Praise for the Justice of God

Praise for the Justice of God

Psalm 75

Psalm 74 is a description of the destruction of the Temple by Babylonian invaders. Last week we discussed that Psalm.

The writer was anxious for the Lord to act. He pleaded with the Lord to remember what the enemies of God had done and to arise in judgment against them. In Psalm 75 we see the writer is resting in the assurance that God is just and that He will execute judgment.

Psalm 75 is a thanksgiving Psalm. It’s a hymn of praise born out of the truth that God is just. We live in a world filled with sin and injustice. At times it appears that there is no real justice in the world. We may be tempted to believe that the wicked escape justice. It’s important that we, at times, do as the Psalmist has done in this Psalm. We must praise God for the justice we know He will execute in this world. Perhaps we have not seen that justice yet. Nevertheless, we must in faith praise God for His justice. It’s our faith in the character of God that inspires us to praise Him even when it appears injustice will not cease. This Psalm can help equip us to do just that. We will outline the Psalm as follows:

A collective voice (1)

A Divine Voice (2-5)

A prophetic voice (6-8)

An individual voice (9-10)

1. A collective voice (1).

A. The congregation thanks God.

“Unto Thee” identifies the object of the congregation’s thankfulness. It the Lord to whom they thankful. They are not thankful for their own:

Strength

Intellect

Hard work

They are thankful to God. Notice the repetition of the phrase in verse one. That is meant to show emphasis. The congregation wants to make it clear that they are thankful to God. There is nothing wrong with being thankful for the people God has given us in this world:

Family

Friends

Developers of technology

Doctors

Teachers

But it’s important to remember that those people are the result of God’s grace in our lives. There are no self-made men or women in this world. Every person owes their existence to the Creator. Therefore, ultimately thanksgiving should be given to God.

Do you have a good mother? Thank her but thank God more!

Do you have faithful children? Thank them but thank God more!

Do you have a doctor that has given you relief? Thank him or her but thank God more!

B. The congregation is thankful for the nearness of God.

The name of God refers to his person. Verse 1 says the wondrous deeds declare the nearness of God. There is an important point being made in verse 1. The point is through the declaration of God’s wonderful acts the congregation experiences the nearness of God. Israel continually recounted the works of God. Through feasts and holy days Israel was continually reminding themselves about all the things God had done for them. Whether it was the Passover reminding them of the release from slavery or the Feast of Tabernacles reminding them of God’s provision for them during their 40 years in the wilderness, Israel was continually reminded of the works of God.

There is a lesson for us here. The preached Word of God is an important way that we can experience the nearness of God. When the Word of God is preached the wonderful acts of God are being declared. When He is declared the people of God experience a nearness. That is one of the reasons why when we leave church we sometimes feel closer to God. And that is also why it’s important that the Word of God is preached when we come to church.

Believers are encouraged when they hear the truths of God preached. A sure way to be far from God is to be far from His word. We need the Word declared to us in our homes and in our pulpits. Through the declared Word of God, we experience the nearness of God.

2. The Divine voice (2-5).

A. God says He will administer justice at His appointed time.

In verse two we see there is a “when” to God’s justice. That time is appointed by God Himself. We could interpret this in two ways:

First, God executes justice on individuals every day. It is a appointed once for man to die and after that the judgment. Each day souls pass from earth to the courtroom of God. Some wicked people die young, some wicked people die old, but all wicked people die.

Second, there is an appointed time that God will judge the entire earth. Acts 17:31 says:

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

This world as we know it will come to an end. It will end with what the prophets called The Day of the Lord. We often refer to it as the second coming of Christ. We don’t know when that day will be, but we do know that day will be.

B. God will uphold His creation (3).

Wickedness is a great weight to this world. Sin has had an erosive effect on all we see in this world. When we see the hatred, war, disease and natural disasters in this world we may wonder how there will be an earth for the meek to inherit. God says He will uphold His creation. He will bear up the pillars. That’s how the meek will inherit the earth.

If God were not upholding this world it would have already collapsed. Hebrews 1:3 says that even now Jesus is upholding all things by His powerful Word. If it were not for Christ, the entire universe would be in ruins.

The believer can take great courage in verse 3. The enemies of God may shake the earth. They may threaten violence and destruction. It may even appear at time times they will destroy this world. But we know that God has hold of the pillars. He will not let the earth be taken from us.

C. God warns the proud (4-5).

Again, we see repetition used for emphasis. Repetition was used in verse one toward God. Now repetition is used toward the proud. The ungodly have been doubly warned. Those who reject Christ will stand before God as people who have been warned innumerable times. The heavens have constantly declared the glory of God and preachers have declared the story of God. No one goes to hell unwarned.

The lifting of the horn symbolizes an act of pride and self-assurance. “Horn” represents strength in Scripture. These wicked people are lifting up their strength against heaven, against God. Their stiff neck is more evident that they are a proud and defiant people. The picture painted is one of a people who boasts toward God. They have no fear of God.

Even though God has warned the proud there are many who will tempt Him. Pharaoh lifted his voice against heaven saying:

Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. (Exodus 5:2)

God drowned him in the Red Sea.

Nebuchadnezzar lifted his voice against heaven saying

“The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30)

Nebuchadnezzar spent the next seven years driven to insanity. If we lift our voice against God, we can be sure He will lift His hand against us.

3. The prophetic voice (6-8).

A. The weakness of man (6).

God has finished speaking. Now the preacher takes up the message where the Lord finished. The preacher mentions three point of the compass in verse 6. This language is poetic and there is no significant reason the North is not mentioned. His point is there is no one on earth who can usurp the power of God. People from all over the globe can appoint Kings and elect rulers. We can put rulers faces on money, mountains, flags and statues. We can rally behind Kings and Queens. But ultimately all the powers we make on this earth are subject to God.

There will be no kings or presidents in heaven. I am not suggesting there are no saved Kings or Presidents. There are people who have served in those offices who will be in heaven. But when they get to heaven their crowns will be laid at the feet of Jesus. They will be sons and daughters of God like everyone else.

B. The power of God (7).

No matter who the ruler is or how high the world elevates him, the Lord can put him down. God is the judge! He puts one down and lifts up another. We are in the midst of an awful election season now. Literally billions of dollars spent to have an individual elected as president. Much time, effort and money go into the hope of having a particular person fill that office. This shows how foolish we really are. God will have His way. He lifts up and He puts down. I’m not suggesting we should not pray for a godly president or vote Biblical values. That is our responsibility. But don’t get too invested in who our leaders are. Ultimately God is in control. If He allows a wicked man to be our ruler you can trust that He has a purpose.

C. The wrath of God (8).

The preacher has now moved from politics to hell. He says that in the hand of the Lord there is a cup of wine. It’s mixed with spices. The spices are meant to increase the effects of the wine. He pours this cup into the cups of wicked people and they drink all of it.

What des that mean? The cup in Scripture often refers to the wrath of God.

Job 21:20 say “Let their own eyes see their destruction; let them drink the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.”

Isa. 51:17 says “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.”

Jeremiah 25:15 says “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.”

Hab. 2:16 says ““Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.”

The “dregs” refers to the things that have settled at the bottom of the cup. This means that the wicked will have to endure every ounce of retribution they deserve.

The good news for believers is the Lord Jesus has taken the cup of God’s wrath for us. That cup terrified the Lord. He asked if it were possible to have that cup removed (Matt. 26:39). It was not possible to redeem us and bypass the cup. Someone had to endure the wrath of God. Thank God Jesus did that for us.

4. The individual voice (9-10).

A. He will tell of the greatness of God (9).

Verse nine begins with “I will declare!” He will declare the character, works and power of God. He will do it forever. Do we speak of the Lord often enough? No! We never do. But we do need to remind ourselves to speak of the Lord often. There is more to say of Him than we could ever say. We will speak of Him for eternity and never exhaust the subject. Let’s learn from the Psalmist.

Let’s tell people the stories of the bible.

Let’s tell people the character of God.

Let’s tell people how God has saved us from our sins.

Let’s tell people of all God does for us in a single day.

God has given us a voice and it should be used to tell others of the greatness of God.

B. He will sing praises to God.

Not just any God, but the God of Jacob (Israel). It matters what God you praise. If you are not praising the God of Israel, you are praising an idol. The Psalmist doesn’t just speak to others about God. He speaks to God as well. He praises God.

If we believe God is good, we should tell Him so!

If we believe God’s grace is amazing, we should tell Him so!

If we believe God is patient, we should tell Him so!

Personal worship reveals a personal relationship.

C. He will fight the good fight (10).

In verse 10 some believe that God has taken up speaking again. That’s certainly a possibility. But I believe the Psalmist sees himself as a part of the nation of Israel which was oftentimes an instrument of God’s justi9ce in the world. God used Israel to bring His judgment on wicked nations. So, in that sense the Psalmist sees Himself as participating in the justice of God. He is fighting the battle in the power of the Lord. He is cutting down the proud and lifting up the righteous.

The church plays an important role in what God is doing on this earth. We are called soldiers. We are told to fight the fight. We are encouraged to war a good warfare. We do this by sharing the gospel, preaching the Word, living holy lives, and praying. The battle belongs to the Lord, but we are soldiers in His army. It is a privilege and a great responsibility to serve under Christ, our General.

Are we using our individual voice? God’s justice is coming to this earth. The reality is none of us want justice. Justice means we are punished for our sins. We want grace. We should want others to find grace in the eyes of the Lord. Grace comes through the gospel. Therefore as we near the day of God’s justice we should be sharing the gospel with a world that deserves justice but needs grace.