the Lord, and He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous waver. Ps 112:6 For he never falters; The memory of the righteous always lasts. Ps 121.3 He will not allow your foot to stagger; He who guards you will not sleep. Ps 125:1 Song of degrees. Those who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of Zion: it does not falter, It is strengthened forever. Pr 10:30 The righteous will never falter, but the wicked will not inhabit the land.
· Spiritual trials, divine methods used to test believers
-Asking for great sacrifices Gen 22:1-2 After these things, God put Abraham to the test, and said to him: Abraham! And he answered: Here I am! 22 God said: Take your son, your only one, the one whom you love, Isaac; go to the land of Morija, and there offer it as a holocaust on one of the mountains that I will tell you.
As you lead men on a difficult path Dt 8:2 Remember all the way that Jehovah your God has made you do during these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble and test you, to know what the dispositions of your heart were and whether or not you would keep his commandments.
-In giving them the opportunity to choose 1 Kings 3:5 in Gabaon, Jehovah appeared in Solomon’s dream during the night, and God said to him, Ask what you want me to give you.
-Offering them difficult tasks Jn 6:5-6 Having looked up, and seeing that a large crowd was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip: Where shall we buy bread, so that these people may have food? 6 He said this to test it, for he knew what he was going to do.
-Allowing men to suffer when they are faithful (Paul and Silas) Acts 16:24-25 The jailer, having received this order, threw them into the inner prison, and put the vines on their feet.25 In the middle of the night, Paul and Silas prayed and sang the praises of God, and the prisoners heard them.
-In allowing temptation James 1:2-3 My brethren, look as a subject of joy completes the various trials to which you may be exposed, 3 knowing that the trial of your faith produces patience.
From all of the above, we note that this psalm is an invocation to Jehovah, based on integrity and trust in Him. The pious man who confided in him will certainly not falter. He invites the Lord to search his heart to the bottom, as Peter did (John 21:17) even though he had fallen. Here again the goodness of jehovah is the first motive of pious man. – Then the separation of the faithful from the unfaithful mass of the nation is brought into full light and invoked as a motive so that the souls of the faithful are not reunited with sinners. However, if the faithful invoke his integrity, he seeks redemption and mercy; he knows that the end will be blessing for him: his foot has stopped in a united path; he will bless the Lord in the midst of the whole congregation gathered. In essence, the Word presents us here with the complete separation of the faithful from the nation, and these faithful becoming the congregation of God. And since he knew that an outward appearance of innocence was of no use, he put forward the honest righteousness of his heart. And this, above all, we must keep in mind, if we want to obtain God’s approval, that when unjustly persecuted, we must not only refrain from retaliation, but also persevere in a good spirit. Here the faithful who have “hated the assembly of those who do evil” enjoy the dwelling of the glory of His God and bless jehovah “in the assemblies.” Is the presence of the Lord Jesus in the gathering of the two or three gathered in His Name a joy for your heart? Absolutely. Our prayers support you and accompany you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the faithful is spared the judgment reserved for the wicked.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.