Judging the Judge

Arguably, one of the most frustrating, even exasperating experiences of our human condition has to be a lack of justice. We see or hear about some injustice perpetrated upon an individual or a group of people. We bristle in disappointment. We feel that hopeless frustration when a crime is committed but no one is apprehended.

Where is justice? We ask. Worse yet, a perpetrator is caught only to be released without being charged. Where is justice? We wonder. Or an offender is charged and tried only to face an impossibly brief sentence. Where is justice, we demand? Even more maddening that justice is one of the most important things that civil government provides. Romans 13, right?

Rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. That’s why civil government exists. Governing authorities are not in place to hand out awards for good conduct, but for criminal activity. And for this, Paul issues a particular caution in Romans 13, four, if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword punishment for nothing. For it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. That’s the purpose of civil government.

Civil government has a responsibility to protect its citizenry by the punishment of evil, crime. And when they don’t perform that basic function, frustration intensifies. Where is justice? The people cry. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, knew the frustration of injustice.

Ecclesiastes 8.11, because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly. Therefore, the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

Did you hear that? If crime and criminals are not dealt with, and dealt with decisively and in a timely manner, others will soon engage in criminal activity given fully to do evil. When crime is not punished, criminal activity explodes. We saw that during the peaceful protests a few years ago, right? Crime begets crime. Where is justice? We ask. This kind of injustice can occur on a broad scale as well. Societal, international, What we might refer to as injustice against humanity, as in the case of slavery or racism or abortion. Where is justice, we lament. The prophet Habakkuk expressed his, what you can only characterize as exasperation, produced by what he perceived a lack of justice by God.

In the opening line of his prophecy, he wrote, how long, O Lord, will we call for help and you will not hear? I cry out to you, violence, yet you do not save. Why do you make me see iniquity and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me.

Strife exists and contention arises. Therefore, the law is ignored and justice is never upheld. But the wicked surrounds the righteous. Therefore, justice comes out perverted. Well, that’s a relevant complaint. Rumbling in our own hearts even today, isn’t it? The law is ignored. Justice is never upheld. That’s a cry that might go up to God after we watch the nightly news. Where is justice? We question. The reality is that this frustration is not limited to a few Old Testament writers. It’s the common experience of humanity. Frustration at the lack of justice around us. Theft. crime, murder, and that’s really where we are as a society.

The writer of Psalm 75 knew this universal frustration as well, and he speaks to it with impeccable precision. Would God’s people turn to Psalm 75 and join me as we read through this psalm. Read along with me if you would. We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks. For your name is near. Men declare your wondrous works. When I select an appointed time, it is I who judge with equity the earth and all who dwell in it melt. It is I who have firmly set its pillars, Selah. I said to the boastful, do not boast. And to the wicked, do not lift up the horn. Do not lift up your horn on high. Do not speak with insolent pride. For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation.

But God is the judge. He puts down one and exalts another. For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams. It is well mixed, and he pours out of this. Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. But as for me, I will declare it forever. I will sing praises to the God of Jacob, And all the horns of the wicked he will cut off. The horns of the righteous will be lifted up. The psalmist makes very clear here in this psalm that ultimately God is the judge. And he will judge righteously with equity, he says.

That’s one of the comforts that we have to embrace in the course of our universal exasperation with injustice in our world. Think of that strangely assuring principle in Romans 12, 19. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. God is the judge and God will judge. I will repay, he asserts. And because of that, we can be at peace knowing that one day God will exact justice on everyone for everything.

That’s also a cause for sober introspection, isn’t it? And a humble repentance. It was a fruitless excursion for me this week to try to discover the historical context of this psalm. It was almost humorous how many different suggestions were lodged, and that was such great confidence.

One commentator insisted that this psalm was written during the time of Assyria’s invasion into Jerusalem during King Hezekiah’s reign. Maybe. Still another with equal certainty maintained that it was written when David drew near to the full rulership of the kingdom.

Plausible. Still another pointed to a familiar evil figure, Antiochus Epiphanes, whom we’ve already talked about. He’s the horn that is going to be cut off by God’s judgment. Perhaps. Still another posited that it was written during a time of peace in Babylonia of all places. Curious. The fact is we don’t know. It’s just not appropriate to be too dogmatic about a particular context. We’re not told. And conjecture is not certain.

There’s no way to nail down with any absolute certainty to exactly what circumstance this psalm addressed. Because the psalm is so general, it could refer appropriately to numerous occasions in the life of God’s people, including our own. God is the judge, and he will judge with equity, How more broadly can the psalmist express it? Allow me, if you would, please, to lay out the structure of this psalm.

It’s a curious one. It breaks out into three very uneven sections. The first section, one verse. Verse one, it’s the voice of the people, all joining in unison to sing God’s praises. The second portion, verses two through five, records God’s words. I select an appointed time, he says. It is I who judge. It is I who have firmly set the earth’s pillars. And the third section, verses six through 10, is the psalmist’s declaration, what he sees and what he knows of God and how he responds to it. Three sections. And it’s all about God as judge.

Now, Israel had its judges. They were similar, though not exactly like our modern day version of judges, the judges that we know of our own day. You know well that there is an Old Testament book by that name, Judges. The judges, their office came about by a very curious means. It’s cited three times in the Book of Judges. In those days, there was no king of Israel.

Every man did what was right in his own eyes. There in the Hebrew, it really, it points to chaos is what it does. Everyone doing what was right in his own eyes. We lower standards for ourselves. It’s a recipe for disaster is what it is. Proverbs says that the way of the fool is right in his own eyes. We’re not particularly good judges of right and wrong when it comes to us. God’s people could not seem to function under an unseen God.

And so God provided his people with earthly judges, a dozen or so such figures. They functioned as those who dispensed a measure of justice, searching out and determining that which was right according to God’s law. Unfortunately, these judges were greatly flawed, even as they are in our own day. Some of these judges, Samson, Gideon, Abimelech, Jephthah, some of the worst stories recorded in scripture are tied to them. And that got me thinking. Judges are supposed to be the ultimate determiners of right and wrong. They were tasked with providing the final answer to the cases and the conundrums in society.

In our day, if we don’t like a judge’s answer, we send it to an appeals court. More judges. And if we don’t like their answer, we send it to the so-called Supreme Court. More judges. Nine in all. Well, at least nine as of this moment, because if we don’t like their decision, we can just add more judges. It made me wonder, how are judges judged? How are they evaluated? And by what standard? What are the benchmarks for the one on the bench?

What we really need is a truly supreme court. A true judge who will judge with perfect objectivity, judge in perfect righteousness, rendering perfect rulings. Well, you already know that such a court, such a judge exists. It’s no other than God’s tribunal. on which God himself sits as the supreme magistrate.

Our psalmist here seeks to present the benchmarks, the standards of evaluation for the one on the bench, God himself. How are we to evaluate God as judge? that the psalmist tells us right here in Psalm 75. Judging the judge, I’ve titled it. Benchmarks for the one on the bench. And the first thing that the psalmist tells us, he gives us a general estimation of the magistrate.

We give thanks to you, O God. We give thanks for your name is near. Men declare your wondrous works. They think very highly of the judge. The very first thing that our unknown writer provides us here is a general estimation of the magistrate, God himself, and he begins with the people of God’s expression of gratitude. It’s not just his opinion. There is a overwhelming opinion positive of this judge. We give thanks to you.

Oh, God is a sentiment that is immediately reiterated For emphasis, we give thanks to you, oh God, we give thanks. Gratitude to God ought to be the regular and prominent feature of God’s people, shouldn’t it? Not just an element of our prayers to God, but a heartfelt gratefulness to him and for him, for all that he is and all that he’s done. Thankfulness should be the foundation of our prayer life. Given the overall context of this psalm, their gratitude to God was for Him as judge.

They knew that in coming to Him, His decisions were just and right. congregation’s reference here to God’s name, your name is near, embraces who God is in His nature. If we come face to face with someone that we’ve never met, we introduce ourselves by our name. This is how we’re known. And God’s name, that by which He’s known, is His nature and character.

Psalm 102, O Lord, abide forever. Your name to all generations. God is truth. God is holy. God is just. God is good. This is an acknowledgement of all that God has, and he will act on their behalf to render justice. God has rendered justice. He will continue to render perfect justice. And his people’s response is appropriate and I would say expected to declare his wondrous works.

These works refer not so much here to miracles as they do to God’s righteous judgments in his work of redemption. Well, don’t we have something to declare? Instead of judging us and finding us exceedingly guilty as we were because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross and our trust in it, God declares us righteous, justified in His sight. We’re called to declare that good news. Well, And as would only be reasonable, in judging the judge, we should hear from him on this matter.

How do you believe that you have performed, judge? What do you think of your performance? And that’s essentially what the psalmist does here is yield and quote In the second section of this Psalm, verses two through five, God’s testimony on his own behalf. Benchmarks for the one on the bench, not only a general estimation of the magistrate, but a personal declaration by the magistrate, verses two through five.

As I mentioned a moment ago, these are God’s words. He is the witness on the stand on his own behalf. He’s giving testimony to his efforts as judge. And it’s almost as if we are dropped into the midst of his testimony. It seems as if God’s personal declaration as a magistrate has been going on now for some time. We just catch a portion of it.

It’s almost as if his statement here in verses two and three is in response to a question. or a series of questions about when and how, as a magistrate, he will exercise his role as such. When are you going to show up to work? To be a magistrate, one must perform that function. The magistrate speaks, whether he’s answering a question or no, He says, when I select an appointed time, I judge.

We get impatient with God, don’t we? When we see injustice, wondering when or if, he really means what he says? Is he really going to follow through? Is he really going to punish sin Habakkuk grew impatient. And we too wonder how long it’s going to be until God dispenses justice. How long are sinners gonna go unpunished for their deeds? God assured impatient Habakkuk regarding the timing of his judgment. In chapter two, he says, the vision is yet for the appointed time, speaking to Habakkuk.

It hastens toward the goal. It will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it, for it will certainly come. It will not delay. Paul, likewise, speaking to the Athenians, assured them that God has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. It’s coming. God’s judgment is coming, just as Paul declared to those unbelieving idolaters. And we know that the unbelieving world also chimes in with its general doubts. It even holds in contempt the idea of future judgment.

The superlative example of that is in 2 Peter 3. In fact, would you turn there for a moment, just briefly? Keep a finger in Psalm 75, 2 Peter 3, all the way near the end of the New Testament. 2 Peter 3, and when you get there, scroll down to verse 3, if you would. For Peter writes, know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming?

For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation, which is such an absurd statement because they seek to put themselves at the moment of creation. For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God, the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. They weren’t there. The foolish, wicked statement.

But the present heavens and earth, by his word, are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you. not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. This retort by the unbelieving world is exactly the arrogance that the psalmist deals with in verses four and five. Would you turn back there?

God is bearing patiently with these kinds of people, with sinners, until the appointed time. The appointed time refers to God’s timetable, not our own. God has his own timetable, and God is perfect. His justice is never late, nor can it be construed as being delayed. God will judge.

And when he does, as he says here, it will be done with equity. word is bandied about in our own day, equity, it basically means fairness. And it’s common, in its common use today, it’s a push for greater equality. Well, God is the ultimate dispenser of fairness, equity, because he is just. I love the way Jonathan Edwards translated this line so plainly.

When the proper time is come, I execute righteous judgment. God is righteous. And when he judges on his own timetable, he will judge with equity. God graciously but forcefully explains that he sets his own timetable because in verse three, he is the creator. Everything in all the universe owes its existence to God.

It is I who have firmly established its pillars. Now, let’s be reasonable. We know that the earth does not literally rest on stilts, pillars. It’s a creative way of saying, just as Psalm 104 has it, that God has established the earth on its foundations. God is the creator. God expressed this same sentiment to Job, Job 38, in the portion where he’s correcting Job, and he says, where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who set its measurements? since you know? Who stretched a line in it? Where were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone? All metaphors of God’s creation. There, just as here in Psalm 75, God is essentially declaring that He is the creator. He is also the sustainer, the upholder of all. Without Him, all of creation would melt. dissolve into nothing. God is the one who created and sustains the world, and he will judge it.

And with that, God issues a sudden warning to the boastful and to the wicked, who, I will tell you, are one and the same. He cautions them about their arrogant boasting, which is symbolically presented as an animal proudly lifting up their horns. An animal’s horn is there not only for protection, but it’s also there as a sign of seniority and dignity. And so that metaphorical reference here points to strength and honor. And so to lift up the horn is to make a bold and even a threatening gesture to God. The Virgin described it this way, they assail heaven itself with it, as if they would gore the Almighty Himself. Pictures the boastful, wicked, taking a hostile and irreverent posture toward God. God so patiently says, don’t do that. God tells them that they dare not do that. Don’t flaunt your pride before me, he tells them.

Now, the context here would certainly point to the enemies of God’s people. the ones who almost tripped up the writer of Psalm 73. Remember, I was envious of the arrogant, the prosperity of the wicked. Don’t lift up your horns. Don’t threaten me in your arrogance. Rather ironic that we only just concluded a month long celebration of so-called pride, directly exhibiting defiance towards God’s law regarding sexual perversion. God hereby cautions anyone who boasts of anything before Almighty God. Think about who it is you’re challenging. Sin never has a reason to boast.

There’s a third element to this psalm. Benchmarks of the one on the bench, a general estimation of the magistrate, a personal declaration by the magistrate, and thirdly, the conclusive evaluation of the magistrate. These are the psalmist’s own words. The congregation of God’s people opened up with a general estimation of the magistrate’s judgeship. The magistrate himself gave a personal declaration of his performance as judge, and the psalmist, surely having joined the congregation in their expression of gratitude at the outset, Having heard God’s clear declaration regarding his role, now he takes opportunity to render a conclusive evaluation of the magistrate, verses 6 through 10. We have a dismal habit as God’s people of looking around to help from all kinds of sources and places. God’s people in the psalmist’s day were no different. They often looked to themselves and to their own resources.

Our credit cards often serve as our own formidable defense. Listen to this. Visa is everywhere you want to be. You bring your credit card, you can go anywhere you want. MasterCard? That’s your card. Here’s your saying. There are some things that money can’t buy for everything else. There’s MasterCard. American Express, is that your card? Don’t leave home without it. Heaven forbid. And their newest slogan, membership has its privileges.

The obvious suggestion here is if you have one of those pieces of plastic, you really don’t need God. Jewish people were no different. They trusted as we do in themselves, in their connections and their alliances with other heathen nations, in their weaponry and their strategies. At times, they seem to trust in everything but God.

Sadly, so do we. It’s dangerous and distressing where we look for help at times. But our writer says here that from East or West or anywhere else, not the real source of our help. He speaks of this help as exaltation. A lifting up, which is not a lifting up to the place of honor and dignity, but it’s a lifting up out of the dust in which we find ourselves face first. We’re saved by him and only by him. God is the only source of salvation. We look to him, we need no other resources. It’s here that the psalmist makes the most obvious statement in the entire psalm.

Verse one hinted at it. Verse two, God declared it. Verse three, He illustrated it. Verse four and five, He applied it. Even in verse six, there’s the result of it. Here in verse seven, the psalmist straightforwardly says, God is the judge. God is the one. as all-knowing who issues a flawless verdict every time. God is the one who saves or does not save, who exalts or who does not exalt. This is just what is referred to at the end of verse 7.

He puts down one and exalts another. Salvation belongs to the Lord. God lifts up or exalts one man or nation And he puts down another. Regarding individuals, listen to this. Daniel 2 says that it is he who changes times and the epochs. He removes kings and establishes kings. That’s God’s doing. Romans 13. God put them there.

Regarding entire nations, Job challenged his accusers by reminding them of God’s sovereignty over all. Job 12, 23, he makes the nations great, then destroys them. He enlarges the nations, then leads them away as if they’re prisoners. God sovereignly dispenses his mercies. In verse 8, God explains this by a terrifying reality. I don’t enjoy preaching this portion, but it’s in God’s Word.

First, let’s grasp the image. Where the psalmist explains, for a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams, it is well mixed, and he pours out of this. The cup of God refers here undoubtedly to the cup of his judgment. It’s an oft-used image in scripture.

Psalm 11 says that fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of the wicked man’s cup. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this cup as the wine of wrath. Isaiah calls it the cup of his anger. Judgment of the world, judgment of sin, judgment of wickedness is coming. pictured here as a cup.

That is the cold, sobering truth. The exaltation of one is concurrent with the putting down or the judgment of others. The boastful wicked, as God himself identified back in verse four, are the ones whom God will judge. The additional details there of a foaming, mixed wine simply refer to the thoroughness and the awful, horrible nature of God’s wrath. A humanly inconceivable judgment. Sometimes drugs would be mixed in with wine, but here it probably refers to the horrible effects, the totality of God’s judgment, the thoroughness of it.

But observe this. The cup is in the hand of the Lord. The cup is in the hand of the Lord. It’s already ready. God’s judgment of sinners is at hand. And I would suggest to you that it’s already underway. The psalmist says that the wicked must drain and drink down its dregs. They will have to sip even to the last bitter drop. The psalmist quickly contrasts his position with that of the boastful wicked. He wants none of their portion of God’s judgment.

And so he says, as for me, I will declare it forever. Not only that God is a righteous judge, but that he will judge, but that he has provided escape for that judgment. Just as the great congregation of God’s people declared his wondrous works, so he will declare God’s magnificent magistrate The saved child of God wants to make God known, and that testimony of God will be the foundation of his praise. As God puts down, cuts off the horns of the wicked, all the while he exalts and lifts up the horn of the righteous.

That’s not just a principle articulated here in Psalm 75. It is a thoroughly biblical principle. Listen to this, Old and New Testaments, the great principle of divine judgment, Proverbs 3.34, though he scoffs at the scoffers, yet he gives grace to the afflicted. Same principle, different terminology. You know who else said this? You know who else articulated this principle? Jesus Christ. Matthew 23. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Psalm 138.6 expresses the same thought. Though the Lord is exalted, yet he regards the lowly But the haughty he knows from afar.” Same principle, different words, and that particular verse is quoted in both James and Peter. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

The Apostle Peter adds this immensely practical application. What do we do with all this? 1 Peter 5, 6. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you proper time. Would you humble yourself before him? Our merciful God, we come before you and We are so incredibly grateful.

We know that we deserve this judgment. This judgment about which we can read now and understand. But now we know this no longer applies to us because we have placed our faith in Christ. You have declared us to be righteous. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Father, we thank you for this reminder of who you are as judge. Your works are indeed wondrous. Your magistrate is flawless. You judge with perfect righteousness. Lord, We know that your judgment is coming upon this world.

And Lord, whereas we once deserved this judgment, we rejoice that we have been saved, spared from it. But Lord, our hearts are heavy for any who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, because they will face the full measure of God’s wrath. Lord, as Peter said, may we humble ourselves before you under the mighty, the almighty hand of God. May we look to Christ for forgiveness, repent of our sin, and place our faith in his provision for salvation, the Lord Jesus himself. Father, we thank you for This Psalm, we thank you for our great judge. We thank you that our times are in your hand. We lay all of these things before you and we pray them in Jesus name. Amen.