John Carter – June 5, 2017 – Psalm 7
THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SING

{SERMON MANUSCRIPT}

Introduction – Part I (Subscript)

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD

The Psalms are theologically dangerous. Each psalm is the work of a poet and a theologian. So they take the truth of who God is—which is the work of a theologian—and mold that truth into a form of the poet’s language that stretches the language to its grammatical limits. Therefore, the reader of these beautifully written, and deeply profound poems must cautiously approach each Psalm. Otherwise, we may be inclined to read the Psalms as another nursery rhyme. This is where the danger hides. This is what makes the psalms dangerous. It is dangerous to approach rich theology wrapped in beautiful poetry haphazardly or without time to meditate.

Psalm 7 is no different. In this song, that was thought to be written as a rhythmic, passionate, fast-moving solo, we must pause to ask why it was written and who is being spoken of. As in most cases of the Psalms, we must ask, who is the original author? In this case David. How does this Psalm fit into the larger picture of Biblical Theology? Which we will see that it is Jesus who is the fulfillment. And then finally, how should this Psalm effect the modern hearer, especially the Christian? To which I answer, The Righteous will sing!

Psalm 7^[1]

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;

save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,

lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,

rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

O LORD my God, if I have done this,

if there is wrong in my hands,

if I have repaid my friend with evil

or plundered my enemy without cause,

let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,

and let him trample my life to the ground

and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

Arise, O LORD, in your anger;

lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;

awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.

Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;

over it return on high.

The LORD judges the peoples;

judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness

and according to the integrity that is in me.

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

and may you establish the righteous—

you who test the minds and hearts,

O righteous God!

My shield is with God,

who saves the upright in heart.

God is a righteous judge,

and a God who feels indignation every day.

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;

he has bent and readied his bow;

he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,

making his arrows fiery shafts.

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil

and is pregnant with mischief

and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out,

and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head,

and on his own skull his violence descends.

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,

and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

Introduction – Part II (Subscript)

concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

In light of the context of this song, singing might seem like an odd response to the western mind. That is because here in the western world, we do not usually sing when we are under attack.[2] However, we do listen to music when we are depressed. So maybe the response is not that far removed from our experience. Nevertheless, a man has caused David great sorrow and his response was this song.

So, even though we may not know specifically who this man, Cush, is we can still make a few simple observations. And taken in light of the Psalm as a whole, these observations are rather meaningful. First, we see that this was written because of the words of a man named Cush. And as experience teaches every young child, rocks and words both hurt deeply. Second, this man was a Benjaminite. That means that Cush and David were both descendants of Israel and Abraham. But there was a twist to this relationship. The tribe of Benjamin is also the tribe of Saul. So to our next observation, this man would have likely harbored resentment over the fact that David, a Judean, was inheriting the throne. Not another Benjaminite. This same animosity shows up with another angry Benjaminite in 1 Kings 2 and 2 Samuel 16 and 19.

Help (v1-2)

O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;

save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,

lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,

rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

This context of conflict sets the tone for the first verses of this Psalm. Consider when Micah the Prophet says,

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; 

I will wait for the God of my salvation;

my God will hear me.”[3](Micah 7:7)

A person in need of deliverance turns to the object of his or her faith. Both men (David and Micah) are in effect saying, “I will turn to God. He will hear me.” And considering the imagery that David is invoking here, it is wise to seek God. The language that David is using here is crafting an idea of a wild lion viciously attacking him. And there is no one around to save him. And if there were any around they have certainly abandoned him. The raw carnage that David is describing adds a great deal of clarity to the pain that David is experiencing. Perhaps this should cause us to pause before we brush off the sense of pain someone else has when they have been verbally slaughtered. Yet at the same time, when someone is using words against us, perhaps we should reconsider who we turn to for our vindication.

Remember, first of all, this psalm was written by a real man because of a particular context. When reading this, don’t forget that this Psalm is first about David. But secondly, this Psalm was not written about you or me. This psalm shows clear signs of messianic prophecy. Who did Jesus turn to in the Garden the night before his execution on the cross? Who did Jesus call to while suffering our death on the cross? Was it not Jesus whose physical appearance more resembled the vicious attack of a lion, while his skin hung from his arms, legs, and body? Truly it was his body that was broken. This psalm does not find its greatest value when we see ourselves as the one suffering. Rather, it finds its greatest value when we see our Savior and Messiah as the one suffering on our behalf.

The best way to see ourselves in this psalm is not as the one suffering, but as servants of this brutishly crucified Messiah. Remember the words of Jesus when he said

“A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”[4](John 15:20-21)

Christian, if this is the fate of the one we serve, then what makes you think that we can avoid the pain of either Jesus or David?

But If… (v3-5)

O LORD my God, if I have done this,

if there is wrong in my hands,

if I have repaid my friend with evil

or plundered my enemy without cause,

let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,

and let him trample my life to the ground

and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

Looking forward to the next verses we see an interesting request on the part of David. David boldly asks God to inspect his heart for sin. David does not ask God to overlook his own sins so that he can have license to do whatever he wants. David expects God to be consistent. Even Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with a similar thought. Jesus taught his disciples to ask God the Father to,

“forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.”[5](Matthew 6:12)

And this should be done with great sobriety. How many of us would be found guilty of present sin if we asked this question? And consider what David is asking for. He is not saying, ‘if I’m guilty don’t save me.’ He is calling for his death and burial. In other words, if I have sin in my life let me die because that is what I deserve. Sin, even committed against our enemies, is worthy of death.

If we can focus our attention on Jesus for a moment, this should cause us to stop and ask a theologically difficult question. If those who die are guilty of sin, then why did Jesus die? And to be as straightforward as possible, it is because God found Jesus to be guilty of sin. This, of course, goes against everything we learn in simplistic and flimsy teachings about Jesus Christ. Bad theology separates Jesus so far from sin that he never became spoiled with the stain of sin. Although Jesus never sinned as a willful act, he still bore the sting and stain of our sin. Sin which became his sin. Because if it never became his, then he could not stand in the place of those who did the sinning. Which is why Paul writes,

“For our sake he [God the Father]  made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)[6]

The reason why Jesus died and was buried is that he was found guilty of your sin and my sin. So, if we read verses 3-5 simply as the words of an arrogant man, or foolishly transpose them to ourselves we will miss the bigger and more spectacular picture. Jesus, although found guilty of sin on our behalf, rose again on the third day from the grave because he was not only able to lay down his life, but he was able to pick it up again (John 10:18). So those who have died with Christ have also risen with him (Romans 6:8).

It is at this moment that we pause, and Selah.

Call for Justice (v6-7)

Arise, O LORD, in your anger;

lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;

awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.

Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;

over it return on high.

When God sees an injustice he must rage against it. God will not allow sin to dwell in the land of the living forever. The Christian does not wait in vain. Our hope of future vindication is certain. Day and night saints around the throne of God in heaven cry out with a loud voice saying,

“O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”[7] (Revelation 6:10)

The Standard of Righteousness (v8-11)

The LORD judges the peoples;

judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness

and according to the integrity that is in me.

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

and may you establish the righteous—

you who test the minds and hearts,

O righteous God!

My shield is with God,

who saves the upright in heart.

God is a righteous judge,

and a God who feels indignation every day.

Here David pleads a peculiar request. He asks YHWH to judge according to his— David’s— righteousness. This should not be misunderstood as a standard of righteousness which is his own. But according to the righteous deeds that he does. David is confident that regardless of his failures God will still judge him for his righteousness. But before we fall into a works based righteousness, look at how David couches his righteousness. David derives his righteousness from his God, his shield. This puts David in a precarious situation. David is asking the very judge of his soul to protect him. The prophet Micah makes this same request when he writes,

“I will bear the indignation of the LORD

because I have sinned against him,

until he [YHWH] pleads my cause

and executes judgment for me.”[8] (Micah 7:9)

Both Micah and David are aware and prepared to acknowledge their sin against God, yet they still chose to trust this same righteous God with their life and salvation. This requires us to ask at least two questions. What is Righteousness? And, How does one become righteous?

WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?

Since we are reading a biblical text our definition is going to be explicitly theological. However, even outside the context of the Bible, righteousness stills carries a divine or theologically infused connotation. Righteousness has been defined by one theological dictionary in the following way. Righteousness is

“an attribute of God’s being; God’s right and just character, actions and judgments.”[9]

This is a great starting point. But I really love how theologian R. Keith Whitt describes righteousness.

“The OT is explicitly clear that God is the source of (righteousness) as it is an essential part of his character. It is uniquely his; it is immeasurable; and it is eternal. (righteousness) and (Justice) serve as the base of his throne or reign over his kingdom. Everything which proceeds from him is righteous, such as his actions, speech, judgments, Torah, and covenant.

Righteousness goes before him as an activity of his promise and divine will. It is even personified to accomplish his purposes. (righteousness) is redemptive in nature and results in salvation. Through his graciousness and in solidarity with his covenant, he gives life and (righteousness) to humanity and those whom he makes righteous are righteous in actuality, not just juridically.  The expression of his (righteousness) is universal in scope, intent and dominion. He is perfect in righteousness.”[10]

So although righteousness carries the idea of ethics and morality the ultimate standard of righteousness in found in YHWH. In other words, what God does is righteous. What he is doing right now, is not only good, but it also carries the theological weight of being universally and eternally right. This is why David turned to YHWH for divine judgment. Because he knew YHWH is righteous.

This bears significant weight not just in the pulpit and in the pew, but also on the front porch. Consider for a moment if you will sitting on the porch asking God about the circumstances of life you find yourself in: Health, job, children, friendships, security, future, the past, our sufferings, transportation, bills, finances, education. Taken lightly, we may neglect to see that God is righteous even beyond his acts of salvation. We may fail to see that he is also righteous in the very actions of our daily lives. If we judge the righteousness of God based on our circumstances we may find that God is not righteous. Therefore he is not worthy of our pleas for help. However, if we believe the testimony of his word, of his prophets, of his apostles, and Jesus— His son, then we will change how we look at our circumstance. And instead of our greatest moment of suffering being a display of God’s carelessness; that greatly painful moment becomes bearable. Why? Because we realize that whatever God is doing out of our sight, he is doing it righteously. From here we can not only see the setting of the sun, but we can also that he is raising the bright morning sun a thousand times over. His work in our life in not for our harm, but for our good (Romans 8:28). Because God is righteous we can look at the best and the worst of our circumstance and let the joy pour out of our eyes know that he is, has, and always will do that which is perfectly righteous. Because God is righteous.

And as we see in Psalm 7, and Whitt’s definition, that same righteousness can be assigned to others.  That logically leaves us with our next question.

HOW DOES ONE BECOME RIGHTEOUS?

Through the revelation of Jesus Christ, we realize that this is not the right question. We no longer ask, how? Instead, we ask, Who? Jesus, Jesus becomes our righteousness. No longer are we bound to find right standing before God based on empty work. Rather, we turn to Christ and recognize that Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, is our righteousness. Listen to the words of Paul in his letter to the Christians in Rome.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”[11] (Romans 3:21-26)

God is the judge. But he is also the righteous judge. David was not righteous because of his good works. David was righteous because of the future work of Christ on the Cross where Jesus interceded on our behalf and received the wrath of God on our behalf. We who were once enemies of God now stand righteous, because we have been justified (Ephesian 2:13). And all this was done to show the righteousness of God.

The Penalty of Self-Righteousness (v12-16)

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;

he has bent and readied his bow;

he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,

making his arrows fiery shafts.

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil

and is pregnant with mischief

and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out,

and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head,

and on his own skull his violence descends.

This pulls us to consider the outcome of being found guilty and self-righteous before God. Worse, we must consider the eternal outcome of every person who seeks to show themselves as self-righteous before the living God. The judge of the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:1-8; 2 Timothy 4:1; Acts 10:42). Self-righteous Christian, before you delight in the judgment and death of the wicked consider the God before whom you seek to prove your own self-righteousness. YHWH does NOT delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). Yes, YHWH will judge (Ezekiel 33:11), but he does so out of righteousness, not joy.  Hear again the words of Paul to the Roman Christians,

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”[12] (Romans 2:4-8)

Or again when Paul pleads with the Church at Philippi and demonstrates with his own life the hollowness of self-righteousness.

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”[13] (Philippians 3:1-21)

Response (v17)

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,

and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

You see, although David calls himself righteous his righteous was not worthy of praise and adoration. Why? Because David’s righteousness was derived from another source. However, YHWH is the source of his own righteousness. This is why YHWH’s righteousness evokes, even demands praise. Everything that is similar between God and man is still not fundamentally the same. There is a qualitative difference. Our righteousness is derived from YHWH. But YHWH’s righteousness is inherent to his very being. We are righteous because we are made that way. He is righteous because he is righteous. For example, a cat and a picture of a cat share many similar features. The very photo of the cat derives its cat-likeness because of the cat.  However, no matter the quality of that photograph that picture will never be a cat. This is why a photograph is appreciated, but a cat is loved.

So appropriately Psalm 7 communicates with a final truth that we cannot miss. The highest way we can give thanks to God for his righteousness and to make a big deal about his righteousness is by the passionate, breath-taking act of singing to the Most High God. Not only is it the highest, but it is necessary.

This is why I can affirmatively and whole-heartedly say, “The righteous will sing.” They will shout for joy. Not because of who they are, but because of who YHWH is. Because at the end of the age the righteous judge—Jesus Christ—will stand and proclaim his righteousness. He will raise his scepter, his name, and every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). But then the righteous will stand on their feet raise their hands. Fill their lungs and declare in beautiful symphony that

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

    who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8)

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

    to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

    and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

    and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

    from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

    and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

Christian, It is when we ponder this beautiful reality that we realize… No matter the current circumstance, the righteous will sing. But not only will the righteous sing. The righteous will sing praise to the one and only Righteous and Majestic[14] God.

 

{FOOTNOTES}

[1] https://www.esv.org/Psalm+7/

[2] Another version of this style of song is found in Isaiah 38:10-20 when Hezekiah sings after being struck by God.

[3] https://www.esv.org/Micah+7/

[4] https://www.esv.org/John+15/

[5] https://www.esv.org/Matthew+6/

[6] See also Romans 3 and  Galatians 3 – https://www.esv.org/Romans+3:25-26;2+Corinthians+5:21;Galatians+3:13/

[7] https://www.esv.org/Revelation+6/

[8] https://www.esv.org/Micah+7/

[9] 103 – Grenz, Stanley J., Cherith Fee Nordling, and David Guretzki. 1999. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms. Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic, 1999. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed June 3, 2017). | Continued: God’s righteousness as under-stood in a covenantal context includes God’s right judgment of both God’s own people and those who oppress them, as well as God’s salvation and mercy extended to those to whom the covenanting God has promised to be faithful. Righteousness and salvation are summed up in and provided for all those who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By extension, righteousness denotes the type of life that ought to characterize Jesus’ disciples. Believers are to “imitate” God and thereby become righteous in life just as God is righteous

[10] 74 – Whitt, R Keith. 2011. “Righteousness and characteristics of Yahweh.” Journal Of Biblical And Pneumatological Research 3, 71-84. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed June 3, 2017). | (righteousness) replaces the Hebrew script (צדק) found in the article. Article provides extensive verse not shown here.

[11] https://www.esv.org/Romans+3/

[12] https://www.esv.org/Romans+2/

[13] https://www.esv.org/Philippians+3/

[14] Psalm 8 – The lyrical content of the songs of the righteous.