Psalm 94

1 O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!

2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!

If YHWH is the sovereign of the earth, commander of the waters, the truest of witnesses, and completely set apart from all others (Psalm 93), surely he is the most qualified to judge. And so the psalmist calls up YHWH, God of vengeance to illuminate the world with truth and execute judgment on the proud. The rhythm of the first verse underscores this prayer. It is literally, “God  vengeance YHWH God vengeance shine forth”. You get the sense that the psalmist wants God to do something about injustice. He’s angry, upset, and righteously so. The reason for his anger will be made clear in the verses that follow, but verse 2 has one word for those who will experience the wrath of God: the proud. “Repay the proud what they deserve.” Pride is the root of all sin. CS Lewis devotes a whole chapter to it in his Mere Christianity. Pride was the motivation behind the original sin of Adam and Eve, and presumably the sin of the one who tempted them, Lucifer, the light bearer, a glorious angel that fell because of pride. And so are all who would shake their fist at God and defy his prerogative to rule their lives. It is silly for the created to push back against the Creator, as futile as a toddler resisting the firm hand of a caring father. And yet this is what we do. There is a cost to doing so, the firm hand of reality will always win. Reality is stronger than our fantasies. Our fantasies include, “Did God really say…”, “You will be like God”, and “You will not surely die!” God is the judge of the earth. He has set up the moral universe in such a way that there are moral absolutes and there are unavoidable consequences when those absolutes are transgressed. This is how we experience God’s judgment everyday -- we experience the negative consequences of sin, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The psalmist will call on God to judge the most obviously wicked among us, but don’t assume that you escape his judgment because you’re a little better than them. 

3 O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?

4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.

Like the first verse, verse three features repetition for emphasis. “How long will the wicked, O LORD, How long will the wicked exult?” There is some implied frustration in those words even though we can’t tell the psalmist’s tone of voice -- anger, frustration, grief (or all of the above?) It’s no fun being a loser and when you see the bad guys celebrating wins, it’s even tougher. As the wicked gain cultural dominance, the psalmist is frustrated and angry at God’s inaction. How could He let it get this bad? How could he let them go so far? Their primary crime thus far is their words. They speak arrogantly. They claim to have certainty in things that they are just flat wrong about. The battle for ideas is the battle for words and their meanings. We live in a time where words and their meanings are constantly shifting. This is in line with deconstructionist philosophy which is now in its ascendancy. Academic ideas that make for interesting discussions can have catastrophic consequences in a culture and we are experiencing that in the west now. Foundational concepts like family, marriage, man and woman are being redefined with certainty, and if you do not agree with the new orthodoxy you are the evil one. As they party with their newfound power, those who see the futility of their thinking and the deadly consequences of their beliefs are left shaking their heads: how did God allow it to get this bad? Why did he sit by as evil men gained control of our cultural institutions? Complaints like this always go to the top. If God is indeed sovereign (as Psalm 93 reminds us), then his inactivity is to blame. This is why the psalmist calls upon God to act when it comes to justice. He doesn’t ask for God’s help in securing justice, nor does he take matters into his own hands. He simply complains, laying out his frustrations and anger for God to deal with. To this point, all the wicked have done is talk. They have used lies to advance their agenda, and as we will see, these have had deadly consequences. 

5 They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.

6 They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;

7 and they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

The lies that spring from pride and arrogance have real world consequences. The psalmist may be speaking of national enemies in verse 5 who are “crushing God’s people and afflicting his inheritance.” “Inheritance” is a sweet word to describe God’s relationship to his people. They are his possession, they are what he gets in the end. All things belong to YHWH but his most treasured possession is his people. Hence the frustration on the part of the psalmist to see God’s people crushed by their enemies and the enemies of God. Why doesn’t he protect his inheritance? For that matter, why isn’t something done about the way the wicked treat the innocent. They kill the widow, the stranger, and the orphan -- three of the most marginalized groups in society. In a patriarchal society, the widow and orphan do not have a man to defend them against the strong. The stranger, foreigner, or person passing through doesn’t have the legal standing as a citizen to demand any rights. They are at the mercy of those in power and they have no recourse, other than to YHWH. We see all of this playing out today in the west. With a utilitarian view of life, we allow men and women to die alone while some argue that we should speed their passing as an act of mercy. The illegal immigrants are used by members of both political parties to gain power. The left imagines that they will gain their votes while the right uses them as a means to arouse anger and turn people out to vote. Meanwhile, the illegals are trapped in a black market economy from which they cannot escape. And perhaps worst of all, the wicked murder the fatherless. Without a father to protect, children are more likely to be abused. Statistically, children are most likely abused by a live-in boyfriend. A genuine father would never harm his children. Fatherless children, generally speaking, are behind their peers in practically every measure of well-being. Father’s matter a great deal. Another category of fatherless children are those whose lives are snuffed out by abortion. All of this takes place while those in charge confidently assert that God doesn’t see, doesn’t know, and doesn’t care. After all, “the fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” Atheism, whether philosophical or practical, always leads inevitably to the same place, a large pile of dead bodies. For that matter, all temptation to sin begins in the same place, “God doesn’t know. He doesn’t see. He doesn’t care.” This is what we tell ourselves before we do the deed. That is our boast and when we fall into the same thinking as the wicked, we share the same consequences and the same victims -- women, children, and the others whom we consider less than us. 

8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?

9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?

10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—

The psalmist inserts some wisdom into the psalm at this point. He seems to be exasperated at the silly people who think that they are gods themselves. We see plenty of fools today leading our culture. They believe they have the freedom to remake themselves and the world in their image. They think they can deconstruct marriage, virtue, morality, and even what it means to be male and female and there will be no negative consequences. In fact, they think such deconstruction will be an improvement. They are so smart that they are confident in rejecting the accumulated wisdom of the ages (not to mention the counsel of God) that they believe they must destroy everything and follow their feelings above all else. As usual, it is the innocent that suffer, the children that are made fatherless by parents who forsook their vows to one another. Having called them fools for doing so, the psalmist makes an argument for the existence of a judge who will hold them to account. The argument is from creation. Consider your ear -- how amazing is hearing? Consider your eyes -- vision is incredible! Explaining these amazingly intricate and complex biological devices as accidents of evolution takes a lot of faith. There is a creator, and if there is a creator, surely there is a judge. In addition to the evidence from creation, there is the evidence from history. Look at the rise and fall of nations. Does it not show you that there are consequences for rejecting the truth of God?  Empires rise and fall. Countries remain in squalor and corruption for centuries while others thrive with a more virtuous populace and a system of government that takes into account the reality of God and the reality of human nature. Learn from history, learn from creation -- there is a judge who sees all, hears all, and has a historical track record of disciplining nations. This then is a call to repentance before the judge comes. There is still an opportunity for the fool to experience grace. Come to your senses. Open your eyes and ears to reality.

11 the LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. [Septuagint they are futile]

12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law,

13 to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.

While man pretends to be oblivious to the reality of God, YHWH is quite aware of their thoughts. Even the wisest of the rebellious are fools because they have missed the obvious. The psalmist says that the thoughts of men, the plans, purposes and proposals of humans are but a breath, a vapor that comes to nothing. Paul quotes this line in 1 Corinthians 3:20, changing the word “man” [adam] to “the wise” as in  “The LORD knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” In this context he states that the wisdom of the world is foolishness in God’s sight. Paul might as well be referring to the entire psalm as it depicts the ascendancy of the wicked and the havoc they bring, only to be swiftly and ultimately judged by the Avenger. If the plans and purposes of man are nothing, then why do you invest so much time and effort being concerned about them? Following politics, getting wrapped up in the ups and downs of polling -- these are distractions to keep us from enlisting with our sovereign in his great plan. For those that do align themselves with YHWH’s torah there is the promise of rest, literally “quiet”. YHWH disciplines nations (vs. 10) and he also disciplines individuals. Hebrews 12 also speaks of the blessing of discipline. It is a mark of sonship, a sign of love from a parent who wants the best for their children. God disciplines by teaching us from his torah, establishing healthy boundaries and prescribing behavior that results in rest for the soul. The person who lives within the boundaries and commands of the law will have rest from trouble for the remainder of their lives, even as they watch the wicked be buried in the grave. What is it that you wish to teach me today? What discipline do I need? What instruction from your law am I missing? I don’t want my plans today to be but a breath, my actions meaningless. The significance of what I do today will ultimately be measured with how it aligns with your plans and purposes. 

14 For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;

15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

There have been times in Israel’s history where it seemed as though God had abandoned them. At various times they were defeated in battle, carried away into captivity, and for a time it actually felt like history would end for them as a people. They would be absorbed by their conquerors and cease to exist as an ethnic group. At one point, the nation that once numbered in the millions was down to 5,000. And yet, God did not forsake them or abandon them. The psalmist is confident that justice will return to the righteous (those that remain faithful), and all of the upright in heart will follow righteousness (justice). This is just another example of how the Jewish faith is infused with hope, and its successor, Christianity is the same. No matter how bad things get, there is confidence that we are not alone and things are going to turn around. While the faith is pessimistic about the nature of man, it is optimistic about the nature of God. And because of that, there is hope for the future. God will get involved. He will turn things around. The present is not the future. When I envision justice returning to the righteous, I see the faces of children who have gotten a bad deal. Unfortunately there are a lot of them. Broken homes, abuse, poverty -- childhood can be hard enough without all of these things on top of it. Justice is when these lives are mended by the power of the gospel. 

16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17 If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

The psalmist gets personal here, moving to the first person singular voice. He asks who rises up on his behalf against the wicked and evildoers? Is there anyone that will defend him and give him the satisfaction of justice? The answer is implied in the following verse, YHWH was his help. And without YHWH, his soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. This is most likely a euphemism for death. The dead do not speak, act, or make noise of any kind. Death is the silencing of everything. The dramatic, last minute rescue the psalmist experienced is the story of many who have learned that God can be trusted. As the saying goes, the LORD’s timing is always perfect but seldom early. If YHWH hadn’t helped me I would be dead. I’ve no doubt that God has preserved my life to this point for some reason. I don’t know why God calls others home at a younger age. (That’s going to be one of my first questions for heaven). But surely I am alive only by the grace and pleasure of God. If God has helped me stay alive up to this point, he must have a purpose for me. It behooves me to fully embrace that purpose and live for him with all I’ve got. But God’s rescue has not been merely physical, preserving my life, he has also preserved my soul. At any point I could walk away from everything. The temptation is there, the struggle is real, but God has kept me faithful. He has been my help, the guardian of my soul. I haven’t experienced the injustice from human enemies that the psalmist describes, but I have had attacks from the enemy, and God has risen up and stood against them for me. He has done this quite literally in Jesus Christ. 

18 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.

19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

What sweet verses in the midst of a psalm about vengeance. Verse 18 is literally “When I said, ‘I’m falling’, your hesed YHWH held me up.” This is another picture rescue, not necessarily from enemies but from oneself. The metaphor of walking is a familiar one in scripture, signifying one’s lifestyle and daily actions. In the course of life, we can stumble for many reasons -- obstacles in our way, a difficult path, lack of attention, physical weakness, others on the path attempting to trip us -- there are lots of ways to fall. But when we do, the LORD is there to hold us up, catch us with his strong arms and see that we take the next steps. It is God’s steadfast love that proves to be the strong support we need. Knowing that we are loved even when we don’t deserve it, understanding that YHWH has committed to loving you no matter what, knowing that all of God’s promises are “yes and amen.” He will never leave or forsake you. He is your walking companion. You’ll never fall if you’re walking next to him. He’s got quick reflexes to keep you from tumbling. Verse 19 is literally, “In the multitude of anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul.” Anxieties are our worries. The things that plague our minds -- all of the “what ifs”. I’ve had my share of anxieties in life as has every human being. We worry about things from our earliest days of self-consciousness. From the physical, “How am I going to have enough things to live?” to the psychological “Do people like me? Do I have what it takes to _________?” If you take a moment to list all your worries, no doubt it would be a long list, and one that is continually growing the more you think about it. With all of these anxieties piling up within me, it is God’s comfort that delights my soul.The word “delight” is from the root word, “to smooth over”. It is used elsewhere for one delighting in the law of the LORD. Isaiah prophesies that the child will delight (play) over the hole of the cobra. To stretch the metaphor a bit, God’s consolation is playful for my soul. It is the delight of a child to have no cares in the world. The only season of life when we are not plagued with anxiety is when we are small children. We don’t care what others think, we just delight in the present. This kind of delight is what the Lord’s comfort brings. It reminds me of what Jesus said about walking alongside him, yoked together, finding rest (delight?) for one’s soul. 

20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame [Or fashion] injustice by statute?

21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. [Hebrew condemn innocent blood]

The literal Hebrew reading of these verses is: “Shall the throne of iniquity which devises evil by law fellowship with you? They gather together against the soul of the righteous and innocent blood condemn.” The answer to that rhetorical question is an emphatic “no!” Through all of history and up to the present there have been thrones and laws that have legislated evil. They are not unique to Bible times even though we think that we’ve pretty much arrived here in western civilization. People on both sides of the political aisle argue that we have outright evil people in leadership and we have laws that devise injustice, the latest being the claim of systemic injustice. As long as humans are in charge there will be evil leaders and laws that are unjust. That’s bad enough, but it gets worse. These leaders and their laws target the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent. This is now very close to home. There is, in fact, in western civilization a war against religious faith which is seen as subversive to the state and to the modern worldview. It is an authority that must yield to the authority of the state and to the zeitgeist. On the frontlines are private business people who are being compelled to use their creative abilities to promote ideas they disagree with. Churches are being told they may not gather. Teachers are told to teach the 2+2=5 concept that women can become men if they believe hard enough. There are severe consequences for disobedience. And the innocent blood of tens of millions of unborn children are crying out from the grave, condemned to death by systemic injustice. God has nothing to do with this kind of rule, even as such rulers invoke his name to justify their actions. There can be no allegiance or alliance with a throne of iniquity and the unjust laws it creates. For this reason, be careful of political alliances that may put you at odds with the government of God.

22 But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.

23 He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.

This is how the psalmist responds to the unjust alliance of power and evil in the world that condemns the innocent. He makes the LORD his stronghold, God the rock of his refuge. He trusts that there is a deeper justice at work (like the deeper magic in The Chronicles of Narnia). That justice is the face that the iniquity of the wicked is turned back on them. There is an inherent justice built into the system whereby those who perpetrate evil will have evil done to them. In other words, the wicked always lose. The bad guys always get it in the end for sure they suffer through all of life because they do not know God, that is a punishment in itself. The psalmist is confident because he has the LORD. No matter what injustice he might experience, he is on the winning side, the LORD’s side. The overwhelming victory of the LORD is so certain that it is stated twice, something of an exclamation point on the final verse of the psalm, using three lines instead of the usual two. As you face injustice of any kind and as you work with people who are experiencing injustice, the good news is that the LORD is our stronghold and rock of refuge. We are not alone and we are unbeatable. In the warfare of the ancient near east, a good stronghold could be the difference between victory and defeat. If you can hold out in a fortress long enough it’s game over. The attacker will give up and move on. Find strength in the LORD and in his presence. Don’t surrender.