Mensa Otabil - God, The Judge
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We’re still looking at Psalm 9, examining the Psalm of David that exalts us to worship God in the midst of our attacks and the enemy pursuing us. We look at verses four and five, which say, «You have maintained my right and my cause; you sat on the throne judging in righteousness. You have rebuked the nations; you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.»
David knew God as judge; he knew God as shepherd. He called Him «the Lord, my shepherd,» but he also understood that this shepherd was also a judge. This is one of the things we know about God: there is not just one attribute of God. He is merciful, but He is also a judge. God does many things for us, and how did David know God as judge? By experience. He encountered and saw how God had vindicated those who brought their cases to Him in prayer. He observed weak people, poor people, and widows pleading their cases before God, and he saw how God vindicated them.
So, he knew that God judges matters presented to Him. This knowledge of God gave David confidence whenever he was mistreated or wronged. He knew that God was a judge and that he could trust God; he could go before God and plead his case.Do you have confidence in God as your judge when you’re mistreated? When someone is treating you badly, do you trust God to be your judge? Conversely, when you are mistreating others, do you remember that God is the judge? That He will fight for the weak whom you are oppressing? He will fight and vindicate those whom you are wrongly treating. God is a fair judge; He is not a partial judge.
There are three statements I want to bring to your attention as we look at these verses. The first one is: David says, «You sat on your throne judging in righteousness.» The image here is of God, who sits on the throne, just as a judge sits in court to hear a matter. The reason why the judge sits in a seat in court is that he wants to hear both sides; he wants to hear this side and the other side. That’s what God does. God is not an arbitrary judge; God is not a partial judge. He does not favor people simply because He likes them. God favors people whose cases are right. He sat on His throne, and remember, God on His throne is not just a ruler; He is not just answering prayers, but He is also judging. Yes, there is a judgment day at the end of time, but there is continuous judgment that God presents as the Lord.
The second thing David says is, «You have maintained my right and my cause.» God judges in favor of the righteous and the person whose cause is right because God is fair and just. Another way of reading it would be: «You have given fair judgment in my favor.» David knew he was a servant of God, the anointed of the Lord, but he understood that God would not favor him simply because he was king or because he knew how to praise God.
You can’t bribe God with praise and worship. You can do the wrong thing, go to church, lift up your hands, and worship God, thinking that because you are a great worshiper and dance in church, God will side with you. No, you can’t bribe God with praise; you can’t bribe God with an offering. David understood that the only way God would judge for him was when he was right, and his cause was right. When you plead a case before God, it has to be the right case-not right in your own eyes, but right in God’s eyes.
The third thing is that David says, «You have destroyed the wicked.» David tells us the outcome of God’s judgment: He destroys the wicked. In other words, those who are wrong never win in God’s courts. They never win. When you go to God’s court and you are wrong, you will lose your case. If you look at verse five, there is intensity: He says that He rebuked them, then destruction and total extermination follow. The sanctions are progressive. That’s what we learn about God: He sits on the throne; He’s a fair judge. When you are wrong, He doesn’t side with you, so you better be right when you present your case before the Lord.
Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, You are the God who judges righteously. I trust Your judgments in all my dealings. In Jesus' name, amen.»
I will catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.