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Scripture Reading: Psa. 25; Psa. 26; Psa. 27
Thus far, we have seen four stations concerning Christ in the Psalms. These four stations are Psalm 2, Psalm 8, Psalm 16, and Psalms 22—24. Now we have come to the final part of Book One of the Psalms, Psalms 25—41. The general title of Psalms 25—41 is "The Mixed Expressions of the Psalmist's Sentiment in His Enjoyment of God in God's House." We need to consider the meaning of the word sentiment. A person's sentiment is the condition of his inward situation. When David was writing these psalms, there was a certain inward situation with him. He wrote these psalms according to an "inward scenery."
David was not a superficial, shallow person. He was extremely thoughtful. When he was writing these psalms, there was much feeling, thought, and consideration within him. Psalms 25—41 are David's mixed expressions of his inward sentiment, his inward situation, his inward scenery, in his enjoyment of God in God's house. Expressions are outward; sentiment is inward. In David's enjoyment of God in God's house, he had many inward feelings and thoughts, so he expressed them.
These seventeen psalms contain many mixed expressions. Some are spiritual, some are divine, some are very natural, and some should be condemned. Some of his expressions should be put under our feet, whereas others should be uplifted to the uttermost. The expressions in these psalms are either divine, good, or bad. We need the proper discernment concerning whether these expressions belong to the tree of life or to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
In Psalm 25, David expressed his sentiment in seeking God's guidance and teaching in His ways and paths. A way is a main road, and a path is a lane or a trail, a small road. In the divine things of God, in His divine revelation, there are ways, main roads, and there are paths. We need to seek God's guidance and teaching in His ways and in His paths.
David begged God not to let him be put to shame and not to let his enemies exult over him. To exult is to rejoice greatly in a jubilant way. David also wanted the treacherous ones to be ashamed because of his lifting up his soul to God, his trusting (confiding) in God, and his waiting on God (vv. 1-3). David's soul was down, so he lifted his soul upward to God. That means he looked to God.
David's begging God not to let him be put to shame and not to let his enemies exult over him belongs to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not to the tree of life. His asking God to let the treacherous ones be ashamed also belongs to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now we need to consider David's lifting up his soul to God, his trusting in God, and his waiting on God according to the context of Psalm 25. Does this belong to the tree of life or to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? We cannot answer this question in a definite way because David sought God according to and in the age of the old covenant under the law. Today we are in the new covenant under grace. In the old covenant age, David's lifting up his soul to God, trusting in God, and waiting on God were very good, but they are not up to the standard of the new covenant. The standard of the new covenant is much higher than that of the old covenant.
David also asked God, as the God of his salvation, to teach and guide him through His compassions and acts of kindness (vv. 4-6).
David asked God not to remember but to forgive his sins, transgressions, and great iniquity (vv. 7, 11, 18b). This surely belongs to the tree of life because at the beginning of the New Testament there was a man telling people to repent (Matt. 3:1-2). The way for us to enter into the New Testament age is by our confession of sins plus God's forgiveness of our sins. This is the threshold of the New Testament age. We confessed and God forgave; then we entered into the New Testament age.
David was assured that God, being good and upright, instructs sinners concerning the way (Psa. 25:8). David does not say what "the way" is. I believe that this refers to God's instructing sinners concerning the way of confessing their sins and concerning the way of God's forgiveness. Be assured that God, being good and upright, instructs us sinners concerning how to confess and how to receive His forgiveness.
David also said that God guides and teaches the lowly His way in justice and treats those who observe His covenant and testimonies in lovingkindness and truth (vv. 9-10). The word testimonies in the Psalms refers to the law with the Ten Commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances. In addition to the Ten Commandments, the law of Moses has many statutes. Then when the statutes are accompanied by judgments, they become ordinances. Ordinances are statutes with judgments. These are the three categories of the law — the Ten Commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances. In total, the law is God's testimony. In David's expressions we can see that he was in the sphere, the atmosphere, and even the element of the law, because he was born and living in the age of the law.
In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus did not teach people to keep the Old Testament law. According to the teaching of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 5—7, His inner law, the law of the kingdom of the heavens, is much higher and much deeper than the Ten Commandments. The law of the old covenant deals with the act of murder (Matt. 5:21), but the new law of the kingdom deals with anger, the motive of murder (v. 22). Anger produces murder, so in the New Testament, anger is equal to murder.
David goes on to say that God instructs the man who fears Him concerning the way that he should choose (Psa. 25:12). If you are such a person, David says that you will be one whose soul will dwell in prosperity and whose seed will possess the land (v. 13). This concept is according to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To follow the Lord in the New Testament, we must forsake everything. Did the apostle Paul enjoy any kind of outward prosperity? He did not even have a family. He forsook all and lost everything in his pursuit of Christ.
David also said that God makes known to those who fear Him His intimate counsel and His covenant. Verse 14 says, "The intimate counsel of Jehovah belongs to those who fear Him,/And His covenant will He make known to them." David put the covenant, the law, together with God's intimate counsel. This is a mixed expression.
I would like us to consider whether we have ever experienced God's intimate counsel. Many Christians love the Psalms because it is filled with sweet terms such as intimate counsel. I experienced God's intimate counsel in a very real way when I was imprisoned by the Japanese invading army about fifty years ago in mainland China. The Japanese military police put me into prison twice, the second time for thirty days. I passed through many sufferings during that time, but God preserved me. Furthermore, through a dream God gave me the assurance that my life would be preserved. Even today this dream is still being fulfilled. The Lord also gave me other dreams during this period of imprisonment. All of these dreams were the very intimate counsel of God to me in my time of suffering. In one sense, I was suffering in prison, but the Lord was within me in an intimate way to give me His intimate counsel. I can also testify that I have enjoyed God's intimate counsel throughout the many years of my Christian life.
David speaks of God's intimate counsel, but he mixes this up with the old covenant, the law. The divine concept according to the tree of life and the human concept according to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are seen in David's mixed expressions.
David said that he turned his eyes continually to God that God might bring his feet out of the net and would turn toward him, be gracious to him, relieve the troubles of his heart, bring him out of his distresses, and look on his affliction and suffering (vv. 15-18a). There is also a mixture here of the divine concept according to the tree of life and the human concept according to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
David asked God to look on his many enemies, who hated him with a violent hatred (v. 19). This belongs to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Surely David returned hatred to his enemies. This is completely against the principle of the New Testament, which tells us to love our enemies and pray for them (Matt. 5:43-44).
David also asked God to deliver him by keeping his soul and not letting him be put to shame, for he took refuge in God (Psa. 25:20). Then he asked God to preserve him, not because of God's redemption and compassions but because of his integrity and uprightness, for he waited on God (v. 21). He said that he walked in integrity, walked in uprightness, and waited on God. This is also a mixed expression. During his age, there was nothing wrong with waiting on God, but for him to ask God to preserve him because of his integrity is according to the human concept. Integrity means absolute purity plus absolute perfection. David surely was not absolutely pure, perfect, or upright. He should not have asked God to preserve him because of his integrity and uprightness. This kind of thought belongs with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
In verse 22 David asked God to redeem Israel out of all his troubles.
Psalm 26 reveals the mixed expressions of David's sentiment in his asking God to judge him, examine him, try him, and test him. Asking God to examine us, is like asking someone to come and examine a corpse. What is within us worthwhile for God to examine? We are like a corpse full of rottenness, corruption, and filthiness. But many readers of the Psalms love David's expressions in asking God to judge him, examine him, try him, and test him. The New Testament term is this — "I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20a). This means that we have been terminated. In this sense we are a corpse, unworthy of any kind of examination. Who has the boldness to ask God to come and examine him? I dare not do this.
When I was imprisoned by the invading Japanese army, I did not ask God, as David did, to judge me to see that I had walked in integrity or to examine me because I conducted myself in His truth (Psa. 26:1-3). Instead, I confessed my sins, shortcomings, wrongdoings, and defects to Him every day. We should tell the Lord, "Lord, I am good for nothing but death. But thank You that You have crucified me on the cross, and in baptism I have been buried. Now it should not be I who live, but You who live in me." What a great difference there is between this expression according to the revelation of the New Testament and David's expressions in Psalm 26!
Who dares to pray, "God, come and judge me, examine me, try me, and test me"? Are we worthy for God to try us? Within us are defects, shortcomings, wrongdoings, offenses, transgressions, trespasses, evils, iniquity, sin, sins, and defilement. Many times we are not right in our inward attitude toward others. For this reason, each day I have to make confession to the Lord. Even before I speak in the meeting, I frequently pray, "Lord, forgive us and cleanse us with Your precious blood." If I do not confess my sins and my defilement, I cannot have a pure conscience with a strong spirit to speak for the Lord.
David was standing on his walk in integrity and in truth to be in the favor of God's lovingkindness (Psa. 26:1, 3, 11a). This concept belongs to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
David stood on his not being in company with the wicked (vv. 4-5, 9-10). In Psalm 26 David spoke of his adversaries within and his enemies without. He felt that he was holy, separated, and that they were wicked. In the eyes of God, however, he and his adversaries and enemies were the same. What is better about us than others? All men are sinful.
We need to be delivered from our human concept and be filled with the divine concept of the New Testament. According to the divine concept, we have been crucified and buried with Christ (Gal. 2:20a; Rom. 6:4). Now it should not be we who live but Christ who lives in us. This is according to the tree of life.
David said that he washed his hands in innocence to go around God's altar (Psa. 26:6). As he went around the altar, he made himself heard with the voice of thanksgiving and the telling out of God's wonderful deeds (v. 7). David felt that he was innocent and clean. This is a wrong concept. I respect David very much, and I believe that he was a great man in the hand of God. He was very spiritual in a sense, but not in all senses. We can see that many times he was not that much up to the standard of God's economy.
The standard of the law is not the standard of God's economy. The standard of God's economy is the standard of the New Testament. God's economy is not for making us a good man but a God-man. Regardless of how good a person is, as long as he is not a God-man, he is not up to the standard of God's economy. Regretfully, however, nearly all the Christian readers of the Psalms keep the standard of being a good man. They have not seen the standard of being a God-man. God wants us to be a God-man, not merely a good man. We should have only one o as in God, not two o's as in good.
David indicated that God should redeem him and be gracious to him because of his integrity (v. 11). This is an insult to God. If we are walking in integrity, being absolutely pure and absolutely perfect, we do not need redemption. God would surely not redeem us because of our integrity. Instead, a man should pray, "O God, redeem me because I am a great sinner." Paul said that Christ came into the world to save sinners and that he was the foremost sinner among all the sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). The proper prayer is: "Lord Jesus, I need Your redemption because I am a sinful person." This is the right attitude. Surely this is according to the tree of life.
In verse 12 David said, "My foot stands on level ground;/In the assemblies I will bless Jehovah." To say that we walk in our integrity and that our foot stands on level ground is being too boastful and proud.
Psalm 27 is the mixed expressions of David's sentiment in his trusting in God for His protection and deliverance from his enemies. He spoke much in this psalm about his enemies, and he believed that he would be delivered because he trusted in God.
David took God as his light, as his salvation, and the strength and stronghold of his life, so that he would not dread his adversaries and enemies (vv. 1-3). The thought in these verses belongs to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In them we again see David's pride.
David also said that he sought the face of God and asked God, the God of his salvation, not to abandon or forsake him, but to take him up more than his father and his mother (vv. 7-10).
David asked God to teach him His way and lead him on a level path because of his enemies who lay in wait for him, having believed that he would see the goodness of God in the land of the living (vv. 11-13).
We need to see that God did not preserve and deliver David because of his integrity. Instead, God preserved David and delivered him for God's purpose. In the Old Testament economy, God needed a man like David, but David was not a great man of integrity. He was not that pure. God said in 1 Kings 15:5 that David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. David murdered Uriah and robbed him of his wife, Bathsheba. Even the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1 records that David begot a son of the wife of Uriah (v. 6). This is not a nice expression. To say that a man begot a son of someone else's wife is a black spot on his record. This shows that David was not absolutely pure and absolutely perfect. He did not have this qualification, and none among us has this qualification. No one except the Lord Jesus has ever walked in an absolutely pure and perfect way. Eventually, due to David's failure, his family became a corrupted mess. Among his children there was also fornication and murder (2 Sam. 13).
At the end of Psalm 27, David advised and encouraged others to wait on God and to be strong and encouraged in their heart (v. 14). This is good, but it is altogether human activity which is not according to the standard of God's economy. According to Paul's word in Galatians 2:20 and Philippians 1:21a, every one of God's elect should confess, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no more I who live but Christ lives within me. Even now I live not by my faith but by the faith of Jesus Christ. I live by Him as my faith. I am altogether finished. I am nothing but a dead and buried corpse. I do not know what it is to be encouraged and strong. I only know that I have been crucified and that Christ now lives in me. For me to live is Christ." If we Christians had such a view, such a revelation, held within us, our attitude toward and our appreciation of the Psalms would be absolutely different.
The chorus of #539 in Hymns says: "O Lord, Thou art the Spirit!/How dear and near to me!/How I admire Thy marvelous/Availability!" The Lord today is not only approachable but also available. If food is only approachable to us, this is not sufficient. The food has to be available for us to eat so that we can become one with the food. Approachability is not so good as availability. Today in God's New Testament economy, God is not only approachable but also available to us. The Lord said, "I am the bread of life...he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me" (John 6:35, 57). To eat is to take Him, the available One, as our food. He also said that we need to drink of Him as the living water (John 4:10, 14). In the book of John, all the items concerning Christ are not just approachable. All of them are available — good for us to enjoy, that is, good for us to eat and drink.
Now I would like to say a further word on the enjoyment of God in the house of God as seen in Book One of the Psalms, comprising Psalms 1—41. A number of items of David's enjoyment are good, but many of them are objective and not available. David said that he lifted up his hands unto the innermost sanctuary (Psa. 28:2). This is altogether objective. David also said that those in God's temple all said, "Glory!" (29:9). If God is merely the glory outside of us, He has nothing to do with us. Objective glory does not help us, but our being subjectively mingled with the Triune God works. The chorus of Hymns, #1199 says, "Mingle, mingle, hallelujah...Yes, mingling is the way!" In God's New Testament economy, subjective mingling is the way.
In Psalm 36:7-9, David's enjoyment of God in God's house is very subjective. These verses show us the subjective enjoyment of the available riches in God's house. The psalmist said that we could be saturated with the fatness, the abundance, the riches, of God's house (v. 8a). We can be saturated with all the fullness of God within God's house by eating Him. I want to say again that we should pay attention to the revelation in the Gospel of John. In this Gospel, the two crucial words are eat and drink. As the bread from heaven, Jesus is eatable. He is also drinkable as the living water. If we drink of the living water, it will become in us a spring of water, gushing up into eternal life. Eating and drinking the Lord to enjoy Him as our spiritual life supply is so crucial, but this is missed in today's Christianity.
In God's house we can drink of the river of God's pleasures (Psa. 36:8b). This is not just one pleasure but many pleasures. We Christians do not need worldly amusements, entertainment, parties, or clubs. Our "club" is the church life. The church is the best club on this earth. We have our pleasures here in the church. Our amusement is the river of God's pleasures. We can see a picture of this flowing river in Genesis 2, and this river, the river of water of life in Revelation 22, will be flowing forever.
Psalm 36:9a says that we can be those sharing of the fountain of the life of God. In the book of Jeremiah, God condemned Israel because Israel forsook Him as the fountain of living waters (2:13). But in God's house we can share of the fountain of the life of God. Eventually, we can see light in God's light (Psa. 36:9b).
In God's house we have the food, the river, the fountain of life, and the light. These four things are altogether not objective. Food is for eating, the river is for drinking, the fountain is for sharing of, and the light is for us to participate in by seeing. What an enjoyment this is! This enjoyment in Psalm 36 is much deeper, much higher, and much more profound than the enjoyment of God's house in Psalm 27. In Psalm 36 everything is available. The food is available, the river is available, the fountain of life is available, and the light is available. We have the availability of the riches in God's house for our enjoyment.
This enjoyment will eventually lead us to the New Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem, we will be saturated with the fruit of the tree of life; we will drink of the river of the water of life; we will share of the fountain of God's life; and we will also see light in God's divine light (Rev. 22:1-2, 5). This is the consummate enjoyment of God in the house of God.
