Trusting the Righteous Judge

Sermon Title: Trusting the Righteous Judge (Show Slide 1)

Sermon Text: Psalm 7

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed the 250th year Birthday of the USA with family and friends. I want to start today by telling an illustration story called “The Echo in the Valley” (Chatgpt)

The Echo in the Valley

A young shepherd had an older neighbor who constantly criticized him. No matter how carefully the shepherd tended his sheep, the neighbor found fault. He spread rumors, mocked his work, and even blamed him for problems he hadn't caused. The shepherd's friends urged him, "Fight back. Tell everyone the truth. Make him look as bad as he has made you look."

But the shepherd simply replied, "If I throw mud at him, my own hands become dirty." He continued caring for his flock, helping neighbors, and treating the older man with kindness. Months later, a terrible storm swept through the valley. The older man's sheep scattered, and it was the young shepherd who spent the night helping recover them. Ashamed, the older man asked, "After all I've done to you, why would you help me?"

The shepherd smiled and said, "Because your actions reveal your character. Mine reveal mine." From that day on, the valley remembered not the insults, but the shepherd's grace.

Being wronged does not require retaliation. True strength is found in responding with integrity rather than revenge. As the Bible reminds us in Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Like the young shepherd in this story, have you ever been treated unfairly? When that happens, what do you do? Our natural response is usually one of two extremes. We either want to fight back and prove ourselves right, or we want to withdraw and become discouraged. This story reminded me of another man who was a shepherd, David, who faced the same struggle in Psalm 7.

You will notice at the beginning of the psalm from our reading earlier, this song of David was sung in response to one of his bad experiences with “Cush, the Benjamite,” mentioned only here in the Bible. We are not given much information about Cush, but most likely he is an enemy, a Benjamite from the same tribe that king Saul was from. According to Spurgeon, Cush was a cohort of Saul and an accuser in the court of Saul. (LBC p. 992). This song was written during the time when David was on the run and hunted by Saul’s men (1 Sam. 22:8; 24:9; 26:19). This Benjamite was spreading accusations against David and stirring opposition against him. According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, this psalm is identified as a Shiggayon (shiggaion), a poem written with intense feeling (TBKC p. 796). It’s a passionate, emotional song expressing deep distress and trust.

As we look at this psalm together, what can we learn by David’s example? First, we see that David turns to God in prayer. (Show Slide 2) 1. Turn to God for protection and deliverance (vv. 1-2)

What do you do when your reputation is under attack? When someone accuses you falsely? Or even seeks to harm you? David as he faced opposition and being pursued by his enemies, his immediate response is not retaliation, but turning to God’s divine protection. David confidently prayed and asked the Lord “O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge”…(some other translations say in you I put my trust)…. save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.” His life was in grave danger, his future uncertain and his enemies were a real threat. They were seeking to destroy him completely. He described his enemies “as lions” in many of the psalms. In psalm 7, he says that they were about to tear him to pieces (cf. 10:9; 17:22; 22:13, 21; 35:17; 57:4; 58:6). In those moments, David doesn’t run away from God but turns to Him and asks for intervention. As a child runs to a parent when frightened or hurt, David runs to his Heavenly Father. One of the marks of spiritual maturity is where you run to when trouble comes. Do you run away from God and blame Him or do you run to Him for help? When trouble comes, some of us here may run to anger, bitterness, worry or even social media to make our case and protect our reputation. David does not need social media to defend his integrity. He doesn’t turn to people’s opinion. He does not despair but trusts that his God will deal with his enemies justly.

As you face life storms, God is our refuge, our place of protection. He is the one that has the power to save and deliver us from difficult situations. The word “refuge” here refers to a shelter, a safe place and it’s used a lot in the psalms. Yesterday, as we were trying to get ready to see the fireworks in Germantown, an alert went out reminding people to stay in shelter because of the severe weather. David understood that his greatest refuge was not found in his own strength but in the power of God. He knew that if God did not rescue him, if God did not intervene, no one else could. Refuge is found in the presence of someone who has ultimate power, God! David did not seek out vengeance but appealed to the righteous Judge of the universe to vindicate him. As believers we should make God our 1st place of refuge because it is the safest place. Take your injustices to God before taking them anywhere else. Notice what Scripture teaches us about God’s Character. Write these down to read them later. (Show Slide 3)

In Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change.”

In Proverbs 18:10 says “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.”

Nahum 1:7 says: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” Don’t make God your last resort, but turn to Him first by prayer. Prayer and reliance on the Lord should precede anything else as we got through difficult circumstances.

Another thing we learn in this psalm is that like David, you MUST (Show Slide 4)

2. Examine your heart before God (vv. 3-5)

In verses 3-5, David is making a case for and affirms his innocence by appealing to the Righteous Judge to intervene and vindicate him by judging the wicked. Notice that he is addressing God, the one who knows all, the one who knows his heart better than anyone else. "O LORD my God, if I have done this..." if this is true, if the accusations are true, show me. He wants to know if he has done wrong. Is there any area of your life that needs correcting? How often do you go to God, and invite Him to examine your heart? We need to do this every single day.

The Bible tells us that we can fool ourselves into thinking that we are in good standing with God. Jeremiah 17:9 states “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Our human nature in inherently unreliable and we can deceive our own self. We are quick to point fingers at others, quick to prove everyone else wrong and we fail to realize the error of our ways. David felt that he had the right to cry out to God against Saul, his accusers and enemies. He twice had spared the king’s life and had done nothing wrong. Here David tells the Lord: You know me, examine my heart! Show me if there is any iniquity in my hands (i.e. if he had committed any criminal act toward the king).

David is not proud but humble, he wants to be corrected if possible and honestly considers the possibility of wrongdoing. Before a Holy God, he is willing to face God’s scrutiny and the truth. He is not perfect, he knows that he is a sinner, but in response to his accusers, he knows that he is innocent. He says that there is no iniquity or sin in his hands. He is claiming integrity and seeks righteousness before victory. Before asking God to judge others, he first asks God to search and to judge him. Humility before God is key to repentance! The verses in this section are framed in the expressions of an oath where he even invokes death by his enemies if he was to be found guilty. If I have done this…. If I have done evil… then let my enemy purse and overtake me. David wants his character and integrity to be cleared not by men but by God Himself! Falsely accused, David takes no revenge, knowing that, as one commentator wrote: “evil for good is devil-like, evil for evil is beast-like, good for good is man-like, good for evil is Godlike. (LBC p. 992) A lesson we can learn from David, is that before defending ourselves, we should 1st examine our own hearts for God to reveal to us the truth. We must be willing to repent and make things right first and foremost before we ask God to deliver us from a difficult circumstance. (Show Slide 5) In Psalm 139:23-24, the psalmist says “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”. The author of Lamentations 3:40 urges us to “test and examine our ways and return to the LORD! When was the last time you tested and examined your heart and your ways? We are called to daily repentance before a Holy and Righteous God. (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:28 for Lord’s Supper) Honest self-examination of our character strengthens our prayer life before God and develops spiritual maturity in the life of the believer.

David teaches us another important truth in this song (Show Slide 6): 3. Trust and rest assured in God’s righteous justice (vv. 6-16) Read with me verses 6-11.

"Arise, O LORD, in your anger..." The words arise, rise up and awake are used often in David’s songs and they are meant to prompt God to act or respond. He is not demanding vengeance but divine judgment that God has commanded upon the wicked. David knows that God’s judgment is ordained, appointed. God sees all injustice, He knows all injustice and He will deal with each injustice in His perfect timing. We must leave revenge in God’s hands. His judgement is never biased and He will defend the righteous because that’s WHO HE IS IN HIS VERY OWN NATURE!

In verse 8, the verb “judge” means to “vindicate” for David pleaded for judgment that would reveal his own righteousness and integrity. He also pleaded that the omniscient righteous Judge would end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. The prayer of the righteous is for God to set things right on earth. This title “Most High” that David refers to in this psalm, is used 23 times in the book of Psalms. “Most High” speaks of God’s exalted, sovereign position in heaven. (TBKC p. 796)

David down not look downward but upward to God the “Most High” because he knows that God is above all and he is Judge of all nations. He has authority over all thus He judges all righteously. We may be discouraged, angry, frustrated and disappointed when we see that our justice system and human courts fail to bring true justice. However, God’s courtroom and judgment will never fail! David’s confidence rests not on himself, not on the opinion of others, nor his abilities but in God’s justice. When we are wronged or accused or when we don’t see justice right away, we can entrust the injustice to God, because His judgement is always perfect and always on His time not ours. (Show Slide 7)

Abraham, speaking directly to the Lord as he is interceding for the people of the city of Sodom, say this: Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Gen. 18:25) Obviously, a rhetorical question that doesn’t need to be answered. God the Judge of all the earth is Just and rules with ultimate, independent authority over everything. We can trust His Perfect Justice!

Romans 12:19, Paul reminds us that we are to never avenge ourselves, but we are to leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” The righteous judge will award those who are faithful to Him and punish the wicked. (2 Tim. 4:8)

In verses 10-16, we have a description of God’s justice. In the face of opposition David found comfort in God’s character. Using the metaphor of a shield, he said that God was the true source of his protection. David often spoke of God as his shield in his songs (7:10; 18:2, 30; 28:3-7; 33:20; 59:11; 84:11; 115:9-11; 119:114; 144:2). David was confident that God would restore his position and his character that was tarnished by his enemies. God saves those who are upright in heart. Because God is a righteous judge (cf. 9:8), He is justifiably angry every day. Do you think of God as one who is angry every day? Why? Because of the wickedness and disobedience of the wicked that He sees happening in this world. For us obedient believers, we can be comforted in the fact that people’s wickedness and evil plans will not go unpunished. In due time, in His courtroom, they will be dealt with and their sins will not go unnoticed. We don’t have to take matters into our own hands because vengeance belongs to the Lord; He will repay all those who deserve judgment (cf. Deut. 32:35; Hebrew 10:30) This is a promise we can hold on to. God is true to His word and will never break it! In verses 12-13, we see God like a warrior preparing His deadly weapons for the wicked. Swords, bows, and arrows are weapons mentioned by David to provide this imagery that God will attack and destroy the wicked. They will not escape His judgment because it is certain and righteous.

7:14-16, David says how God traps the wicked with their own plans. If someone conceives trouble, they will face trouble. The evil scheme will be turned back on the plotter (cf. pit in 9:15; 35:8; 57:6; Prov. 26:27). There was a show on TV called “American Greed”. The show depicted real-life stories of powerful people who built their lives on deception, corruption and greed, and this very greed became their downfall. Proverbs 26:27 states Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. The wicked dig a pit and fall into it themselves. Evil ultimately returns upon the evildoer.

In spite of all of these, God still warns the wicked and gives them the chance to turn away from evil and repent. He is patient with the evil-doers and it’s important to know that His patience is NOT a weakness! If He was NOT patient we would all be gone like that! He does not desire for man to perish but He gives opportunity for repentance. God gives us mercy daily to turn away from our sins. We need to be thankful for God’s mercy and grace. Our sin is self-destructive, our rebellion leads to ruin and it carries consequences for this life and the next. God’s judgment is righteous and not impulsive. God's moral order cannot be mocked. It’s easy to get caught up in seeing the wicked succeed but in reality, they will self-destruct. Evil eventually destroys itself and David described it in the song by saying that the wicked will fall into the very pit they dig. Don’t envy the success of evil people from the least to the greatest, who seem to get their way. Trust in God’s timing to deal with them righteously. Paul in Galatians reminds us that God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Galatians 6:7). The author of Ecclesiastes 12:14, clearly reminds us of this. “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” This is retribution from God, for the punishment fits the crime. The crooked scales of human injustice may deceive people, but God’s scales are always accurate. His wheels of justice turn slowly, but rest assured that He will have the final word. So how should we respond in face of opposition, when life doesn’t seem fair, when we are accused and our reputation or character is under attack…. We must Respond with Praise and Confidence (Psalm 7:17) (Show Slide 8)

4. Thank and praise God for His righteousness (v.17)

"I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness..."

David ends the song by worshiping and vowing to praise and thank God. Though his circumstances have not changed, he chose to praise God and wholeheartedly trusted in the LORD, The Most High God, the Righteous Sovereign Judge. Do you have the same mindset that David did? Do you praise God before he answers your prayers? His perspective and his focus had changed. He had full confidence in God’s character that He would do the right thing. For us believers, our worship is not based on the circumstances or difficult things that we go through, it is based entirely on God’s Character! He can be trusted unlike human judges! We worship God because He is righteous, He is faithful and He is worthy of praise, PERIOD! Our worship demonstrates our full trust in God’s justice. Nothing more…..nothing less. We trust God and put our Faith in him before we experience His deliverance. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we are to continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God and acknowledge Him for who He truly Is, The God Most High! The Righteous Judge! (Hebrews 13:15). (Show Slide 9) In Psalm 34:1, David says, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Will you praise the Lord and trust in Him not just in the good times, but every single day? When you are wronged, will you take matters into your own hands—or place your case in the hands of the righteous Judge who never fails? We thank God for who He is and not just for what He does for us!

Gospel Connection

David appealed to God as Judge, but through Jesus Christ believers have both a righteous Judge and a gracious Savior. At the cross, God's justice and mercy met together. Those who trust in Christ are forgiven, vindicated, and secured in Him. Some of you are still carrying wounds from the past and you are still waiting for justice…Will you turn to God, examine your heart, trust in Jesus today, the Righteous Judge and not just for vindication, but most importantly for the grace and the salvation that He offers to all people? Will you continue to praise His Name? Let’s pray…

Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being our refuge in times of trouble. Help us to run to You when we are hurt, misunderstood, accused or treated unfairly. Search our hearts and reveal anything that needs to change within us. Correct us when we are wrong. Help us to examine our own hearts and repent in areas that we have fallen short. Strengthen our faith to trust Your perfect justice and patience to wait for Your timing. May our lives be filled with praise because You are righteous, faithful, and good. We thank You for Jesus Christ, who suffered unjustly so that we might be saved. In His name we pray, Amen

Lord’s Supper:

As we looked at Psalm 7, the greatest example of unjust suffering is found in Jesus Christ. Though innocent, He was falsely accused, condemned, and crucified. Yet God vindicated Him through the resurrection. Because of Christ, we can trust that God's justice and mercy meet perfectly at the cross.

As we come to the Lord's Table, we remember the great love that God has shown us through Jesus Christ. Communion is a time to reflect on Christ's sacrifice on the cross, where His body was broken and His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. It is also a time to give thanks for the grace we have received and to renew our commitment to follow Him.

As we partake today, let us examine our hearts, confess our sins, and come with gratitude and faith. If you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we invite you to participate with us.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 that Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, He took the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood."

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for His sacrifice that brings us forgiveness, hope, and eternal life. As we receive the bread and the cup, help us to remember His love, celebrate His victory over sin and death, and proclaim His return. Unite us as one body in Christ, and strengthen us to live faithfully for Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Study Resources and References:

Halley’s Bible Handbook: New Revised Edition: The Psalms

Sailhamer, John H. NIV Compact Bible Commentary: The Psalms

Life Application Study Bible: The Psalms

Falwell, Jerry. Liberty Bible Commentary: Psalms (The Old-Time Gospel Hour Edition)

Richards, Lawrence O. Bible Teacher’s Commentary: Psalms

CLC Bible Companion: Psalms: The Heartbeat of Faith

Ross, Allen P. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: The Psalms

The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: The Psalms