With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; with the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright;
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary.
David's song of deliverance turns from what God did for him to how God deals with people in general. The second half of this verse puzzles readers. How can the pure God make Himself seem twisted to anyone? Commentators read it as a statement of God's government. He answers each person in the character that person brings to Him.
These lines describe how God rules on earth. They do not describe how He saves sinners.
Verses 25 and 26 set out the principles of God's government on earth. In the government of God we reap what we sow. We find mercy if we show mercy; and will be righteously rewarded if we act righteously. This shows that the blessings of the psalm are not the answer to atonement, but the reward of piety.
God's response mirrors the person standing in front of Him.
Now the character of God is put side by side with this. He deals with men according to what He sees them to be. The disposition they show toward Him, He shows in the same way toward them. The attitude they take, He takes. Meanwhile His grace pleads with them to change what is estranged and hostile, and to be reconciled to Him.
The word translated "merciful" in the previous verse has no exact English match.
Verse 25: "Merciful" is not an adequate translation of chasid, and we do not seem able to give its opposite in English either. We cannot call God "pious," and "holy" does not carry the right force when used of Him. The word has to suit both God and man here. It should express the affectionate sense of relationship on man's part towards God, and on His part towards man.
Commentators differ on how to render the last line. Some read it as "with the perverse You show Yourself contrary." Another follows a margin reading where God wrestles with them. Solomon's later years show what that looks like.
"When a man's ways please Jehovah, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov. 16:7). Asa found this true, and so did his son Jehoshaphat. Both kings had quiet and rest all around them, because they did the will of God. But about Solomon we read, "Jehovah stirred up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite"; also, "God stirred up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah" (1 Kings 11:14-23). "With the pure You will show Yourself pure: but with the perverse You will wrestle" (Psalm 18:26 — margin). It is a solemn thing when God has to contend with any of us. But "if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged" (1 Cor. 11:31).
The verse does not put a believer's acceptance in doubt. It puts his walk under review.
We must keep this distinction between grace and government in mind. God's attitude of grace towards His people never changes, since what Christ is before Him settles it. Yet He never fails to chasten those among them whose walk and conduct bring dishonour on His name, and to mark them with His displeasure. So the condition for enjoying what He is in grace, and for His favour to show, is a walk in His presence. Enoch is the example: he walked with God and had the testimony that he pleased God.
This principle reaches back over everything a person has already said and done.
On the cross Christ took the consequences for eternity of every believer's sins. That fact never changes. But our conduct in this world falls under an unalterable principle in the government of God: "whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). Psalm 18:25-26 gives another broad principle of His government. Now each of us can review his past history, whether as saint or sinner, and think of the governmental consequences of all he has said and done. Which of us can then say, "I stand in no need of governmental mercy"?
This principle has one perfect example.
Verses 26 and 27 show the absolute justice of God's ways. He has justly rewarded the Lord Jesus, who Himself was merciful and gracious, upright and pure. God has shown Himself the same toward His Son. On the other hand, if someone shows himself perverse, then God will show Himself "contrary" (J.N.D. translation), repaying the perverter in just judgment.
- Government — These verses describe how God rules people in this life, not how He saves them. In His government we reap what we sow.
- Mirror — He meets each person in the character they bring. The attitude they take toward Him, He takes toward them. His grace still pleads with them to change.
- Crooked — With the perverse, God shows Himself contrary. One reading says He wrestles with them, as He did when He raised up adversaries against Solomon.
- Distinction — God's grace toward His people never changes, because it rests on Christ. But He still chastens a walk that dishonours His name.
- Mercy — None of us can say we need no governmental mercy. So judge yourself, and show mercy to others.