Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Psalms 25:16-18
The Psalmist Now Prays For Deliverance From His Afflictions And Again For Forgiveness For His Sins (Psalms 25:16).
Following the confidence expressed in the previous verses the Psalmist's situation now again comes strongly home to him, and he sends up a heartfelt plea for deliverance. Three problems are especially in mind in the final verses of the Psalm, firstly his need to be delivered from his afflictions, secondly his repeated need for forgiveness, and thirdly his need to be saved from his enemies, although all three may well be connected. The enemy and their activities may well have contributed to his afflictions, and have increased the level of his sins. Once again in the midst of it all he is especially conscious of his need for his sins to be forgiven, something which has come out all the way through.
P ‘Turn you to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.'
TS ‘The troubles of my heart are enlarged.
Oh, do you bring me out of my distresses'.
It is a salutary lesson that up to this point, while he has mentioned his enemies, the Psalmist has not mentioned his afflictions. He has been more concerned about his sins. To him his afflictions were less important than his continuing in the grace of God. But now he finally feels that he can bring them to God's attention. So he calls on God to note his afflictions, and asks that God will turn towards him in them, for they seem to be getting bigger and bigger.
We can compare here Psalms 119:132, ‘turn you to me and have mercy on me, as is the right of those who love your name (or as is right for those who love your name)'. Compare also Psalms 86:16.
‘Have mercy on me.' That is, ‘show your compassion towards me.' He is very conscious that he needs to be held up by the love of God.
‘For I am desolate and afflicted.' He is both lonely and afflicted. Every hand seems against him. This was Elijah's cry on the mount, ‘I only I am left and they seek my life' (1 Kings 19:10). It is very easy at such times to feel alone. (But there are always seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal).
‘The troubles of my heart are enlarged.' The troubles of his heart appear to be piling one on top of the other. They just seem to be getting larger and larger. How often this can appear so to the believer. At such times we must remember that God is larger still and can enlarge us so that our troubles appear as nothing (Psalms 119:32). It is amazing what a difference it can make if we remember that we are sons of the King, and that our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20).
‘Oh, do you bring me out of my distresses'. So his final plea is that God will deliver him out of his distresses, which include his consciousness of his sins (Psalms 25:18).
R ‘Consider my affliction and my travail,
And forgive all my sins.'
‘And forgive all my sins.' Once again his consciousness of his sins comes to the forefront, compare Psalms 25:7; Psalms 25:11. He is aware that his afflictions and travail have caused him to fall short of what he should be, and so he again seeks forgiveness. This need is thus at the very heart of the Psalm, along with his persistence in having communion with God.
Finally He Prays For Rescue From The Hands Of His Enemies, So That His Soul Might Be Kept In Integrity and Uprightness As He Waits On God (Psalms 25:19).
As we saw at the beginning the thoughts here parallel those with which he began the Psalm. But we should note here that his final concern is to be kept in integrity and uprightness. That is his prime goal. He does not want his light to go out (Matthew 5:16).
The comparisons are as follows:
‘Consider my enemies' (Psalms 25:19) ‘Let not my enemies triumph over me (Psalms 25:2). ‘O keep my soul and deliver me' (Psalms 25:20) ‘To you I lift up my soul' (Psalms 25:1). ‘Let me not be ashamed' (Psalms 25:20) ‘Let me not be put to shame' (Psalms 25:2). ‘For I put my trust in you' (Psalms 25:20) ‘In you have I trusted' (Psalms 25:2) ‘For I will wait on you' (Psalms 25:21) ‘None that wait on you will be ashamed' (Psalms 25:3) ‘O God' (Psalms 25:22) ‘O my God' (Psalms 25:1 /2).