"The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way."
Psalm 25:9
Psalm 25 is the second of David’s “acrostic Psalms.” Each verse starts with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet. This style of writing helped the Hebrew reader to be able to memorize it. In this Psalm, David is both asking for protection from his enemies and pardon from his sins. David wants the LORD to lead him, and in our verse for today, we see a key to God’s guidance and teaching.
“The meek.”
He uses the word meek twice in this verse. The key to having God’s help here is being meek. The Hebrew word used here means the “poor, humble, afflicted, meek”[1] (BDB). These qualities are the opposite of the proud, arrogant, or boastful individual. This verse stands to reason that if we hope to have God’s attention, we need to be walking humbly with Him. He blesses the meek.
“For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).
“Will He guide in judgment.”
A proud person needs no help, or at least that’s what he/she thinks. In fact, if you try to help an arrogant person, it may get you into trouble. “Pride” reasons that it needs nothing and no one!
“Meek spirits are in high favor with the Father of the meek and lowly Jesus, for he sees in them the image of his only-begotten Son. They know their need of guidance, and are willing to submit their own understandings to divine will, and therefore the Lord condescends to be their guide”[2] (Spurgeon).
“Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:24).
“And the meek will He teach His way.”
The meek have a teachable spirit, and God says He will teach them “His way.” It is challenging to teach a proud person anything. But the humble are longing to learn from the Lord and His Word.
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments” (Psalm 119:66).
“Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psalm 143:10).
It is interesting to note that God does not teach people just to give them information for them to choose whether or not they will obey what they have learned. He teaches those with a humble spirit that He knows will do what they are taught.
Quote: “A humble person is not one who thinks little of himself, hangs his head and says, “I’m nothing.” Rather, he is one who depends wholly on the Lord for everything, in every circumstance” (David Wilkerson).
[1] Brown, Driver, Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, the electronic version in eSword.