Sunday, September 15, 2013

Psalm 25:22

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely
Psalm 25:22

22 Redeem [padah] Israel [Yisra'el], O God ['elohiym], out of all his troubles [tsarah]. KJV-Interlinear

22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles.  NASB

The term Israel, began in Jacobs day when God renamed Jacob with the name Israel.

With the creation of Adam and Eve, with their subsequent fall, followed by their expression of faith in God’s promise, God chose the human race over angels.

In the time of Noah, faith was again expressed when Noah built the ark on faith even though there had been no rain before that time and yet God claimed that the rain was coming.

God again chose pure humanity over the impure creatures who were products of angel and human procreation.

The generations continued through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to distinguish the line of Christ from other possible lines that would claim to be the lines of prophets or messiahs. But also Jacob was renamed Israel, and such became the name of God’s nation, and of God’s chosen people.

Throughout the Old Testament there was always a distinction between God’s people and those who were not God’s people. Often times they were called foreigners or strangers to distinguish them from God’s people, and as the time of Christ’s birth approached, the term gentile was used to distinguish those who were not chosen from those who were chosen.

In error, the citizens of Judea who were at that time called Jews, presumed themselves to be God’s only chosen people. But, if you have been following along in the Galatians study, then you know that God’s chosen people are determined by faith and not by genetics.

And here in our Psalm, David after praying for help for himself because of the overwhelming odds that existed from the world against him, also applies this prayer to all of God’s chosen people, namely to all believers who have become God’s chosen people by means of faith, and therefore citizens of God’s nation, which is called Israel.  Today we use the term, Christians.

The word for redeem, ‘padah,’ means to sever, to ransom, to release, to preserve, to deliver.

The word for troubles, ‘tsarah,’ means tightness, trouble, adversity, anguish, distress, tribulation.

In this world there exists for humanity an endless amount and an infinite number of troubles. The most significant of which is eternal condemnation. Faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ, solves the eternal condemnation problem.

Faith, in the sense of the content of the word of God which you come to believe by means of learning through a daily study, and thus advance yourself in your spiritual life, provides a defense mechanism against the many daily troubles that a person can face in life.

Only believers, those who believe in Jesus Christ, have claimed to and access to these solutions.

Unbelievers, are people who have rejected God, Christ, and doctrine, do not have access to these solutions, for the obvious reason that they have rejected them.

And so David and this Psalm, pray for the nation of Israel, which in his day was a reference to the actual nation, but also applies to all people throughout history who have believed in the promised savior.

If you have not believed in Christ, then you have no access to any solutions for life. Worldly solutions for worldly things are temporary at best and not solutions at all. Only spiritual solutions can solve all problems regardless of their source.