March 5, 2017 Afternoon Service: God our Righteous Judge by Pastor Josh Sheldon

time in this one psalm, and this afternoon will be our last and we'll move on after this.

Let me read the entire psalm to you. And after I read, I'll remind you how we're kind of approaching from the outer edges towards the the middle where the main thrust of it resides.

Let me read the whole psalm. And I will give you that short reminder, and as we approach this psalm, we will then read the verses individually, and I have a few comments on them.

Psalm number 7, a Shigaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush of Benjamite.

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

O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I've repaid my friend with evil, or plundered my enemy without cause, 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. Arise, O Lord, in your anger. Lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies.

Awake for me, you have appointed a judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you.

Over it return on high. The Lord judges the peoples. Judge me,

O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to the integrity that is in me. O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous, you who test the minds and the hearts.

O righteous God, my shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a

God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will wet his sword.

He has bent and readied his bow. He has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil, and is pregnant with mischief, and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. 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.

Well, we've been working, as I said, towards the center, the first two verses, and then the final verse, verses 1 to 2, and then verses 17.

Both envision this idea of giving thanks and praise to God for the shelter that he is.

God is a present shelter, and gives us room enough to quietly go to him in prayer, and God gives us, in the end of this psalm, this opportunity to give thanks after coming to him.

In verses 3 to 5, and then verses 14 to 16, excuse me, 3 to 5 and 14 to 16, we see the psalmist meditating and presenting to us this idea of sin, and the reward that it brings, which of course is not a good reward, but actually justice or recompense from God.

And this afternoon, as we finish, verses 6 through 8, verses 10 through 13, speaking of this

God to whom the psalmist flies, because he's a God of justice. He's a

God who can only do, and will only always do, what is right. So our psalmist has placed himself securely under God's care.

In you do I take refuge, he said in the first verse. He seeks God's help,

God alone, his help against his enemies. He doesn't go to God lightly. You will recall that he's carefully examined himself.

He did nothing to incite the harm that's being done against him. He doesn't deserve the slanders that are being spoken against his person.

What is being done to him by Cush the Benjamite is not recompense for anything he did to him, but proceeds only from his, from Cush's wickedness.

This one who has no concern for what is right or wrong, but has an eye only for giving unwarranted harm.

So David boldly says, if I have done this, and he goes on to list the possibilities, if I've done these things, then let the enemy have his way over me.

It's a bold position to make such a claim of innocence. God's own law for his people,

Deuteronomy 19, you'll recall from last week, says that the false accuser, once exposed as a false accuser, will receive the punishment that the one he falsely accused would have gotten had he been convicted of the false accusation.

So this afternoon we finish this psalm. David appeals to the Lord to rise up now. He is so confident of his innocence that he's willing to stand in court before the judge of all the earth as a witness, certain that no accusation against him will be found by God, this

God who tests the mind and heart. And anything said against him, he is that sure, will have no merit that he can go before this

God and say, Lord, you test me. He stands before that bar of justice with that confidence.

Arise, O Lord, in your anger and lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies. Awake for me, you have appointed a judgment.

The assumption is that God's anger and fury will be exclusively against his enemies and not the plaintiff.

Awake for me, he says, for to you I have fled and in your justice is where I take all my recourse.

Only there. He's asking God for the appointed judgment. There is no other that would be just.

Try as we might, even following God's law as best as we can, our judgments are tinged by our prejudices, by our desire for revenge.

Sin is why there must be a law at all. And sin makes our administration of it imperfect.

But remember, when David here pleads his innocence, he's not talking a perfect Christ -like like righteousness.

Remember that he's speaking my innocence against discrete acts of volition. I didn't do this thing.

But David leaves not only the judgment, but the punishment in God's hands.

He gives no suggestions as to the penalty. I mean, a district attorney in our society can ask for a harsher or more lenient punishment depending upon circumstances or where he or she might practice law.

But David stands before God not a district attorney, not a human counsel.

And so he asks only that God might act. Verse 7, let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you, over it return on high.

The Lord judges the peoples. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.

Reference here is to the final judgment. And this is the intensity with which

David pleads his innocence. And this is the confidence he has. He is speaking here of the final assembly, that great day when everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

And here David puts himself and says, judge me there, Lord. I am ready for final judgment.

I am so certain of the plea that I've made of my innocence to you. And here we see how important that claim of innocence really is.

Knowing who it is that we approach when we go to God in prayer. We spoke about that a bit this morning. That we're not just going through some rote or some rite.

That we pray because we're supposed to and we're just supposed to say these words. We pray because by the blood of Jesus Christ we stand before the throne of God.

That's how important it is. That's how intense it must be when we make this claim that we are innocent of this particular deed.

When King David foolishly counted the fighting men. Remember he threw himself on the mercy of the

Lord to determine the punishment. He was offered those three choices. And he said,

I leave myself in God's hands only. Don't let me fall into the hand of my enemies. That was then while David was obviously alive speaking to God in prayer.

Here he looks to that great day when all people will stand before his tribunal. And hear their final destiny.

That's where he is claiming his innocence. In Revelation chapter 11 verse 6 we read of this assembly.

It says we give thanks to you Lord God Almighty who is and who was. For you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

The nations raged but your wrath came. And the time for the dead to be judged. And for rewarding your servants the prophets and the saints.

And those who fear your name both small and great. And for destroying the destroyers of the earth.

Who is at the head of this court? That court in the book of Revelation. The same court that David appeals to in his innocence.

Second Corinthians 5 .10 tells us. For we must all appear at the judgment seat of Christ. So that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body.

Whether good or evil. And Jesus said very clearly that we will stand before him.

The father judges no one but has given all judgment to the son. We'll talk about this a bit more a little bit later.

He goes before this God of justice.

This God of justice. In verses 6 -8 God is seen as a wrathful judge.

In verses 10 -13. This wrathful judge is a forgiving judge. He's a forgiving judge.

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

If a man does not repent God will wet his sword. He has bent and readied his bow. He's prepared for him his deadly weapons.

Making his arrows fiery shafts. Upright in heart.

Would literally say straight of heart. A heart that is united. A heart that is on one path.

A heart that doesn't move one way or the other. Speaking of the inner man. Speaking of the transformed man.

How can this be? Jeremiah 17 .9 says that our hearts are so wicked that they're unknowable.

But David claims that God saves the upright in heart. The one who is morally straight.

How can this be? Can we put these two together? I think there's a couple of answers here for us.

The first is. Quite simply transformation. Transformation.

I'm not going to read all these verses to you. I'll just tell you quickly what these references are. And just give you a summary of what they say.

But Ezekiel 36 .26. Ezekiel 36 .26. Where God promises the new heart.

Says I will take out your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will make you obey my statutes and my laws and my judgments.

That's transformation. The heart being the inner man. God's going to take out what is there. And put in what ought to be.

Which is the heart of flesh. Jeremiah 31 .33. Speaking of I will put my law and my commandments on their heart.

And he will cause his people to walk in his statutes. Titus chapter 3 verses 4 through 7.

Says not by works of righteousness which we have done. But according to his mercy he saved us. By the washing and regeneration of the

Holy Spirit. Transformation. And of course John 3 .16.

You must be born again. Born from the inside out. Made new. Recreated.

God changes us that way. From the inside out. Giving a new heart. One that desires what God desires.

As we've been going through Romans in the morning. One thing is clear that unless we appear before God with a perfect righteousness.

We will be rejected. That's what this transformation is about. This is how

David can plead in this way. And say judge me according to the integrity that is in me.

The first answer is how we reconcile those is by transformation. God makes us new from within.

You know I said once. We were speaking about this subject some time ago. And I said it in a way that I sort of intended to catch the ear of all the reformed people who are listening to me.

Says I chose to follow Jesus. Like that. I made the choice. I decided to follow the

Lord. Of course that got everybody's attention. But what did I mean by that? What did I mean? That God transformed me.

That God in his sovereign power. In his almighty power. Through faith in Jesus Christ. Which he alone can give.

Gave me a new heart. He made a new man out of me. And you if you have the Lord Jesus Christ. So that you wanted Jesus Christ.

So if you chose Jesus Christ it's because God made you. Want to choose him. And made you able to choose him.

And made you choose him. Well that's. Not really tongue in cheek at all.

But I say it that way to get our attention. That it's all of God. That we are passive recipients.

Because of his grace. He makes everything in us.

Capable of doing that. Which he would have us to do. And if he didn't do this. If the transformation wasn't done by him.

We wouldn't be his at all. It's all of God. It's all his sovereignty and his goodness.

And his kindness. So that's the first answer. How can we reconcile this idea. Where David complete innocence in this way.

And yet. We know. What the state of man is. It's transformation. God makes us able.

To make that plea. The more important answer. The second. The more important.

Is that Jesus was judged in our place. This has been the intertwined message.

In Romans 3 through 4. The imputation. To him. To Jesus. Of our sin.

And to us of his righteousness. For our sake.

He made him to be sin who knew no sin. So that in him we might become the righteousness. Of God.

Transformation by the Holy Spirit. Working through faith. Brings to us. What we need to face

God without fear. And trembling. Because we stand clothed. In Christ's perfect righteousness.

That doesn't mean we're sinless. It doesn't mean we're perfect. Our every experience.

Every day. This morning on our way to this place. This morning. Would prove otherwise.

It means. That when we are before the judgment seat. In that final day. That our plea of not guilty.

Is confirmed. And accepted. Because it's a plea that was won for us. By God's only son.

And through the means of his death on the cross. His poured out blood. For our salvation.

Every day. He's a righteous judge who makes no errors. The evidence before him is complete.

And the sentence he gives is just. Every day. He's confronted with men.

Who are not upright in heart. Who seek to burst his bonds apart. And cast away his cords.

To borrow from Psalm 2. They're indignant against him.

Because they feel constrained by him. But see here the mercy of God. See here the mercy of God.

Every day he feels indignant. At the sin and rebellion. That is everywhere. If he is insulted and derided.

Each day. Why are there any alive? Why not send Jesus today.

Right now. And bring it all to an end. If he's indignant at our sin. At the sin all around.

Each moment. Why not end it all right now. As he did in Genesis 6.

Romans chapter 2 verse 4. But it answers this for us.

Or do you presume. On the riches of his kindness. And forbearance and patience. Not knowing that God's kindness.

And here in this context. Was God's kindness. Giving men time to repent. Not sending

Jesus right now. And bringing an end to everything. And setting all mankind's final destiny. In place.

His kindness is meant to lead you to. Repentance. Now verse 12 says.

If a man does not repent. God will wet his sword. He has bent and readied his bow. He has prepared for him his deadly weapons.

Making his arrows fiery shafts. There's a picture there.

Of the final destiny of the unrepentant. If a man will not repent. Well who is the unrepentant?

We could answer it the other way. Answer positively. Who are the repentant? The Christian. Those who have been given faith to repent.

We. If we are Christians. If we this morning are going to. With a right attitude. In a worthy manner.

Partake of these elements. In just a few moments. Primary. Amongst the qualifications for the table.

Is having repented of your sin. Repent. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. First John 1.

9 then says. That we repent. Constantly in our Christian life. This is first.

If a man does not repent. God will wet his sword. This is eternal punishment. This is a picture of hell.

Not a fully developed picture of hell and doctrine of it. As we have in the New Testament. But David's context here is the final judgment.

We can only say. That we are fair warned. Amos says. For the Lord God does nothing.

Without revealing his secret to his servants. The prophets. And right there in this psalm.

Is our warning. If a man does not repent. God will. And can I summarize what happened.

What was said after that. God will punish them. And that eternally.

That's the eternal lot of those. Who have ignored or despised. The call to repentance.

David says. If a man does not. Then this is his consequence. The opposite is true.

The opposite is just as true. If a man does repent.

If he turns from his sin. And seeks God's remedy. Which is faith in his son Jesus. As the only means of forgiveness.

Then vengeance is what? It's satisfied. God's wetted his sword.

David is still correct. But it was brought against Jesus Christ. As it says in 2

Corinthians 5 .21. I read a moment ago. He made him. Him who never was sin.

To be sin for us. He felt God's wetted sword. God's bow was bent.

And aimed and fired at him. Who stood in our place. Anger at sin.

Is a consequence of God's holiness. And so it's a necessary aftermath of sin. It doesn't just go away.

As though God would set aside his holiness. Sin must be punished. And the anger God has at sin.

Was meted out ultimately. And finally on Jesus Christ. He took on the cross. He took in his own person.

The full brunt and infinite rage. Of God his father against us. If men will but repent.

Then the fury. That is deserved. Has invented on the only one. Who did not deserve it.

Jesus the son of God. This has been one of the.

Goals of the morning. Sermons. Just trying to follow along with Paul's thought.

All the way back to chapter 3. Up to chapter 5 verse 111.

What does it mean to be able to stand. With a clean conscience before God. Does it mean that we never did anything wrong.

Well of course not. Does it mean we didn't do something wrong today. Or will tomorrow. Of course not.

It means that our iniquity. Has been covered. By the blood of the sacrificial lamb.

The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus Christ. Him as the eternal. Once for all time.

Final sacrifice. For our sins. Well let us finish.

Verse 9. Right in the center. I think this is the main point.

That this psalm has been. Moving towards. And this is why I did it the way I did. Working from the bottom and the top.

Towards the center. Oh let the evil of the wicked come to an end. And may you establish the righteous.

You who test the minds and hearts. Oh righteous God. We must all yearn for the day.

Of the Lord's return. We partake the table. It says that we declare here.

This until he comes. We do this until he comes. Even so come

Lord Jesus. Is how this whole scripture ends. We yearn for this day. When Christ will return. The day when his righteousness will be established.

Throughout all the earth. And all wickedness will be at an end. God can do this because he's able to test.

And perfectly know the mind and heart. And only the righteous will remain. When we stand before.

God's judgment bar. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. What must the judge of all the earth see.

When he turns his eye upon me. Or upon you. He must see his son.

He must see faith in his son. And to back up that faith in his son Jesus Christ.

And what he did for us on the cross. Must be a life lived. For us. A life lived for him. A life lived in obedience to his word.

A life lived where we grasp after the prize. Which is conformity to Christ. And his image. This is what he must see.

We must be clothed in his blood. And resident within. By his spirit.

And through faith in him. Must be none other than Jesus Christ. Well this is the end of Psalm 7 for us.

And next week we will. Do Psalm 8 all at once. I won't stretch it out into three weeks. And then in the afternoon series move on to.

Something else. I know I've been telling you we'll go to Hosea. I'm only about three quarters sure of that at this point.

Of my studies and my devotion time. I've kind of let my mind wander in other directions. But it will be a series within the scripture.

If we can say that. When we finish Psalm 7. How can we claim.

With the Psalmist. Innocence before God. In a way that David could only imagine.

Because if you have Jesus. If you're clothed in his blood. If your faith is in him.

And his completed. And perfect work on the cross. Which accomplished everything that we need. For salvation.

You are innocent before God. Because Jesus Christ. Stands between.

Us and him. And even now intercedes for us. Even this moment. I think one of the greatest blessings we have.

If we understand. That. The great sin that we have.

And the holiness and righteousness of God. This idea of being able to stand before God. With a clean.

Clear conscience. To look God the father. In the eyes that were. I don't mean swaggering up to him.

I mean just walking boldly to the throne of grace. And looking him and saying. Father God I am innocent.

Of crimes against you. Because. Jesus Christ. Your son.

Paid my price. And thank you father for the faith you have given me. To believe this.