September 12, 2001

Reading: Psalm 7 ff

 

”Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness” (8)

 

In this Psalm David speaks a lot about righteousness. There was a man named Cush of the tribe of Benjamin, with whom David had a difference of opinion. There is no record of this conflict in the story of David, but we know here that he punished him for whatever Cush had done. This was not a popular decision for the people accused David of “rewarding evil unto him that was at peace with me” (4).

David was so sure that his decision was the correct one that he asked the Lord, if he had judged wrongfully, to “let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; yes, let him trample my life to the earth, and lay my honor in the dust” (5).

David called upon the Lord to rise up and judge the situation:

1)                 “The LORD shall judge the peoples” (8).

2)                 “Judge me, O LORD” (8).

God is forever the Judge. Sin must be judged because God and sin cannot tolerate each other. Sin and God’s Holiness are diametrically opposed and cannot exist together.

David goes on to make a wonderful statement of faith, “Judge me, O lord, according to my righteousness” (8). He was so confident of his position with the Lord that he asked God to judge him. He knew he was righteous before the Lord. He knew that “My defence is of God” (10), and that “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (11).

Believer, take comfort that we are righteous before God, not because of our deeds, but because we have received the righteousness of Jesus Christ.“Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Romans 3:22).

“He also prepares for himself the instruments of death; He makes his arrows into fiery shafts” (13). Be assured that the arrows of God’s wrath and anger still go forth from His quiver upon all sin. Why then are we not killed? Because Jesus was slain by those arrows on Calvary for me and for all of us who believe! God’s judgement was passed on Jesus so that “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

The wicked will dig pits to entrap the righteous, but they will themselves fall into it, “He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown” (15,16).

The wicked may think they are fooling God and getting away with not acknowledging Him, but eventually their attitude and actions will catch up with them. The brothers of Joseph threw him in a pit to die, but the day came when they were begging him for their lives. How different for those who love God and know Jesus Christ as their Savior! By His grace we have the righteousness of Christ in us and will be judged on that basis. This is nothing but amazing grace and astounding love. We have done nothing to deserve it but it makes all the difference between eternal life and eternal death.

When we fully realize our position in Christ and those things He has accomplished on our behalf, we will respond in like manner as David, “I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High” (17).