Each line of this Psalm begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The desire for guidance, the weight of guilt, and the affliction of enemies are all themes that take turns. In the end it is clear that David's experience points to the work of the Messiah, and that the hope of God's people is rightly invested in Him.
Not Ashamed (v. 1-3)
The idea of biblical shame is to have hopes disappointed and beliefs confounded. In this sense, the covenant promises of God are shameless.
The Need for Instruction (v. 4-5)
"Show me, teach me, lead me..." These petitions are matched to the objects "Your ways, Your paths, Your truth..." Such requests are free of self-interest and motivated only by the desire to know and to do the will of God. This approach is solid and mature, unlike the emotional search for miraculous signs and private revelations.
Remembrance (v. 6-7)
God cannot forget, but He has the power to not remember if He so chooses. The psalmist is aware that past sins are not forgotten with the passage of time, as we so often assume. He prays that God would remember him in mercy.
Covenant Blessings (v. 8-15)
This section of the Psalm observes the blessings that accompany salvation -- instruction, goodness, friendship, and deliverance from evil.
Messianic Hope (v. 16-22)
David foreshadows his greater Son who suffered the affliction of sin not His own and was unjustly hated in integrity. All of God's people have a stake in this one Man's vindication |
