Trusting in the Righteousness of God, Psalm 7

1 O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, 2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

David is dealing with enemies that are wounding his soul… and he feels all alone. He does’t seem to be wrestling with physical harm, instead he is writing about the kind of hurt that goes deep into the heart and soul of a person. This is the kind of hurt that is inflicted by the people you may have least expected it. And, in cases like this it’s a hurt that is undeserved… and that’s one of the reasons that it causes such harm.

You see it’s one thing to deal with the consequences of something that you have done, it’s altogether different when the hurt is unmerited and intentional. What I mean is that are some hurts that are unintentional… but David is writing from the experience of hurt and harm that comes undeserved, but that is purposeful and meant to harm. In fact, he says there are those who are pursuing him with evil intentions.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, 4 if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, 5 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

David is dealing with false accusations… but he is also humble and turns to the Lord. He turns to the Lord and says if I have done what my enemy has done, then let my soul and life be trampled into the dust.

This helps us to see what David is dealing with, and we see two things:

First, David turns to the Lord with his struggle rather than seeking revenge. And Second, David believes in his innocence and that God knows the truth.

Not only does he turn to the Lord to check his own heart… He places the both his and his enemies outcome in the hands of the Lord.

6 Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. 7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. 8 The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. 9 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!

David calls upon God to do what is just by vindicating the innocent and punishing the wicked. His hope is in the righteousness of God. David doesn’t mean that he isn’t a sinner. David confesses his sin throughout the entirety of the Psalms. David is simply declaring that in this situation he hasn’t done anything wrong.

David knows that God is the judge of all men… and that means that God doesn’t just judge his enemies, it means that God judges him too.

David’s cry for judgement helps us to see that the Bible directs our attention to two kind of justice. I came across this in my study this week. James Montgomery Boice points out that Christians today are prone to think about ultimate or heavenly justice, but that jews were more prone to think about earthly justice. He rightly asserts that Christians tremble at the thought of God’s judgment because we know that because of sin we are not innocent before God. Our only hope is the atoning sacrifice of Christ. The Jew however, and remember that would be the view of David, desires justice. Boice (and CS Lewis) points out that where we as Christians view ourselves as he defendant who is looking for a pardon, David would have viewed himself as he plaintiff who is yearning for a victory with damages to be incurred by the enemy.

This means that we need to continue to consider the eternal and ultimate justice that is demonstrated on the cross. But, we also need to recognize the need for earthly justice… and to see here that God is concerned with it as well.

God’s concern for justice now, and in eternity, means:

We need to pursue personal righteousness

Far too many Christians, churches, and pastors spend their time pointing out the faults of the world around them without living the way God has called us to live.

We call what is good “good” and what is bad “bad”

This is as necessary today as it has ever been. Especially in light of the way our country is dividing itself over what I would call moral political lines.

In recent history our country was divided more by socio-political lines. This was back when the two major political parties divided over things like the size and role of government, economics, etc. But, today the division between our parties has become increasingly moral.

Now, you know me at this point. I don’t like to mix politics with the gospel because when you do that you get politics and not the gospel. So, I want to tread lightly here… what I would like to point out is that neither of the major parties is without issues on their platform… and neither one of them is Christian. Im not saying that there aren’t Christians in either party… I am saying that the Kingdom of God isn’t the goal of either party. Neither one is striving to see the lost saved and the church multiplied. But… there is really no denying that at the national level the Democrats and the Republicans are getting further apart and morality is at the center.

And what I mean by morality is that one party pushes the agendas of abortion, transgenderism, and what many refer to as woke ideology. Again, this doesn’t mean that the Republicans are purely righteous… I’m simply seeking to point out that one party pushes immoral and ungodly ideals as primary goals in ways the other one does not.

The moral-political tension of our country requires that we as Christians operate with wisdom and truth. It requires that we pursue righteous lives while at the same time calling what is good good and what is bad bad. It means that we may find ourselves in similar places like David. We may find ourselves doing what is right and good only to bear the attack of our enemies.

If you haven’t noticed lately, standing up of speaking up for what is right can come with a cost… and you can guard your life with your faithfulness to the Lord. I’m not advocating that you life right so you can throw grenades at others… I am simply saying that the way you live your life is one of the ways that you can guard your life.

So we must be for what is right, true, and just… and with grace and godliness we must speak the truth in love about what is wrong, bad, and sin. And as people who cry out for what is good and against what is bad we must be people who also work for the good of those facing injustice.

We must work for the good of the poor and oppressed

What’s crazy is that this statement that should met with a simple Amen… has become a phrase many pastors are afraid to say. I need to admit that just planning to say it meant I had to prepare for those who would try and label me as woke, liberal, etc. But, we can’t quit caring for those in need because of the mess that our country is in. In fact, if we would show true concern for people by sharing the gospel (eternal justice) and working for justice in the lives of people around us I think we would have an incredible impact on our culture.

But, I believe it’s time for churches to put their actions where their mouths are. Churches and Christians are known for being vocal for the poor, the oppressed, and the unborn while doing almost nothing for the people around them in their city. But, I believe that has to change, and I have been so excited by the ways God is working in your lives.

I had a member mention to me a vision to see our church ministering in under-served areas of our community. This member shared a willingness to see it happen through an incredibly generous effort when the time comes.

I had another member share a vision to be a part of caring for the forgotten and the least of these in our city. This member shared a desire to see the church leading the way in serving and caring for the people in our city.

I had a group of members talk with me one Wednesday morning about using our kitchen to serve meals for those in need throughout the year… it began with why don’t we do anything around the holidays and grew to a desire to see our church making a difference by using what we have.

I have men who talk to me about their desire for us to impact the homeless in our city. In fact, a few of them regularly come up here on Saturday mornings to cook breakfast and then drive around town and give it to the homeless men and women they can find.

I have members talk to me about their hope for our church to mobilize and make a difference in our neighborhoods and schools.

I have more and more members sharing with me the steps they are taking toward adoption and/or foster care here in Lee County, MS.

I have people tell me regularly that they are excited about the potential for our church to plant another church, that they want to go and be a part of reaching more people with the gospel.

As you can see I hear often of the ways that God is stirring in the hearts of our people to do his work, and we are working and praying to take those steps to be that church… so as those moments come, make sure to take advantage of them and help our church be a champion for the gospel by evangelizing and serving right here in Lee County and Tupelo, MS.

10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

David points out that God is the source of his hope and his confidence. God is not like men, God cannot be bought like a worldly decision maker. God is not influenced, He does what is right. The outcome of God’s decisions is based on His character and the integrity of the one being accused.

12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; 13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. 15 He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. 16 His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

God stands ready to make His judgment and execute His justice. It would be wrong of you to think that God will never act or that God doesn’t notice… God is portrayed truthfully as ready and prepared to judge and execute his judgment. But, we must take note of two things in this part of the Psalm:

Two things from Psalm 7:12-16

The judgment of God toward a wicked man is justified.

God’s judgment is right, but the judgment he gives is deserved. David has been falsely accused by his enemies, but God never judges falsely.

Under this same truth we need to take note that God…

God’s judgment waits for the man who does not repent.

David says in verse 12, “if a man does not repent, god will whet his sword…” The judgment of God is justified, but it can be stayed through repentance. This means that hope is not in what you have done, but in the grace and mercy of God.

Admitting your sin to the Lord and asking for forgiveness is the first step in repentance. The second step in repentance is to take actions toward righteousness. Where sin was once present, repentance replaces it with faithfulness. Repentance is turning from sin toward righteousness… It’s turning from self to God.

Not just in your mind and heart, but with your life and your actions (words)

17 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.

David praises God for His goodness and holiness, not because of his situation. This verse reminds us that our worship of God is because of who He is not because of what we are going through.

5 Truths for Application:

Jesus was falsely accused

(it’s not blasphemy if it’s true)

Jesus’ righteousness is the source of your salvation.

False accusations are one of the many hurtful and effective tools of the enemy.

These are so common today that we don’t think much of them. But consider the impact on leadership like David when people are unsure if they can trust their King?

When you make false accusations you are joining in with the enemy… there is no place for it in the kingdom of God. It is definitely they way of our current culture and climate.

Some people will say that words don’t hurt… but they do. Just look at the depth of hurt and pain that David is experiencing.

I can identify with false accusations… and I can testify to the hurt they cause. And not just for me but also for my family, I can also share that false accusations can cause people not to trust you, damage your reputation, and even impact your ability to serve the Lord. It often takes time for the truth to come out, and one of the main reasons is that the example we have been given by David, and then later with Jesus is to keep on pursuing personal faithfulness and let the Lord work it out.

I can say that the times I have tried to help it has often complicated things more than helped them.

God knows the truth, that is the source of your comfort and conviction.

The truth that God knows is a comfort

For the innocent For the saved

Whether or not you can find comfort in the Lord is a measure of your trust and faith in Him. (It’s one of the ways he matures you and grows you.)

The truth that God knows is a conviction

For the wicked For the lost

God’s righteousness is the source of our praise

Your circumstances may not change when you pray and turn your situation and enemy over the Lord. But, that doesn’t change the reality of God’s worth. His righteousness worthy of praise. God is worthy of our praise because of who He is, not because of how our situation is going.

This kind of Quotes & Commentary

The specific details of David’s problem are alluded to in the psalm’s title, which describes it as a lament sung “to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.” We have no other information about Cush, but the fact that he was from the tribe of Benjamin fits well with what we know of the opposition David faced from this tribe. David’s predecessor, King Saul, was a Benjamite. So when Saul was killed by the Philistines and David became king of Israel, a process that spanned nearly eight years, it was natural that the new king’s chief source of opposition was Saul’s tribe.

James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 60.

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