Psalms 7
Psalms 7:1-17 (NLT)
1 A psalm of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin. I come to you for protection, O LORD my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!
2 If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice,
4 if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause,
5 then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. Interlude
6 Arise, O LORD, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice!
7 Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high.
8 The LORD judges the nations. Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most High!
9 End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God.
10 God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.
11 God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.
13 He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.
14 The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies.
15 They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves.
16 The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.
17 I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
In declaring God’s righteous nature, there is an embracing of that very nature. David acknowledges the necessity of his own following in the way of righteousness to qualify for God’s protection, but in the recognition of this, he is also committing to its way and calling on God to declare him so. There is the conditioning of the heart that takes place in this process, the preparations for boldly accessing the protection that is only found in the presence of the Lord.
While we have received righteousness as a free gift in Christ, the One who has given it is no less despising of wickedness and evil. He has not let go of His strong opposition to it. The purpose of this precious gift, then, isn’t to somehow devolve Himself of even noticing what is done from the point of its reception. He desires for there to be a heart change in those who receive Him that disallows any unrighteousness from a heart that is passionate to know and serve Him. Because of this, there can be value for those who intend to care for this righteousness to follow David’s example in declaring the holy nature of God and His hatred for all unrighteousness. In this declaring will also be an embracing of the work of the cross that only Jesus and His perfection could fulfill. His reason for laying down His own life as the spotless lamb will be effective in producing the actions that would complete His intended purpose.