The Cry for Justice
The Justice of God
Psalm 6-10
“The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him; all his thoughts are, 'there is no God.” (10:4).
One of the great mysteries of God is not, “Why does God judge?” Instead, it is “Why does God remain silent in the face of unrestrained evil?”
In Psalm 8, the Psalmist marvels at the God who created the expanses of the heavens. In one of the remarkable displays of wonder, the Psalmist looks into the heavens and sees the amazement of the expanse of the Milky Way, and sees it as nothing more than the work of God’s fingers. So great is God that creation is not the expression of God’s unrestrained power; it is merely the work of His fingers! Yet the greatest wonder of all is why the God who is infinite in power, who measures the expanse of the universe with the palm of His hands, gives His full attention to the smallest speck of creation—man himself! (Psalm 8:4).
However, even as David marvels at God’s attention upon lowly man, he also expresses his frustration and perplexity that a righteous and holy God allow sin to go unabated. The wonder of Psalms 8 stands in contrast to the frustration of Psalms 6,7,9,10, in which the Psalmist cries for justice in the face of the onslaught of evil. How can a holy and just God allow sinful humanity to continue to exist? Not only is man sinful, but we show our contempt for God by accusing Him of injustice when He pronounces the threat of judgment. As David looks upon the prosperity of the wicked, he cannot understand the silence of heaven. Evil men seem to prosper and afflict the righteous without any response from God. Thus, the Psalmist cries out for justice.
We can identify with the words of the Psalmist. Sin continues to go on with no apparent restraint. The wicked today boast of their sin and take pride in their rejection of God’s moral standard. The rainbow, which is a symbol of God’s grace, is turned into an affirmation and celebration of sin. Our culture often celebrates pride and arrogance, while looking down upon humility. The very people our culture elevates are the same people who afflict the poor and the weak. People affirm God’s love but mock His justice. In the end, the wicked reject the judgment of God and deny that God will condemn sinners (10:13). However, this rejection of God and the celebration of sin is not new. It has its roots in the Garden of Eden. As the Psalmist struggles to understand why God seems indifferent to injustice, he reminds us that the delay of justice is not to be misunderstood as God being complacent towards sin. Even as he struggles to understand the silence of heaven in the face of the advance of sin, the Psalmist reaffirms that God will bring judgment. There will come a time when the holiness of God will triumph and He will deliver the righteous and condemn the wicked (9:7-10). Just as the heavens declare the glory of God and remind us of the wonder of God’s attentive gaze upon lowly humanity, it also reminds us that God is exalted in the heavens and He will bring judgment upon sin and restore righteousness on earth (9:16-20). God will someday arise from His throne and execute justice and restore righteousness on the earth, and when He does, we will sing His praise even as we sing the praise of His creative work.
Psalm 6-10
“The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him; all his thoughts are, 'there is no God.” (10:4).
One of the great mysteries of God is not, “Why does God judge?” Instead, it is “Why does God remain silent in the face of unrestrained evil?”
In Psalm 8, the Psalmist marvels at the God who created the expanses of the heavens. In one of the remarkable displays of wonder, the Psalmist looks into the heavens and sees the amazement of the expanse of the Milky Way, and sees it as nothing more than the work of God’s fingers. So great is God that creation is not the expression of God’s unrestrained power; it is merely the work of His fingers! Yet the greatest wonder of all is why the God who is infinite in power, who measures the expanse of the universe with the palm of His hands, gives His full attention to the smallest speck of creation—man himself! (Psalm 8:4).
However, even as David marvels at God’s attention upon lowly man, he also expresses his frustration and perplexity that a righteous and holy God allow sin to go unabated. The wonder of Psalms 8 stands in contrast to the frustration of Psalms 6,7,9,10, in which the Psalmist cries for justice in the face of the onslaught of evil. How can a holy and just God allow sinful humanity to continue to exist? Not only is man sinful, but we show our contempt for God by accusing Him of injustice when He pronounces the threat of judgment. As David looks upon the prosperity of the wicked, he cannot understand the silence of heaven. Evil men seem to prosper and afflict the righteous without any response from God. Thus, the Psalmist cries out for justice.
We can identify with the words of the Psalmist. Sin continues to go on with no apparent restraint. The wicked today boast of their sin and take pride in their rejection of God’s moral standard. The rainbow, which is a symbol of God’s grace, is turned into an affirmation and celebration of sin. Our culture often celebrates pride and arrogance, while looking down upon humility. The very people our culture elevates are the same people who afflict the poor and the weak. People affirm God’s love but mock His justice. In the end, the wicked reject the judgment of God and deny that God will condemn sinners (10:13). However, this rejection of God and the celebration of sin is not new. It has its roots in the Garden of Eden. As the Psalmist struggles to understand why God seems indifferent to injustice, he reminds us that the delay of justice is not to be misunderstood as God being complacent towards sin. Even as he struggles to understand the silence of heaven in the face of the advance of sin, the Psalmist reaffirms that God will bring judgment. There will come a time when the holiness of God will triumph and He will deliver the righteous and condemn the wicked (9:7-10). Just as the heavens declare the glory of God and remind us of the wonder of God’s attentive gaze upon lowly humanity, it also reminds us that God is exalted in the heavens and He will bring judgment upon sin and restore righteousness on earth (9:16-20). God will someday arise from His throne and execute justice and restore righteousness on the earth, and when He does, we will sing His praise even as we sing the praise of His creative work.
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