Psalm 7

REFUGE IN GOD’S RIGHTEOUS RULE

INTRODUCTION

Expositional Idea: The people of God who walk in their integrity may pray with confidence for the LORD to vindicate them by turning the malicious schemes of the wicked back on the wicked themselves.

We live in a vicious world where people are increasingly taking matters into their own hands by responding to violence with more violence, and if we are not careful, the church will begin adopting this worldview. While those in the world may choose one path for responding to violence and hatred, Jesus has already given his followers a path to follow, and it does not include violence and vengeance. If you are wondering exactly how you must respond to violence, you will appreciate this Psalm as it reflects an appropriate response. David, when presented with the decision of how to respond to violence against him, chose the correct path.

The superscription above the Psalm mentions Cush, who was a tribal kinsman of king Saul and his accomplice in pursuing David while he was on the run from king Saul. While God had initially anointed Saul as king of Israel, he removed his anointing after Saul’s disobedience and anointed David to be the next king. While David waited on the Lord to place him on the throne, however, Saul became jealous and continuously tried to kill David. Even though David had ample opportunities to respond to Saul’s threat with violence, he took refuge in God’s righteous rule and waited on the Lord to deliver him.

BODY

As challenging as it may sound to take refuge in the Lord and wait on his deliverance, David reveals to us in this Psalm a very simple three-step plan for deliverance:

I. Petition for Deliverance (1-9)

While making the petition to the Lord, David reveals three key elements that must accompany our prayers for deliverance:

A. CONFIDENCE (1-2)

David begins his prayer by asserting his faith in God as his refuge, which means that he totally trusts that whatever God does is right. How often do you begin a prayer with doubt instead of faith? It is impossible to draw near to God without faith ().

B. INNOCENCE (3-5)

David is willing to suffer the curses of the covenant, while knowing that the wicked do not deserve life, as do those who are blessed with the covenant. David is essentially saying, “If I am guilty of wrongdoing against this person, let him kill me.” Are you willing to stake your innocence on such a claim in prayer for deliverance? David later responded in praise with these words following this event: “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me” ().

C. JUSTICE (6-9)

David is pleading for a decision that would reveal that he has been acting justly and with integrity in the context of these false claims against him. In other words, he is requesting justice be dealt. Those who act justly should not be afraid of divine scrutiny in their lives.

ILLUSTRATION: It’s really hard to ask God to deal justice in a situation if you are acting out of faith and actually guilty of wrongdoing, and perhaps that is why we don’t ask God to deliver us because we have been busy trying to deliver ourselves.

APPLICATION: When evil people are hammering you, whom are you counting on for deliverance, you or God? Let’s take a lesson from David and act in faith by remaining innocent and asking for justice. However, you must understand that there is a process for deliverance.

II. Process of Deliverance (10-16)

After making the petition, David understands the process of deliverance as he reveals that God fills the following roles as he delivers:

A. REDEEMER (10)

David knows that God will protect and save those who are in the covenant with God. David knows that he does not have to take matters into his own hands, but rather God is his protecting redeemer. Job stated in the midst of his trials, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth” (). How would you respond in such a trial?

B. AVENGER (11-13)

David states that God is prepared to strike the unrepentant, as a soldier would unleash his weaponry. Therefore, he will leave it up to God to avenge the wrong that has been done to him. As the apostle Paul states, “God will repay in his own time” (). Do you actually believe that God will avenge the wrong you’ve been dealt, or that you need to scheme a plan to right the wrong?

C. EQUALIZER (14-16)

David knows that God will turn the plans of the unrepentant back on their own heads. For example, in the book of Esther, Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had built to hang Esther’s uncle Mordecai. Pharaoh wanted to drown all of the Hebrew babies, but God drowned the Pharaoh and his army!

ILLUSTRATION: Though the mills of God’s righteous deliverance grinds slowly, it grinds exceedingly small and no one will escape his righteousness. The questions is, will you submit to God’s process of deliverance, or will you repay evil with evil.”

APPLICATION: Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you” (). Will you wait or repay? Your answer reflects your faith. What will you do while you wait on deliverance?

III. Praise for Deliverance (17)

Though the deliverance remains to be seen, David considers it as good as done as he responds with two forms of praise:

A. PUBLICLY (17a)

David vows to publicly praise God now for what he will do in the future in accordance to his righteousness. David wants public vindication, and he vows public praise. Likewise, living out the hope of your faith is no private matter. Jesus said that we are to let our light shine ().

B. AUDIBLY (17b)

While David will “sing” praise, which he certainly does as he orders this psalm to music where the whole nation joins in on the singing, the point is that God’s righteousness is audibly praised so that others will hear and know.

ILLUSTRATION: I watched the response of a fire victim being rescued, and it was utter praise. They hugged the rescuer, hollered with exhilaration, and made certain that the news crew knew all about it. Would you praise the rescuer, or simply just walk away in silence? If you would praise a person for a temporal rescue, how much more should you praise Jesus for an eternal rescue?

APPLICATION: Our petition must be replaced with praise, and it should be done publicly and audibly.

CONCLUSION

The Lord’s righteous rule ends with the conviction that the guilty will be judged and the righteous will be secure in the righteousness of God. In Jesus, the church has received the great assurance of a new era to come: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” ().

Will you be a goat in eternal punishment, or a sheep in the righteous rule of Christ?