PSALM 9
Sunday, 12 March 2023
“For You have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.” -Psalm 9: 4
Psalm 9 celebrates the justice of God. In any judicial system it is always important to have righteous judges and advocates so that people are served rightly and justly. But we know that judicial systems in this world are seldom perfect. The Psalm describes a judicial system foreign to this world, which is the most perfect. Here David delights in the perfectness of the judicial system revealed to him which is administered by God Himself. When David encounters the justice, God the Righteous Judge has brought in favor of him, he gladly exults by singing praises to the Most High.
God’s actions are always right! A man of God said: “God is not measured by the standard of righteousness; God sets the standard of righteousness.” God’s righteousness is the natural expression of His holiness. In the Old Testament we find people who walked in truth and obeyed God in everything—like Noah or Job who were called righteous by God. In Genesis 7:1: “… you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.” Righteousness of Noah resulted in the rescue of his family, causing the human race from perishing from the earth.
Job says “Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high”(Job 16:19). Here is a man who lived with such conviction about God whom God Himself testified blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil and there is no one like him on the earth. Still Job asks the greatest question in history: “How can man be righteous before God?” (Job 25: 4).
The answer to this question that bothered mankind for all time, is found in the New Testament, being answered by apostle Paul in Romans 3:10: There is no one righteous, not even one!
So when there was nobody in this world who is righteous to stand before God, God Himself came to this world in the form of a human being, as Jesus of Nazareth and He revealed God to mankind as Love personified. Romans 10:4 says: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Now for us to stand before this most righteous God, as righteous ones, Christ Jesus bore our sins, paying the penalty of our sin by his death on the cross so that if we believe in Him we would be made right with God. He thus inaugurated for us a new and living way to God (Hebrews 10:20). He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He intercedes for them as their advocate.
In the same manner, Christ will take up our rightful cases to bring us justice. When we have such a marvelous Advocate for us we are sure to get justice and consequently enjoy eternal life with Him. Without the help of this Great Advocate no one is going to make it before the righteous God and so the psalmist exhorts us to:
Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:12)
Think on: “The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.” -Psalm 9:16