Psalm 58
Psalm 58
Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.
Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!
Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.
The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
I am not much for the harsh realities of passages like this. I find it hard to wish violence on anyone.
But I think this passage is about more than judgment. It is about justice. It is about the justice that God has established since the beginning of time. He demands justice by holding us accountable by His Law.
Truly, if all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) then we must realize that God does indeed judge the Earth. We are guilty, one and all.
I guess that's why I struggle with verses like this. Some days I struggle with my guilt and forget to remember that Jesus is my righteousness and it is not dependent on anything I do (praise Him!). And when I forget His salvation it is easy to feel the weight of my sin and feel that I too, deserve to be swept away....
But my Savior wants to remind me (and perhaps you too) that this simply isn't true. He has granted us eternal life through His death on the Cross. He has put to death the demands of the Law and brought justice to everyone who believes in Him and accepts His sacrifice. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Today and everyday we can rest in our reward - the righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This passage may be more difficult to write/think about, but it reminds us that He is the final Judge. He will hold everyone accountable. It reminds us that we all fall short of His glory. But more than that, it is a beautiful reminder that He has made a way for everyone who calls on Jesus' name. He has freed us and rewarded us through the righteousness of His Son and our Savior.
Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.
Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!
Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.
The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
I am not much for the harsh realities of passages like this. I find it hard to wish violence on anyone.
But I think this passage is about more than judgment. It is about justice. It is about the justice that God has established since the beginning of time. He demands justice by holding us accountable by His Law.
Truly, if all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) then we must realize that God does indeed judge the Earth. We are guilty, one and all.
I guess that's why I struggle with verses like this. Some days I struggle with my guilt and forget to remember that Jesus is my righteousness and it is not dependent on anything I do (praise Him!). And when I forget His salvation it is easy to feel the weight of my sin and feel that I too, deserve to be swept away....
But my Savior wants to remind me (and perhaps you too) that this simply isn't true. He has granted us eternal life through His death on the Cross. He has put to death the demands of the Law and brought justice to everyone who believes in Him and accepts His sacrifice. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Today and everyday we can rest in our reward - the righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This passage may be more difficult to write/think about, but it reminds us that He is the final Judge. He will hold everyone accountable. It reminds us that we all fall short of His glory. But more than that, it is a beautiful reminder that He has made a way for everyone who calls on Jesus' name. He has freed us and rewarded us through the righteousness of His Son and our Savior.
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe...(Romans 3:20-22).
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