Psalm 94 Lessons Regarding What Jesus Offers When the Wicked Rule Over You and Seek to Oppress Believers With Evil
Introduction: Here, the psalmist cried out to God because wicked rulers were oppressing God’s people. Through this psalm, the Bible reveals seven things that Jesus offers you when you live under the oppression of wicked rules. These include His: (1) deliverance, (2) omniscience, (3) guidance, (4) protection, (5) faithfulness, (6) loving comfort, and (7) justice.
First, the psalmist cried out for God to judge the Jews’ wicked rulers. He wanted God to deliver His people without delay. When you are attacked, you can also put your hope in the promise of Jesus’ future deliverance. Second, the psalmist lamented the misguided belief of his wicked rulers that they could embrace evil without God noticing. Jesus is all-knowing, and no evil will escape His sight. Third, the psalmist called those who reject God’s discipline and instruction both “stupid” and “foolish”. Out of love for you, Jesus uses His all-knowing power to protect you. Fourth, in a contrast to the wicked, the psalmist promised blessings for those who accept God’s discipline and protection. When you are attacked and when you place your trust in Jesus, He also offers His protection. Fifth, despite feeling great turmoil, the psalmist trusted in God’s faithfulness. When you feel that you are under attack, you can also trust in Jesus’ faithfulness. Sixth, even though the psalmist was undergoing a great trial, he found comfort because he placed his trust in God. When you place your trust in Jesus, He will also bless you with His loving comfort. Finally, the psalmist warned that those who reject God will one day face His justice and judgment. Through faith in Jesus, He promises to take the judgment that every believer would otherwise receive. He will become a refuge for all who make Him their Lord and Savior.
1. Deliverance: Turn to Jesus When You Need Deliverance. Ps.94:1-3.
Turn to God when you are under attack and in need of deliverance. At a time when wicked rulers oppressed the Jews, the psalmist cried out for God to judge the evil rulers: “1 Lord, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, judge of the earth,
pay back retribution to the proud. 3 How long, Lord, shall the wicked— How long shall the wicked triumph?” (Ps. 94:1-3). Here, the enemy was internal: “Israel is suffering oppression - not, however, from foreign enemies, but from domestic tyrants (vers. 4-6). Innocent blood is shed; the widow and the orphan are trodden down. God, it is supposed, will not see or will not regard (ver. 7). The psalmist, therefore, cries out to God to manifest himself by taking [His] vengeance on the evil doers (vers. 1, 2). Verse 1. - O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth (comp. Deuteronomy 32:35, ‘To me belongeth vengeance and recompence;’ and Jeremiah 51:56, where God is called ‘the Lord God of reeompences,’ as he is here - literally – ‘the Lord God of vengeances’). O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself; or, ‘shine forth’ - make thy justice to appear; show thyself in thy character of a God who will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7).”1Leave vengeance to God. The psalmist cried out: “1 Lord, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth!” (Ps. 94:1). Vengeance belongs to God alone (Dt. 32:35; Ps. 94:1-2, 16, 23; Ro. 12:17, 19; Heb. 10:30). ‘“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.’” (Lev. 19:18). God wants you to turn to Him alone for your deliverance.
Turn to Jesus to deliver you from evil and right the wrongs against you2
Trust God when evil feels ramped. The psalmist cried out: “3 How long, Lord, shall the wicked— How long shall the wicked triumph?” (Ps. 94:3). David also at times confessed his anxiety stemmed from his enemy’s successes and his feeling of humiliation: “How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” (Ps. 13:2b). David frequently cried out when his enemies oppressed him: “I will say to God my rock, ‘Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”’ (Ps. 42:9). This same cry appears in the book of Revelation: “9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?”’ (Rev. 6:6-10). When you feel attacked, God also wants you to cry out to Him for relief and deliverance.
Be patient for God’s timing. God will avenge and deliver His people. But this will happen in His timing. To build your faith, God wants you to be patient during your trials: “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (Jam. 5:8). “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” (Lk. 21:19). When you face a trial, be patient if God does not immediately respond and trust in His timing.
Praise God for His deliverance. As our example, David always praised God for his deliverance: “I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.” (Ps. 144:9-10). “He rescues me from my enemies; You indeed lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from a violent man . . . He gives great deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” (Ps. 18:48, 50; 2 Sam. 22:51). “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.” (Ps. 140:7). “The LORD is their strength, and He is a saving defense to His anointed.” (Ps. 22:8). “Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your words.” (Ps. 119:161). “Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies.” (Ps. 119:157). “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18). When God delivers you, do you also give Him the full credit?
Jesus’ model prayer included a petition for deliverance. In His model prayer for believers, Jesus also urged believers to include a daily request for deliverance: ‘“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” (Matt. 6:13). This is also His prayer for believers: “I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one.” (Jo. 17:15). Are you praying for God’s daily protection?
Praise Jesus as your deliverer. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would bring good news and deliver God’s people: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord anointed me to bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to captives and freedom to prisoners;” (Is. 61:1). Jesus quoted from this prophecy to reveal that it referred to Him (Lk. 4:17-18; Matt. 11:4-5). David also prophesied that the Messiah who would free the oppressed: “You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” (Ps. 2:9). The New Testament confirms that David was referring to Jesus: “And He shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father;” (Rev. 2:27). Jesus will one day come to judge evil: “Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;” (2 Thess. 2:8). “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” (Rev. 19:15). Jesus again deserves your praise for delivering you from evil.
2. Omniscience: Trust Jesus to Watch Over You and Protect You. Ps. 94:4-7.
No evil can escape God’s all-knowing eyes. The wicked rulers denied Yahweh’s sovereignty over their lives and that God would take notice of their actions: “4 They pour out words, they speak arrogantly; all who do injustice boast. 5 They crush Your people, Lord, and afflict Your inheritance. 6 They kill the widow and the stranger and murder the orphans. 7 They have said, ‘The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob perceive.”’ (Ps. 94:4-7). These verses reveal four signs of evil: “The first thing noted about the wicked is their words. They speak defiant, insolent things and they boast in themselves. Conversely, a mark of the righteous is their humble, gracious speech … The next thing noted about the wicked is their actions against God’s people, those who are His heritage. They destroy them (break in pieces) and afflict them. Conversely, a mark of the righteous is their love for God’s people … The third thing noted about the wicked is their attack against the weak and disadvantaged, extending even to murder. Conversely, a mark of the righteous is their care for the weak and disadvantaged … The fourth thing about the wicked is their ignorance and arrogance toward God. They deny that He exists in the manner that He is revealed in the Bible. This ignorance of God leads to a deluded arrogance toward Him.” (David Guzik on Ps. 94).3
No sin can be concealed before the omniscient Creator. God is omniscient (all-knowing). This includes the Father (Ps. 147:5), the Son (Jo. 16:30), and the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10). Like David, Job also declared that God is infinitely wise and knows each person’s actions: “For His eyes are upon the ways of a person, and He sees all his steps.” (Job 34:21). Solomon also proclaimed that nothing could be hidden from God: “then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know—for You alone know the hearts of all mankind—” (1 Kgs. 8:39). “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” (Prov. 15:3). “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”’ (2 Chr. 16:9 (a)). “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their wrongdoing concealed from My eyes.” (Jer. 16:17; Ps. 130:3). “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we must answer.” (Heb. 4:13). Are you living life knowing that nothing is hidden from God?
Praise Jesus for using His omniscience to guide and help you. In His perfect knowledge, Jesus has given you His Word to guide your steps: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105). If you study the Word, the Holy Spirit can then cause you to remember it to light the right path for you: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” (Jo. 14:26). You can trust that Jesus uses His perfect knowledge out of love to protect and guide you: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5). “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Ps. 37:5). “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Ps. 62:8). “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” (Is. 12:2). Are you trusting in Jesus and praising Him for watching over you, guiding you, and answering your prayers?
3. Guidance: Turn to Jesus for Guidance and Wisdom. Ps. 94:8-11.
Only fools ignore the wisdom and guidance that God offers through His Word. The psalmist called those who ignore God’s instruction and discipline “stupid” and “foolish”: “8 Pay attention, you stupid ones among the people; and when will you understand, foolish ones? 9 He who planted the ear, does He not hear? Or He who formed the eye, does He not see? 10 He who disciplines the nations, will He not rebuke, He who teaches mankind knowledge? 11 The Lord knows human thoughts, that they are mere breath.” (Ps. 94:8-11). Relying upon yourself may appear to others as a sign of strength. But it is foolishness in God’s eyes. He wants you to turn to Him for guidance and instruction.
Don’t rely on your own understanding. In the New Testament, Paul in part quoted from Psalm 94:11 to warn against relying upon your own intellect or understanding: “and again, ‘The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” (1 Cor. 3:20). “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.” (Ro. 1:21). “There is no wisdom, no understanding, and no plan against the LORD.” (Prov. 21:30). God freely gives wisdom when you ask for it: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jam. 1:5). “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6). “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me.” (Ps. 51:6). If you reject God’s wisdom and instead rely upon your own understanding the result is frequently disastrous: “There is a way which seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12; 16:25).
David trusted God to direct and guide him. David made similar requests for God to guide him: “Make me know Your ways, LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; or You I wait all the day.” (Ps. 25:4-5). “Teach me Your way, LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.” (Ps. 27:11). Because David knew that he would have chosen a path leading to his destruction, he praised God for guiding his every step: “5 My steps have held to Your paths. My feet have not slipped.” (Ps. 17:5). “LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me.” (Ps. 5:8). “Establish my footsteps in Your word, and do not let any wrongdoing have power over me.” (Ps. 119:133). Solomon made a similar prayer: “then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; indeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.” (1 Kgs. 8:36). God also wants you to turn to Him to guide your every step. Trusting in your own wisdom allows your flesh to be at war with the Spirit.
Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance through the Word and prayer. David would turn to God’s Word to guide his path: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:19). The Holy Spirit will help you to remember the Word and apply it in your life. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (Jo. 14:26; 14:16; 15:26; 16:13). The Holy Spirit will also give you wisdom: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jam. 1:5). “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.” (Ps. 51:6). “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6). Are you reading the Word and praying for the Spirit to guide you?
4. Protection: Out of Love, Jesus Disciplines You to Protect You. Ps. 94:12-17.
Those who accept God’s discipline and protection will be blessed with His protection. In a contrast to the judgments for the wicked, the psalmist extolled the blessings that God offers for those who accept His discipline and protection: “12 Blessed is the man whom You discipline, Lord, and whom You teach from Your Law, 13 so that You may grant him relief from the days of adversity, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He abandon His inheritance. 15 For judgment will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. ‘16 Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for me against those who do injustice? 17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the land of silence.”’ (Ps. 94:12-17). God’s correction is designed to draw sinners back to Him: “That man is blessed, who, under the chastening of the Lord, is taught his will and his truths, from his holy word, and by the Holy Spirit. He should see mercy through his sufferings. There is a rest remaining for the people of God after the days of their adversity, which shall not last always. He that sends the trouble, will send the rest. The psalmist found succour and relief only in the Lord, when all earthly friends failed.” (Matthew Henry on Ps. 94:12).4
God disciplines those He loves. The psalmist promised a blessing for the person who accepts God’s discipline: “12 Blessed is the man whom You discipline, Lord, and whom You teach from Your Law,” (Ps. 94:12). God disciplines sinners the same way a loving father disciplines a wayward child: “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,” (2 Sam. 7:14). In a similar way, God disciplines His people out of love: “Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.” (Dt. 8:5). “It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Heb. 12:7). “But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.” (1 Cor. 11:32). If God has disciplined you, pray about how and why you have sinned. God wants you to then repent and change your ways by renewing your mind daily (Ro. 12:2). He will then bless you with protection.
God will not break His promises or forsake you when He disciplines you. Here, God stated that He would not terminate His promises because of the sins of His people: “14 For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He abandon His inheritance.” (Ps. 94:14). God also promised that He will never leave or forsake His people. “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Dt. 31:6; Heb. 13:5). God removed the kingship from Saul’s line because of his rebellion (1 Sam. 15:23). Yet, even though God would discipline David’s descendants, He promised never to forsake them or remove their right to the kingship: “but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.” (2 Sam. 7:15). Sin would, however, limit the extent of their blessing to the land of Judah: ‘“However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”’ (1 Kgs. 11:13). “So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah.” (2 Kgs. 17:18). Sin may prevent you from experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings. If you have sinned, repent, and never lose hope. But don’t engage in open rebellion and squander the fullness of His blessings for you.
Allow God to humble you so that He can also exalt you without pride. God had to humble David as a servant before He could exalt him. He did this so that David would serve without pride. He also wants you to allow Him to humble you through your suffering so that He can exalt you in heaven without any pride. “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14). “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.” (Lk. 1:52). “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (Ja. 4:10). “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,” (1 Pet. 5:6). “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5; KJV). Your suffering is one way for God to humble you. Are you staying humble so that God can later exalt you?
God is a shield to the righteous. Despite having enemies everywhere, David knew that God alone was his protection. He professed that God was his “shield,” “who saves the upright in heart.” (Ps. 7:10). He is a shield to anyone who takes refuge in Him: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. . . As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (Ps. 18:2, 30). He can also be your shield when you depend upon Him.
Praise Jesus for His protection. Jesus is also your rock. He also deserves your praise for His protection from your enemies: “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,” (2 Sam. 22:47). “My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my savior, You save me from violence.” (2 Sam. 22:3). “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” (Dt. 32:4). “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps. 18:2, 31, 46; 19:14). Do you praise Jesus for His protection in your life?
5. Faithfulness: During Your Trials, Trust in Jesus’ Faithfulness. Ps. 94:18.
God is faithful to keep His promises and protect those who trust Him. Because the psalmist placed his trust in God, He knew that God would be faithful to protect him: “18 If I should say, ‘My foot has slipped,’ Your faithfulness, Lord, will support me.” (Ps. 94:18). The word “faithfulness” referenced God’s “hesed” (חֶסֶד) covenant love. It is also translated as mercy (NKJ) and love (NIV). “The psalm moves from the initial cry to God in the distress to a comforting confidence that God will destroy the wicked and restore righteousness. The source of this confidence is the nature of the LORD, the covenant God.” (Allen Ross on Ps. 94).5
During your trials, place your trust in Jesus’ faithfulness6
During your trials, trust that the enemy can never prevent the fulfillment of God’s Word. The palmist had no reason to doubt God’s many promises. There is nothing that the enemy can do to prevent God’s Word from being fulfilled: “Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass.” (Josh. 21:45). “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel in accordance with everything that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.” (1 Kgs. 8:56). ‘“I declared the former things long ago, and they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.”’ (Is. 48:3). God’s many promises to you are also irrevocable. But you need to learn God’s Word in order to trust in His promises.
Jesus the Rock of your salvation and Lord over all is faithful to keep His promises. The psalmist proclaimed God as the Rock of the Jews’ salvation. “For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God,” (Ps. 18:31). “He alone is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken.” (Ps. 62:2). These proclamations all foreshadowed Jesus: “and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:4).
Give thanks that Jesus’ faithfulness is not dependent on your faithfulness. God could have revoked His blessings upon the Jews for their rebellions. But God remained faithful, even when the Jews rebelled against Him (Neh. 9:18-19). He remained faithful to His promise to never forsake the Jews: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Dt. 31:6; 4:31; Heb. 13:5). ‘“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”’ (Is. 43:25). You can also give thanks that His faithfulness is not conditioned upon your faithfulness: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13). Have you given thanks that God will not use your sins to revoke His promises to you?
6. Loving Comfort: During a Trial, Jesus Offers Love and Comfort. Ps. 94:19.
Those who trust in God will also receive His loving comfort. Even though the psalmist was under great stress, he found comfort because he placed his trust in God: “19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.” (P. 94:19). God offers His comfort to you through the Spirit: “How sweet are the comforts of the Spirit! Who can muse upon eternal love, immutable purposes, covenant promises, finished redemption, the risen Saviour, his union with his people, the coming glory, and such like themes, without feeling his heart leaping with joy?” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 94:19).7
During your trials, turn to Jesus to find His comfort8
Cry out to God when you are in need. The psalmists began many of their psalms with similar requests for God to hear their cries: “A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.” (Ps. 4:1). “I have called upon You, for You will answer me, God; incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.” (Ps. 17:6). “Hear, LORD, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me.” (Ps. 27:7). “Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be a rock of strength for me, a stronghold to save me.” (Ps. 31:2). “Listen to my prayer, God; and do not hide Yourself from my pleading.” (Ps. 55:1). “A Psalm of David. Hear my cry, God; give Your attention to my prayer.” (Ps. 61:1; 142:6). “Incline Your ear, Lord, and answer me;” (Ps. 86:1). “Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry!” (Ps. 88:2).
True love and compassion comes from Jesus. Jesus is the source of true love: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 Jo. 4:7-8). “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 Jo. 4:16). When you serve Him, you learn to love others: “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;” (1 Jo. 3:11). “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (Jo. 15:12). God the Father also showed His love for us through His willingness to give up His only son Jesus (Jo. 3:15). If you truly love Jesus, you will want to show His love to others in need.
Show the same compassion and comfort that God offers you to others. God offers you His comfort when you are feeling pain or sadness: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4; 7:6). God in turn asks you to be kind and compassionate toward others: “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;” (Col. 3:12; Eph. 4:32). If a believer sees another person in need and closes his or her heart to that person, the Bible asks: “how does the love of God remain in him?” (1 Jo. 3:17; Jam. 2:16; Dt. 15:7). When someone around you is hurting, offer them the same compassion and comfort that God offers you.
7. Justice: Trust Jesus to Bring Judgment Upon the Wicked and Offer You Refuge For The Judgment You Would Otherwise Deserve. Ps. 94:20-23.
Those who rebel against God will one day face His judgment. While God will one day judge rulers who reject Him and embrace evil, He will protect those who trust Him: “20 Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, one which devises mischief by decree? 21 They band themselves together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has been my refuge, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He has brought back their injustice upon them, and He will destroy them in their evil; the Lord our God will destroy them.” (Ps. 94:20-23). These verses refer to Satan’s evil end time reign: “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, .... antichrist affects to be; who may well be called ‘the throne of iniquity’, since the dragon, the old serpent, and Satan, gave him his power, seat, or throne, and great authority: his coming is after the working of Satan, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness; he sits and enacts, practices and countenances, all manner of iniquity; he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as if he was God; he claims all power in heaven and in earth; takes upon him to dispense with the laws of God and men, and makes new laws, and binds the consciences of men with them; . . :” (Gil’s Commentary on Ps. 94:20).9
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. Those who do Satan’s work (i.e, the “throne of destruction” (Ps. 94:20) have no fellowship with God: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 Jo. 1:6). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:7; 2:5). “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” (Ecc. 12:13; Ps. 111:10; 1 Sam. 12:24). Solomon defined the fear of the Lord as “hating” evil (Prov. 8:13). Solomon was the wisest and richest man to ever live (1 Kgs. 3:12, 4:30; 10:23). “I said to myself, ‘Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”’ (Ecc. 1:16). Yet, without the fear of God, his wisdom, knowledge, and wealth did not prevent him from descending into covetousness, rebellion and idolatry. His life is a warning to all believers. Unless you cling to Jesus, knowledge, wisdom, and wealth cannot save you from drifting in your walk from Him.
Jesus will reign with justice and righteousness. Jesus is our righteous judge (2 Tim. 4:8). “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (Jo. 5:30). “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.” (Jo. 8:16). While David, Solomon, and Israel’s other kings sinned, Jesus never will. His reign will be perfect, just, and righteous. “1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding . . . with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the humble of the earth; . . . 5 Also righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the belt around His waist.” (Is. 11:1-5). “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.” (Is. 9:7; 16:5). “Behold, a king will reign righteously, and officials will rule justly.” (Is. 32:1). ‘“Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.”’ (Jer. 23:5; Is. 24:15; 42:4; Zech. 9:9-10). He will judge evil and deliver His people. Thus, every ruler who rejects the authority of God’s Word should repent and return to Him.
On the day of judgment, Jesus will provide refuge for His people. The psalmist declared: “22 But the Lord has been my refuge, and my God the rock of my refuge.” (Ps. 94:22). “The LORD will also be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble;” (Ps. 9:9). As a righteous judge, Jesus should judge all believers: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Ro. 3:23; Ecc. 7:20). But “He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Pet. 2:24). All that is required is that you accept Him as your Lord and Savior (Jo. 3:16). “In him, even in him alone, we find safety, let the world rage as it may; we ask not aid from man, but are content to flee into the bosom of omnipotence.” (Charles Spurgeon Ps. 94:22).10 Thus, He is worthy of your praise and worship. He died on the cross to spare you from the judgment you would have received.
Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 3 (90-150), Kregel Academic (2016) p. 108.↩︎
Image credit: Psalm 94:18 - Bible verse (KJV) - DailyVerses.net↩︎