The Circle of Integrity

Series on the Psalms

Text: Psalm 26

Title: The Circle of Integrity

Introduction

The subject of this Psalm is deliverance. When the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685 Protestant ministers were expelled from France but the Christian people were compelled to remain and every road out of the country was watched and guarded. There followed a time of intense persecution in which many were pressed to renounce their religion by imprisonment and torture. Many took refuge in the forest, hiding by day and fleeing by night to the frontier. Pineton of Chambrun, one of these escaped exiles recounts how he and his companions came in sight of Geneva and sang with tears of joy this Psalm, listen to verse 8, I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells. How appropriate. The deliverance of which David speaks is closely intertwined with his integrity. In v.1 The Psalmist David says, I have walked in my integrity. In verse 11 he says, I will walk in my integrity. This blameless life is well defined for us in the Psalm itself. Look at the following expressions in verses 2-5, Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked, also in verses 8-12, I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells. Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the LORD. I want to focus on this relationship between integrity and deliverance as we look at this Psalm. The claim David makes is strange to us and yet it is found frequently in his writings. To our ears it is too bold. Is it foolish boasting? Is it indicative of David trusting in his own righteousness? Is he striking a bargain with God? The answer is an unequivocal NO! And these are the reasons. The commission, the contrast, the conviction, and the circle.

I. The Commission

This is a Psalm of David and David is the King. This means that he is the appointed deliverer of the people of God, both in principle and in practice. He is the Messianic representative. The King is viewed as the Son of God and the heir of God. We see this expressed so beautifully in Psalm 2, I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. David is identified with the Messiah who will come. This has implications both for David and the people. Not only does he officially represent the cause of God and the truth on the earth, but he represents it together with the people he leads who are the chosen people of God. Thus as he writes of his integrity it must be seen as an expression of what it means to be in covenant relationship with the true God. In a sense the integrity of Jesus overshadows this ancient people and their king. The king to come conveys his glory and holiness to their official status before God. Out of Egypt have I called my Son says the Lord. It is for this reason appropriate that David speak of his integrity and with him all the people of God speak as well. It is what we now called whole-hearted commitment.

II. The Contrast

The commission is absolute by God’s electing love, but the contrast is relative, and yet it is also a clear justification for David’s language. This whole Psalm is a intense contrast between the godly servants of the Lord and the ungodly verses 4,5,9 and 10, I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked…Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. Although the scripture does not encourage us to compare ourselves with others, nevertheless there ought to be a sharp distinction between the Godly and the ungodly. In fact it is this very contrast which enables the Psalmist who is a sinner himself to make a claim of integrity,. If he were comparing himself to God he could not do this. But he is clearly asserting his loyalty to God over against the scoffers. In fact this is exactly what Psalm 1 does for us in introducing the literature of the Psalms. It contrasts the godly man with the ungodly. This is precisely the contrast David envisions.

III. The Conviction

The third reason why David’s claim is not presumptuous is found in the conviction expressed throughout the Psalm. There is a sense of danger. There is prayer for deliverance. There is a dread of sin. In verse 2 the Psalmist calls upon God to examine him. He is not trusting in his own opinion. In verse 6 he speaks of washing his hands in innocency, and this too points to God’s approval of his character. Moreover, in verse 6 he also speaks of walking about the altar of the Lord where sacrifices for sin were continually made. And finally he says in his prayer towards the end of the Psalm, Redeem me and be merciful unto me. David knows that all goodness comes from God and if there is integrity in his heart it is due to the grace of God. In other words the bold claim David makes to possess integrity is really based on the mercy and grace of the Lord and ultimately in his position as the chosen one of God. In our case just as much as David’s we can assert that we have a whole hearted commitment to God by his grace. Doesn’t the Apostle Paul do this in the New Testament? He can say on the one hand that he is the chief of sinners, but on the other hand he can assert his complete integrity in a way that magnifies God. In I Corinthians 15;10 Paul says, By the grace of God I am what I am. In II Corinthians 11: 30 and 31 he writes after boasting of his Jewish heritage, If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.

IV. The Circle

There is a final reason why David’s claim is reasonable and that is the way in which he shows in this Psalm that integrity is really a circle. He has begun with it in verse1, I have led a blameless life, and he concludes with the same statement in verse 11. But, in between he has traced a path for us that enables us to understand his claim. He attributes his integrity to the Lord, but this is the result of a course of action. He has abhorred the assembly of evildoers and refused to sit with the wicked. Where has he gone instead? To the assembly of the righteous. Look at the concluding verse where David says My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the Lord. There are just two assemblies. David’s revulsion with the ways of the world drive him to the sanctuary in verse 8, I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells. When we come into contact with the ways of the world, what is our reaction? Are we revolted by their principles? The company we choose is an index to our character. As David turns from the ungodly to the godly he receives reinforcement which makes him even more sensitive to the evil around him. This is the circle of integrity. Commitment is not something we can generate in ourselves. It comes from a proper use of the means of grace. When we are in fellowship with God’s people our sense of integrity versus hypocrisy is greatly increased.

Conclusion

There are four reasons why David can assert his integrity. 1) He is God’s Son, 2) He is righteous by contrast with the wicked. 3) He is acutely aware that his goodness stems from God’s kindness. 4) He actively augments his awareness by his commitment to God and His people.

Summary of Psalm 26

In Psalm 26 David pleads for deliverance from wicked men on the basis of his integrity. We should not be reluctant to pray in like manner. The faithfulness of David is explained in part by his unique position as God’s representative, and the divinely designated deliverer of his people. His messianic office makes him the recipient of God’s approval because of his identification with the coming King, Jesus. All the people share in this deliverance. David’s integrity is also set forth in sharp contrast to the ways of the wicked which he abhors. This is true of us as well. Yet, like David we must never forget that this integrity is a gift of God and the result of God’s electing love. David also expresses his determination to maintain this integrity and he shows us that the way to do this is by association with the congregation of the faithful and not consorting with the wicked. In this way the believer’s resolve is constantly strengthened and a circle of integrity is completed according to the rule of the Lord Jesus who said, Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.