Psalm 25 (part 2): God is the same throughout the Bible
In verse 6, David writes: “Goodness and faithful love have been yours for ever, Yahweh, do not forget them.” And again, in verse 10, he writes: “Kindness unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh’s paths, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.” I read this, and I can’t help thinking about the folks who say that God used to be different in the Old Testament. To them, God is somehow nicer and gentler in the New Testament… Where in the world do they get those ideas from? Why, just search the Bible, and you’ll see that God is constant, all the time. This psalm and the verses I’m quoting above are proof of that. God has always been kind and good and loving.
The best proof of that is in Exodus 34:6-7: “Then Yahweh passed before him and called out, ‘Yahweh, God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in faithful love and constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands, forgiving fault, crime and sin, yet letting nothing go unchecked, and punishing the parent’s fault in the children and in the grandchildren to the third and fourth generation!’” There can be no disputing or debate about God’s nature here. These words came right out of His mouth. There can be no doubt whatsoever when He clears up the matter. And yet doubt exists. Why? Because Jesus Christ came to Earth, and His human nature confuses you? He was and is God’s Son. It’s very probable that it was He who passed in front on Moses on the mount. God always acts through Him. It was through Jesus that the world, the stars and the heavens were made (read John 1:1-5). Make no mistake about it. Jesus is not only our Savior, but our High Priest and also our Judge. He is everything He says He is, including Exodus 34:7, which can be a troublesome verse for some. He will let “nothing go unchecked.”
How then, can we be sure to stay on His good side? David makes it pretty clear in this psalm. God will speak to us, if we will listen, to help us see where we’re doing wrong: “Integrity and generosity are marks of Yahweh for he brings sinners back to the path.” How should we approach Him? We should be humble: “Judiciously He guides the humble, instructing the [humble] in His way.” In the footnotes for this verse, the NJB says: “‘poor’ Syr.; Hebr. repeats ‘humble’.” In other words, in the original Hebrew, the word “humble” is repeated, so I chose to do the same when quoting that verse here. If we’re humble, we’re not puffed up with a false sense of our importance and wisdom, and can receive instruction from God. We’re listening, because we’re aware that we know so very little. David writes a few verses down: “Men who respect Yahweh, what of them? He teaches them the way they must choose. Neighbours to happiness will they live, and their children inherit the land. Only those who fear Yahweh possess His secret and His covenant, for their understanding.” The NJB footnotes are very useful once again: “Not so much the mystery of God himself… as an intimacy with God… together with an understanding of the ways of God.”
So you see, it’s not that hard: we must approach God in humbleness, and earnestly pray for understanding and guidance. We will receive it! It’s God’s promise to us!
