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).
The psalmist, David, in the midst of persecution by the wicked, cried out to God. He asked the God who judges to deal with the wicked. David’s prayer can be understood in three main points:
(1) David asked God to destroy the instruments of evil.
Look at Psalm 58:6: “Oh God, break their teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!” David referred to those who persecuted him as being as inhuman and cruel as lions. Just as a lion uses its mouth to devour its prey, these wicked people tried to attack and bring down the righteous with evil methods. So David prayed that God would destroy the instruments the wicked used to carry out their evil deeds.
(2) David asked God to cause the wicked to disappear and to frustrate their plans.
Look at Psalm 58:7 and 9: “Let them vanish like water that runs away; when they aim their arrows, let them be as cut in pieces” (verse 7), “Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living and in his wrath” (verse 9). Verse 7 suggests that, like a stream in a sloped valley after rain that quickly dries up, the wicked will vanish. The phrase “cut in pieces” means that the wicked’s schemes will be thwarted, just as an arrow misses its target and breaks (as noted by Park Yun-seon). Verse 9 gives a similar image. Like a traveler in the desert who, while hungry, lights a fire with thorns, only for a strong whirlwind to blow it out, the plans of the wicked will be frustrated and fail (again as explained by Park Yun-seon). An example of God frustrating the plans of the wicked is found in the story of David, when he was fleeing from Absalom. Through David's friend, Hushai the Archite (2 Samuel 16:16), God caused the good counsel of Ahithophel to fail (2 Samuel 17:14). The Bible records the reason for this: “For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to bring disaster on Absalom” (2 Samuel 17:14).
(3) David asked God to make the wicked like snails.
Look at Psalm 58:8: “Let them be like a snail that melts away, like a stillborn child who never sees the sun.” Why did David pray that the wicked be like snails? The reason is that snails, as they move across the earth, constantly wear down and consume themselves. David was asking God to make the wicked destroy themselves further every time they carried out their evil deeds (according to Park Yun-seon).
Finally, thirdly, the "God who Judges" blesses us (verses 10-11).
God's blessings can be considered in two ways:
(1) The first blessing is joy.
Let’s look at Psalm 58:10: "The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked." Our God is a righteous God. He is a God who judges with justice. That God will destroy the wicked. So why did the righteous David rejoice when the wicked were destroyed? The reason is not because he rejoiced in the destruction of the wicked itself. He rejoiced because he saw the glory of God. In other words, he rejoiced because he saw God's righteousness and His just judgment.
(2) Secondly, the blessing that the God who judges gives us is certainty.
Let’s look at Psalm 58:11: "Then men will say, Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth." God gives us the certainty that He is a God who judges, and He gives this certainty to others as well.
When we allow God to judge us, rather than judging ourselves, our sins are exposed, and we need to receive God's rebuke. In that process, we must ask God to cleanse us from our sins. May we all experience and enjoy the blessings that God gives.
With the grace of the righteous God who judges me,
Pastor James Kim
(Shared on Wednesday night, on the birthday of my father-in-law)