The King in Our Midst
Notes
Transcript
Subject: Justice
Theme: God’s Sovereignty
Thesis: Psalm 75 reminds us that God will judge the world with perfect equity, humbling the proud and exalting the righteous in His appointed time.
Principle Statement: When the world feels unfair, we can trust that God will set all things right—He is the just Judge who will not delay forever.
Have you ever had the sense that the world is off its hinges?
Psalm 75 this morning continues in a difficult time for the people of Israel.
Most commentators believe this Psalm to be in the context once again of the Babylonian exile.
In that context it is easy to understand why the people felt like everything solid was suddenly shaking…
Like the bad guys were winning, the proud were rising, and those trying to be faithful were left wondering,
“God, are You going to do anything about this?”
Maybe you’ve felt that closer to home.
You look at your own life—your own family, the church—and feel the tremors.
You’ve tried to trust God.
You’ve tried to stay humble.
But all around you, instability grows.
And if you're honest, you’ve asked:
Where is God when life feels unstable?
Psalm 75 was written for that exact moment.
It reminds us of something we desperately need to hear:
God is the righteous Judge who humbles the proud, lifts the humble, and holds the world steady according to His perfect timing.
Even when we can't see it, even when we don't feel it—God is ruling with equity.
He hasn't left the world spinning out of control.
He hasn’t forgotten how to be just.
He hasn’t stopped opposing the proud or giving grace to the humble.
So here’s the call of this psalm:
When life feels unstable and the proud seem to rise unchecked, God calls us to humble trust and confident praise, knowing that His justice is sure and His rule is secure.
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. 2 “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. 3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah 4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; 5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’ ” 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Looking to the title of this Psalm -
Most of our translations read something along the lines of - for the director - according to or set to “Do Not Destroy”.
Psalms were often sung, this psalm had a known tune that it was sung to.
Two other psalms written to the same tune are Psalm 57 and 59.
Moving into verse one, we see that this s a communal psalm.
Worship Starts with Remembering (v. 1)
Worship Starts with Remembering (v. 1)
1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.
As we begin looking at this psalm, we find the psalmist speaking for a group of people.
This psalm is not a psalm of exuberant joy, but it is also not a lament as the previous psalm was.
The people in this psalm are giving thanks to God in a period of waiting.
A lot of commentators feel that this psalm flows out form the previous.
In psalm 74, the temple was destroyed, all the houses of worship were gone, and the psalmist was pleading with God to act based upon what he knew about God.
12 Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Here we find an offering of praise, not that everything is fixed, but rather that the people of this psalm are holding on to the nearness of God while they wait.
This can be extremely difficult, especially if God does not feel near to us.
That is part of the problem with feelings.
Feelings are fleeting.
Feelings can be fickle.
One day they are up, one day they are down, and other days we can’t seem to find them at all.
One of my favorite sayings is - it’s a feeling, it will change.
They are often like our Montana weather, if you don’t like it just wait 5 minutes or move 5 miles.
Feelings are important though as well because they are the warning lights of life.
The is though to not let feelings rule our lives.
That is exactly what this verse is trying to help us to do.
Rather than rely on feelings, recount God’s wondrous deeds.
This psalm isn’t calling us to feel great, it is calling us to remember what God has done and trust in what He has promised.
I know that I have needed that reminder, perhaps you do as well.
Sometimes it feels like the ground is shifting beneath your feet.
Maybe you’ve felt that lately—in your family, your work, your mind.
Maybe you're carrying uncertainty or hurt, and it just feels like the world is a little bit broken.
Psalm 75 is for days like that.
It opens with thanksgiving—but not cheap, easy gratitude.
I’ll be honest—writing this sermon has been a struggle for me this week.
Not because I don’t believe what it says, but because sometimes the truths of this psalm are easier to declare than they are to feel.
But that's exactly why we need it.
Even when we don’t feel God’s nearness, His name—His presence, character, faithfulness—is still near.
And sometimes the act of remembering what He’s done in the past is the way we hold on in the present.
This isn’t triumphalism.
It’s tethering.
We remember so we don’t drift.
It can be hard to be around a fellow Christian who is sad or down, and if they are that way constantly, they likely need some more help, encouragement, perhaps ought to seek some Christian counseling.
As fellow brothers and sisters in Christ though, we need to be on the lookout for each other when we are downtrodden and we need to be open and available to listen to one another.
Because there is something much worse than a Christian admitting that they are in a tough spot, that is a Christian who goes around constantly with a happy facade, when in reality, their life is falling apart.
In fact we are called to
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
The word burden here means “a weight of personal and eternal significance.”
It can refer to a character flaw, a struggle, or a moral requirement.
We can illustrate the idea of bearing one another’s burdens with the picture of a man staggering beneath a heavy load of grain.
He must somehow get this grain home to his family, but he is about to crumble beneath its weight.
A brother sees his distress and rushes to his aid, lifting a part of the burden and thereby easing the weight of it.
Although the supportive one does not assume the whole load, his help allows the struggling one to carry on to his destination.
Aaron and Hur holding up Moses arms.
In Psalm 75 we see a community that is leading by acknowledging God's nearness and power through past acts of justice and deliverance.
There is triumph in the opening line: “We give thanks to you, O God… for your name is near.”
But the rest of the psalm reveals that justice hasn’t come yet.
This isn’t a psalm of easy answers—it’s a psalm of deep-rooted trust in a sovereign God who says, “At the set time that I appoint… I will judge with equity.”
That’s the heartbeat of Psalm 75: God may not act on our timeline, but He will act.
He is sovereign, and we are not forgotten.
That is precisely what we find when we continue as hear what God has to say in the next verses.
Hear God's Voice: Justice Is Coming in His Time (vv. 2–5)
Hear God's Voice: Justice Is Coming in His Time (vv. 2–5)
Verses 2-5 are kind a oddity when it comes to the Psalms.
Most frequently, the Psalms focus as prayers to God.
They are songs of petition, praise, lament.
Most record the psalmist speaking to God, to themselves, and to others.
But if you notice these verses are set out with quotations in our English bibles.
We know that this is not the psalmist speaking, but rather God’s words are being shared because of the content.
God is speaking in these verses giving hope by proclaiming His sovereignty.
At the set time shows God’s control over all of time.
It also gives hope that God is not flying by the seat of His pants.
He has a plan, He has a purpose.
At the time that God appoints, He will judge with equity.
God’s judgment will be fair, just, not a rash decision.
God is never late.
He acts not according to human urgency but divine timing.
This is both a comfort and a challenge.
His justice is not arbitrary—He sees all things clearly and weighs them with perfect understanding (cf. Rom. 2:6; Acts 17:31).
Even when the world feels chaotic and God seems absent, His judgment is scheduled.
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is God who keeps steady its pillars.
The word totters is more than just rocking back and forth.
The Hebrew term means to melt, quake, or shake - a picture of not just instability, but also chaos.
But it is God who holds the foundations.
Paul echoes the sentiment found in this sentiment in Col 1:17 when he writes that Jesus -
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
God upholds the very structures that sinful humanity tries to shake.
In a time when everything around us feels fragile, this verse proclaims that God holds the foundations, not us.
At the end of verse three we find the word Selah - this is most commonly understood to be a musical term for an interlude of some point.
When we see it, it is often a good place to pause and reflect on what we have read thus far.
We can take a moment and rest in the the truth that God holds everything in His hands.
We ought to find comfort in that, know that we have a good, loving, all powerful God.
How will God judge?
He says in verses 4 and 5.
4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; 5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’ ”
There is some poetic imagery in these words.
We understand boasting.
Someone exalting themselves.
To the wicked God will say Do not lift up your horn, and that statement is repeated.
Culturally to your horn was a symbol of strength, power, or pride.
And don’t turn up your nose to others, don’t speak with haughty neck.
God, speaking to these people who are downtrodden, is offering hope.
Offering a a sovereign reminder that who is in control?
God!
God is in control, I am not.
No matter how strong, how clever, how wealthy, how much of whatever we think we have, God is in control.
To the person who is weary -
God knows the earth feels like it’s tottering.
But the weight of upholding your family, your church, and your future isn’t yours to carry alone.
This is certainly a reminder that I needed this week.
Even when it looks like everything’s on the brink, the pillars still stand—because He is holding them.
You may feel small and shaken, but you are not forsaken.
To the proud or self-reliant:
God’s word to the boastful is a call to surrender.
Pride may prop us up temporarily, but it will crumble under the weight of His judgment.
Even in the church, it’s easy to try to lift our own horn—to look strong, competent, in control.
But God brings down those who exalt themselves and lifts up the humble.
To the congregation:
There is comfort here for those suffering under injustice.
There is warning for those growing comfortable in arrogance.
There is an invitation to trust God’s timing—and rest in His steadying power.
God sees what feels broken to us.
He acknowledges the tottering.
He names it.
But He also declares: I’m still holding this together.
Justice has not been forgotten—it’s been scheduled.
There’s an appointed time—and you don’t have to manufacture justice or understanding in the meantime.
So when the world shakes—when evil seems unchecked, when the foundations feel like they’re cracking—what we discover is that God is not just some distant judge waiting for the trial to begin. He is the cosmic sustainer. He’s not just the one who comes in at the end to make things right—He’s the one who’s been holding it all up the entire time.
God isn’t absent from the shaking—He’s the one preventing collapse.
And yet, even as He holds the pillars steady, human pride continues to raise its voice.
The boastful lift their horn. T
he arrogant stretch their necks.
And it’s foolish—because all pride is resistance against divine rule.
It’s like picking a fight with gravity.
When you exalt yourself, you are pressing against the One who will not be moved.
The psalm gives us a warning that echoes the rest of Scripture:
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5)
Pride puts you on a collision course with God.
But humility? Humility makes room for grace.
That sets us up for the next truth—because after the voice of God is heard in verses 2–5, we now hear the voice of the psalmist picking up in verse 6.
And what he wants us to see is this:
God alone raises and lowers.
No human system.
No ladder of success.
No earthly exaltation plan.
God is the one who brings down—and God is the one who lifts up.
Let’s look now at verses 6–8…
Hear the Psalmist’s Voice: God Alone Raises and Lowers (vv. 6–8)
Hear the Psalmist’s Voice: God Alone Raises and Lowers (vv. 6–8)
6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
No human ingenuity, no political connections, no personal charisma, no strategic location will cause a person to rise, and self exaltation is meaningless.
Think about how you feel about someone who boasts about themselves.
God is the exclusive and sovereign source of all meaningful elevation and decline.
This hits hard in a world where we are constantly tempted to believe that our success is self-made or that others control our destiny.
Psalm 75 corrects that: no human has final authority over your future—only God does.
Don’t envy the powerful or despair in delay—God will vindicate His people.
You don’t need to fight for your own justice—God already holds the cup.
When unjust systems succeed, or wickedness appears rewarded, verse 7 declares: God is not absent—He is active.
He lifts up and brings down with perfect justice, even if the timing is mysterious.
The cup in verse 8 is a symbol of divine judgment.
It is used throughout scripture as a symbol of God’s wrath.
17 Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.
In Revelation
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Jesus also references the cup of God’s wrath in the garden
39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
It was on the cross that Jesus drank the cup described here in Ps 75 for those who trust in Him.
Without that substitute, we would all be drinking the cup of judgment to the dregs.
For the weary:
Are you trying to climb your way up in your own strength?
Are you discouraged that no one sees your faithfulness?
→ Take heart—God sees, and He lifts up the humble.
For the proud:
Are you clinging to your own success, assuming it’s because of your effort or brilliance?
→ Repent before you fall. God resists the proud.
For the suffering:
Does it seem like evil is winning and no one is held accountable?
→ Justice may be slow, but it is sure. God holds the cup—and He will pour it out.
So where does all of this leave us?
If God alone lifts up and brings down…
If His justice is certain, even if delayed…
If the wicked will one day drink the full cup of judgment…
Then how should we respond?
We don’t respond by grasping for control, or by fearing the chaos around us.
We respond the only way we can—with worship.
In the final verses of this psalm, the voice of the worshiper breaks through the weight of justice with praise.
Why?
Because when we see God rightly—as just, sovereign, and merciful—we don't just fear Him… we revere Him.
We trust Him.
We sing to Him.
Let’s listen now to the psalmist’s final words as he invites us to respond to this holy and just God with both awe and praise.
Respond in Worship: Praise and Final Judgment (vv. 9–10)
Respond in Worship: Praise and Final Judgment (vv. 9–10)
9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Speaking for himself now, the psalmist makes some bold proclamations.
It makes me think of Joshua towards the end of His life -
15 But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The psalmist here makes a declaration, not only internalizing the truth, but voicing it out loud.
And he is making the promise to continue to do it forever!
He is not being sentimental.
He is worshipping God here in a way that is countercultural and courageous: declaring God’s justice in a world where injustice often seems to prevail.
God’s justice is not theoretical—it’s eschatological.
There will be a day of final reckoning.
The psalmist speaks with prophetic assurance: what God says will happen will happen.
This should both comfort the faithful and sober the unrepentant.
The exaltation of the righteous is not based on their perfection, but on their alignment with God’s covenant.
In Christ, we understand this most clearly: those who are in Him will be lifted up, while those who oppose Him will be brought low
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Our calling is not to claim power but to trust in the God who lifts up the humble and brings down the proud.
Psalm 75 doesn’t ignore the shaking ground beneath our feet. It doesn’t pretend that injustice isn’t real or that the wicked don’t sometimes rise. It names what we often feel but hesitate to say: “It looks like evil is winning.”
And yet, it offers us something far greater than temporary explanations or quick fixes—it offers us a vision of God enthroned, steady, and just.
This psalm invites us to do two things:
1. Trust God’s Timing
“At the set time that I appoint…” (v. 2)
God has not handed the world over to chaos. He is not late. He is not absent. His judgment is not random—it’s measured and merciful. It may not happen on your timeline, but it will be right. And it will be final.
If you’re weary, remember: You don’t need to control everything. You don’t need to carry the weight of holding your family, your church, or your future together. That burden belongs to the Lord, and His shoulders are strong enough.
2. Humble Yourself Before Him
“All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.” (v. 10)
The way up in God’s kingdom is always down. The proud may look like they’re rising now, but they will fall. The humble may feel forgotten, but they will be lifted.
So stop trying to exalt yourself—your reputation, your position, your strength. Lay it down before the One who exalts the lowly.
Let This Be Your Response:
Declare it. Praise Him. Even when you don’t see the full picture.
Worship, not because the world makes sense, but because God is still on the throne.
He is your judge—yes—but also your sustainer, your defender, your justifier, and your lifter of heads.
So if you feel unstable today…
If the waves are crashing…
If your strength is small and your burdens are big…
Come to the God who steadies the pillars of the earth.
Come to the God who lifts up the humble.
Come to the God who will not let wickedness win forever.
And worship.
We’ve seen today that God is not only Judge, but also Sustainer—the One who holds the very pillars of the earth.
He humbles the proud and lifts up the lowly.
As one of our final acts of worship, I wanted to take the time today to come to the Lord’s Table together—where that justice and mercy meet most clearly.
Because the cross of Jesus Christ is the clearest proof that:
God does not overlook sin.
And God does not abandon the humble.
At the cross, God's justice was poured out—not on us, but on His own Son.
At the cross, God's sustaining grace was poured out—not just to hold up the world, but to raise up the broken, the guilty, the tired, the unsteady.
"For in the cup is His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
And in the bread is His body, broken to make us whole."
So today, as we come to the Table:
Come humble, not exalting yourself but resting in the One who lifts up the lowly.
Come hopeful, not looking to this world for justice, but trusting in the King who will make all things right.
Come thankful, because the Judge is also your Savior.
And His justice fell on Him, so that His mercy could fall on you.
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
Pass
Pray
Eat
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Pass
Pray
Drink
