On November 18, 2023, Kyle Kettering gave a sermon at Church of the Messiah on Psalm 25. He told us that this lament psalm is traditionally known as the "falling on one's face" prayer. The psalmist (presumably David) confesses his sins and does not justify himself.
The psalm opens, "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul." What does it mean to lift one's soul to God? It could be that David intends to offer himself to God completely, as a "living sacrifice" of the type described in Romans 12:1-2.
A question arises in regard to verse 11: "For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great." What is the antecedent of the pronoun "it"? Is it the psalmist's guilt that is great, or God's name? A tradition recorded in Leviticus Rabbah suggests that both are in view, since it is only a great God who forigves great sins.
Kyle observed that the lament is grounded in covenant trust and expectation. The psalmist prays that God remember his mercy rather than the psalmist's sins, in accordance with his nature and character (verses 6-7).
Psalm 25 is one of eight acrostic psalms in the psalter. The acrostic is not perfect, however; it lacks two letters---kuph and vav. It is natural to ask if there is some message in this omission. Kyle offered some possibilities.
One is that kuph and vav can be combined to form kav, a word for a straight line or plumb line, a cord, or a statute or precept, as in Isa 28:10, 13. Certainly the psalmist here desires for God to teach him, to show him the way to go. We all need God to show us the way, and God teaches those who acknowledge their shortcomings and submit to him (vv 8-9).
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