God is the Judge
[Psalms 75]
Yesterday morning, when I watched CNN Internet news, I saw a fireman confessing to this Southern California wildfire that it was like seeing the end of the world. To what extent the fire was so severe that the firefighter would have said that. As of today, there are 16 fires, and about 1 million people are told to leave their homes. And looking at the news this morning, it is said that only San Diego has suffered a loss of about 1 billion dollars so far. Yesterday, we had a meeting of presbytery pastors in our church, so we met few pastors. One of them lives in Santa Clarita, and he said he was evacuating from his home and going to an in-laws house. Another presbytery pastor's congregation was evacuating from the house and went to see what happened to his house later. And he said that the house was not burned because the firefighters turned off the fire almost in front of the house. My wife, cousin, and younger brother also fled from San Diego and are in the house of my sister-in-law. Yesterday I watched the NBC news, and I saw how intensely the fire burned, where a piece of steel in a car in front of a house melted down. And later, after the fire had passed, the molten iron dried up and turned into a shape of a very flat knife. Looking at these things, I thought about the end of the world like that one firefighter said. As one fireman said, I started thinking about what “the end of the world” will look like. Look at what Luke 17:29-30 says: “but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” Clearly, the Bible foretells the destruction of the world and fire judgment.
I thought about this judgment based on the words of Acts 17:31. The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead and made Him the Judge of the whole world. God made this Jesus to fix a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. This fact gives us two lessons: (1) ‘Repent!’ and (2) ‘Believe in Jesus and be saved!’ In Psalms 75:7, the psalmist says about God as the Judge: “But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.” Our just God is a God who judges with equity at an appointed time (v. 2). Today, while meditating on two things about God, the just Judge, I would like to learn the lessons God gives us.
First, God is the Judge who humbles.
Who does God, the Judge, humble? The Bible says that the boastful and the wicked are. Look at Psalms 75:4 – “I said to the boastful, 'Do not boast,' And to the wicked, 'Do not lift up the horn.” In another word, these arrogant and evildoers are proud. So the psalmist is telling these proud people: “Do not lift up your horn on high, Do not speak with insolent pride.” The problem with these proud ones is to exalt themselves (v. 6). The apostle Paul said that people are “boastful” in the last days when difficult times comes (2 Tim. 3:2). In the last days, people boast of themselves rather than boast of God, and glorify themselves rather than God (Jer. 9:23-24). And they think more highly of themselves than they ought to think (Rom. 12:3), praise themselves with their mouths (Prov. 27:2) and exalt themselves.
What is God's attitude toward these pride ones? Look at Proverbs 8:13 – “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.” The Bible says that God hates pride. Therefore, God pours out His wrath on arrogant, proud, and evil sinners. About this fact, the psalmist said: “For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs” (Ps. 75:8). God pours out all the cup of His wrath on the proud wicked, and also melts (vs. 3) by cutting off “all the horns of the wicked”, that is all the power of the wicked (v. 10).
Second, God is the Judge who exalts.
Who does God, the Judge, exalt? He is a God who exalts those who humble himself, the humble before the Lord. That is why the apostle James also said: “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (Jam. 4:10). Look at James 4:6 – “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So, what do those who humble before the Lord and those who are humble do?
(1) Those who are humble give thanks to the Lord.
Look at Psalms 75:1a – “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your name is near….” The reason the psalmist and the Israelites thanked God was because ‘the name of the Lord is near” (v. 1). In other words, the psalmist and the Israelites thanked God because they experienced the presence of the Lord. For them, God's presence means salvation, so they thanked God. The fact that God, who is the just Judge, is present is ultimately destroying the wicked and salvation for the righteous. So the psalmist humbly thanked God with the Israelites.
(2) Those who are humble sing praises to the Lord.
Look at Psalms 75:9 – “But as for me, I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.” The psalmist made his determination and dedication to praise God in faith because he was convinced that God, the just Judge, would destroy the proud and wicked and save the humble righteous.
(3) Those who are humble declare the Lord’s wondrous works.
Look at Psalms 75:1b – “… Men declare Your wondrous works.” The psalmist tells us that God's people will declare the Lord’s wonderful work, in which God pours out His wrath on the proud and judges them and saves His humble people through His presence
How does God exalt the humble ones who thank and praise the Lord and declare His wondrous works? The Lord firmly sets them. Look at Psalms 75:3b – “… It is I who have firmly set its pillars. Selah.” The Lord sets the humble. The proud will be destroyed by the Lord, but the humble will be set firmly by the Lord. Therefore, even when the day of judgment comes in the presence of the Judge, God will not make His humble people to be shaken.
Our God, the Judge exalted Jesus who emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men, and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross: “but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8). Therefore, we, as disciples of Jesus, must imitate Jesus by emptying ourselves and humbling ourselves. And we must humbly submit to God like Jesus. When the time comes, God will exalt us as He exalted Jesus.
Wanting to imitate the humility of Jesus, who humbled himself and obeyed God to the point of death on the cross for such proud sinner like me,
James Kim
(Thanking the Lord, praising the Lord, and wishing to preach His wonderful story)