What is the meaning of Psalm 25:18? Consider my affliction and trouble “Consider my affliction and trouble,” • David invites the Lord to look closely at his present pain. He knows God is not distant but attentive, as seen when the Lord told Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people” (Exodus 3:7). • The word “consider” shows confidence that God both sees and cares; Psalm 34:17–19 reminds that “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears.” • Affliction and trouble are not interpreted as fate or chance. They are occasions to draw near to the Shepherd who “walks through the valley” with His own (Psalm 23:4). • This appeal also acknowledges personal limitation. Like Job, David confesses dependence: “I am weary with my groaning” (Job 7:11). and take away all my sins “and take away all my sins.” • David moves from outward hardship to inward need. Forgiveness is his greatest rescue, echoing Psalm 32:1–2 where the blessed person is the one “whose transgressions are forgiven.” • The request is comprehensive—“all my sins.” Nothing remains hidden, paralleling 1 John 1:9, which assures that God “cleanses us from all unrighteousness.” • Deliverance from sin and deliverance from trouble are linked throughout Scripture; Isaiah 1:18 offers both cleansing and renewed fellowship: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” • By asking for sin’s removal, David anticipates the New Covenant promise: “I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). summary Psalm 25:18 reveals a twofold cry: God is asked to see every external hardship and to erase every internal wrong. Confidence rests in the character of the Lord who both notices suffering and pardons sin, ensuring His people are never abandoned in distress nor condemned by guilt. |
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