God Who Judges (2)
[Psalm 58]
Last Sunday, during our church’s English service, I once again confirmed how much God truly loves a certain brother after hearing his testimony, which was also expressed through a song. As we sang the song that he had sung the previous Friday night while crying, I learned that no matter how dark life may seem, we must still praise God’s holiness. Amid this, while reading Psalms 21 to 23 yesterday evening and reflecting on the Scriptures for this morning’s Wednesday dawn prayer service, my attention was drawn to verses 1-3 of Psalm 22, and I began to think deeply about those words. King David, in his groaning, cried out to God day and night without receiving an answer, feeling abandoned by God and thinking that God had turned away from him and did not help him. Yet David confessed, “But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). As I reflected on this passage during today’s early morning prayer, I remembered that dear brother. I thought of him praising the holy God, just as David did. To praise the holy God is a tremendous blessing. Therefore, to experience the holy presence of God is an amazing blessing.
This holy God is also a just God. He is a God who judges with righteousness. Therefore, when we find ourselves in unfair situations, like David, we must look to the “God who judges” (Psalm 58:11). In other words, when we are in unjust circumstances, we must rely on the judgment of the righteous God. The God who judges rebukes the wicked (verses 1-5). The God who rebukes the wicked is also telling us not to remain silent. In other words, the God who judges is rebuking us for remaining in wicked silence (verse 1). A pastor who remains silent in the face of injustice is a “mute dog” (Isaiah 56:10). Because he does not speak when he should, God’s sheep are devoured by wild beasts. For this reason, God rebukes those who remain in wicked silence. Additionally, the God who rebukes the wicked is the just God who tells us not to practice evil in our hearts (verse 2). God is rebuking us for living lives of hypocrisy, where our words and actions are contradictory. The God who judges rebukes us for acting with deceit. He rebukes us for walking down twisted paths while practicing lies. And the God who judges rebukes us for not hearing His voice. Like a deaf snake, we fail to listen when God speaks, and for this reason, God rebukes us (verse 5). Today, under the title “The God Who Judges (2),” I reflect on the remaining two aspects of the God who judges, hoping that it will be an opportunity to hear the Lord’s voice.
Secondly, the “God who judges” causes us to pray (verses 6-9).