What the Righteous Must Do

 

 

 

 

[Psalm 33]

 

 

There was a time when I was meditating on Jeremiah 1:4-10, and I received a lesson about what those who proclaim and teach God's word must do. A verse that summarizes this teaching well is verse 7: “The Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.’” From this, I learned three lessons:

  1. I must not say “I am a youth” or make excuses like “I am not capable” or “I am too young.”

  2. If the Lord tells me to go, I must go, no matter whether I like it or not.

  3. If the Lord commands me to speak, I must speak. As a preacher and teacher, I should not be afraid of people’s reactions, for the Lord is with us, and I must speak and teach boldly. This is indeed a challenge because God's word can both build up and tear down those who hear it (v. 10). I now question whether we, those entrusted with God's word, are fulfilling this responsibility with honesty and integrity.

As Christians, are we fulfilling our duties as holy children of God in this world? But before we ask this question, we must first answer what it is that we should do. In today’s scripture, Psalm 33:1 says: "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous; praise is fitting for the upright." Based on this verse, I want to reflect on three things that we Christians, as justified and righteous people, must do, and apply these reflections to our daily lives.

First, the righteous must praise.

Look at Psalm 33:1: “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous; praise is fitting for the upright.” The reason the righteous can praise God properly is that only the righteous can praise God without glorifying themselves (Park Yun-sun). Why should the righteous praise God according to this passage? The reason is that God is our Creator (vv. 6-7). What kind of Creator is our God? Our God is the Creator who made the heavens by His word (v. 6). The God who is accomplishing the work of new creation is working in our hearts with His powerful word, transforming us with a new heart, and for that reason, we must praise Him.

How should we praise God? We should praise Him with instruments and with thanksgiving (v. 2), and also sing a new song to Him with joy (v. 3). Why should we sing a new song to the Lord? The reason is that believers experience new joy and excitement in the great work of God’s salvation (Park Yun-sun). This new joy and excitement should be present in the hearts of the righteous every day. As the Holy Spirit, who is accomplishing the new creation, transforms our hearts through God’s word into the heart of Jesus, we should experience and realize this transformation daily, with new joy and excitement in our hearts. Therefore, we should joyfully praise God with a new song and with instruments of thanksgiving.

Second, the righteous must act with sincerity.

Look at Psalm 33:4: "For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth." What does it mean to act in truth here? There are two main aspects to consider, which are like the two sides of a coin.

(1) Acting in truth means obeying the righteous word of God.

To obey God's word, what we need is a heart that fears God (v. 8). When we fear God and obey His word, His will is accomplished (v. 9). In other words, when we obey God's word, we fulfill His will and firmly establish it. However, if we disobey God's word, God will frustrate our plans and make our thoughts and intentions null and void (v. 10). Unbelief results in disobedience, and disobedience leads to the frustration of our efforts and the nullification of our plans.

(2) Acting in truth means loving what God loves.

What does God love? Look at Psalm 33:5: "He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." Here we see two aspects of God's holy nature: justice and love. The interesting thing is that both attributes coexist in God, but God's love is more abundant than His justice, filling the earth (v. 5) (Park Yun-seon). Therefore, we receive more blessings from God's love than calamities due to His justice. Thus, those who love God's justice and love are the ones who fear Him and hope for His goodness (v. 18). The blessings that God gives to such people are expressed in Psalm 33:18-19: "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."

Lastly, the third thing the just must do is make the Lord their God.

Look at Psalm 33:12: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance." The psalmist speaks of those who are blessed because they make the Lord their God. He is teaching us that the just make the Lord their God. This is because God has already chosen us before the foundation of the world to be His people, His children. Therefore, we are God's "inheritance," meaning we are His possession (Park Yun-seon). And as God's possession, the just rejoice in God and depend completely on Him (v. 21). Doubt brings sorrow, while faith brings joy (Spurgeon). So, why do the just rejoice and depend on God? The reason is that God is their help and shield (v. 20). Such just people are blessed. What kind of blessings do they have? We can think of two main blessings.

(1) The righteous, that is, the blessed person, is under God's providence (vv. 13-14).

Our God is the God who governs all things on earth. With His absolute sovereignty, He discerns and governs the hearts of people in this world (Park Yun-seon). The righteous are blessed because they are governed by His providence. This is truly a great blessing.

(2) The righteous, that is, the blessed person, receives the grace of God's salvation.

Look at Psalm 33:18-19: "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine." Here, it implies that the righteous may face issues of life and death, or times of poverty. The Bible does not say that these things must be absent for one to be blessed. The reason the righteous are blessed is that God watches over them, saves them in times of crisis, and sustains them even in times of poverty. We are experiencing this blessing in our own lives right now.

Yesterday, I visited my dear mother-in-law at the hospital, who has made Jehovah her God, praises Him, and lives truthfully. God, who saved her when she was at the crossroads of life and death due to a car accident, is still at work, restoring her in an amazing way. As I saw this, my father-in-law praised God. Then, he lovingly spoke to her and kissed her forehead. As I watched this, I experienced God's mercy. Seeing the beautiful couple loving each other in Christ, I caught a glimpse of the blessing that God gives to the righteous. I saw God's blessing in the miraculous recovery of my mother-in-law after the car accident, under His providence. Seeing my father-in-law and mother-in-law in the ICU, I could not help but praise God.

[Hymn 424: Lord, You Are My Life]

  1. Lord, You are my life, I come before You,
    Cleanse me with Your precious blood and receive me, I pray.

  2. When I go through this world of sorrow, guide me,
    If I believe in You and go forward, I will not lose my way.

  3. As I live in this world, I will love You more each day,
    And my soul will enter the bright and shining heaven.
    {Chorus}
    Every day, every day, I will praise You,
    Bind me tightly with the cords of Your love.
    Amen.

 

 

 

After praising God's salvation grace given to the righteous,

 

 

Pastor James Kim
(Reflecting on my father-in-law and mother-in-law)