Latest / Reformed Thinking / God the Righteous Judge Who Defends the Oppressed (Psalm 9) | John Calvin

Transcript

God the Righteous Judge Who Defends the Oppressed (Psalm 9) | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

0:00
You know, usually when we think about waiting for justice, there
0:03
is this this expectation of an immediate resolution, like you
0:08
see a wrong committed and you want the judge to just bang the
0:11
gavel right then and. There.
0:12
Oh absolutely. We want that instant cause and
0:14
effect. It makes for a clean equation,
0:15
right? A crime happens and the
0:17
punishment is dealt out before the sun goes down.
0:20
Yeah, that is how our human sense of fairness operates and
0:23
it brings a sense of security. I think we like the scales to
0:26
balance right away because it proves the system is actually
0:29
working. Right.
0:30
But then you step into the world of biblical prayer, you look at
0:32
the actual lived experience of suffering, and suddenly that
0:35
timeline is just, well, it's completely thrown out the
0:37
window. It really is.
0:39
We end up looking at a landscape where the gavel seems suspended
0:42
in mid air and honestly for anyone going through it that can
0:46
feel incredibly disorienting. I mean, it is the absolute
0:49
definition of a trial of patients.
0:52
We are forced to just wait while the wicked seem to prosper and
0:55
the righteous are left sitting there wondering when the
0:58
heavenly courtroom will finally come to order.
1:01
Which forces a crisis of faith, right?
1:04
Do you trust the judge who holds the gavel even when his hand
1:07
does not move on your preferred schedule?
1:09
Yeah, that is the big question. Well, welcome to Reform
1:12
thinking. Today we are undertaking a
1:14
massive deep dive into John Calvin's commentary on the Book
1:18
of Psalms. Specifically, we are looking at
1:21
Psalm 9 verses one through 20. It is a fantastic section of
1:25
text. It really is.
1:27
Our mission today is to study David's posture and prayer, his
1:31
view of God's absolute sovereignty, and how believers
1:35
should process those difficult seasons when God seems entirely
1:38
silent. We are looking at source
1:40
material that strikes right at the core of how we interact with
1:42
the Almighty, especially when our circumstances are screaming
1:45
that we have been abandoned. So to kick things off, let us
1:48
look at the inscription of this Psalm.
1:49
It reads to the chief musician, Almuth Leven, a Psalm of David,
1:54
right? OK, let's unpack this a bit
1:56
because there was a lot of debate among historians about
1:58
what Almuth Leven actually means.
2:00
Some scholars think it refers to the death of Goliath, while
2:02
others suggest it's the name of a specific enemy captain.
2:05
Yeah, people get really caught up in the weeds on that one, but
2:08
Calvi's commentary takes a very grounded approach here.
2:11
Rather than getting bogged down in endless debates about
2:14
identifying one single historical victory, it treats
2:17
Almuth Leipin as well, likely just the beginning of a well
2:21
known song. Like a familiar tune that the
2:23
Psalm was set to. Spot on.
2:25
It was just a recognized piece of music.
2:27
I really appreciate that approach.
2:30
It keeps us focused on the main theological argument rather
2:33
than, you know, chasing historical shadows.
2:35
It centers the text on corporate worship.
2:37
Yeah, because David is grouping many deliverances together here
2:42
he is taking a wide angle look at his whole life.
2:44
The psychological and theological utility of memory is
2:47
a major theme right from the start.
2:49
He's not just cataloging a single military triumph so he
2:52
can build a monument to his own tactical genius.
2:54
No, not at all. David is intentionally calling
2:57
to his remembrance the wonderful displays of divine might he had
3:00
formerly experienced. And why does he do this?
3:04
To elevate his mind to confidence in God.
3:06
He uses the past to fuel his present faith.
3:09
That is the Reformed perspective, right?
3:11
As God continues his favor toward his own people without
3:14
intermission. All the good he has hitherto
3:16
done to us should inspire us with confidence and hope for the
3:19
future. By remembering past mercies,
3:23
David essentially opens the gate of prayer.
3:25
Yeah, it is a deliberate action against the spiritual amnesia
3:29
that so easily afflicts us. I mean, think about human nature
3:33
for a second. Oh, we forget so quickly.
3:35
We do. When a new threat arises, our
3:38
default posture is panic. It's as if we have never seen
3:42
God act before. We treat every new crisis as if
3:45
God is suddenly out of his depth.
3:47
But David actively fights that natural tendency.
3:50
He gathers all his past deliverances into a single
3:53
cohesive testimony of God's character.
3:55
Exactly, and that concept of fighting spiritual amnesia sets
3:59
the stage perfectly for verse one.
4:00
Right where David declares I will praise Jehovah with my
4:03
whole heart, I will tell of thy marvelous works.
4:06
The phrase whole heart is just fascinating to me.
4:09
It really draws a sharp distinction, doesn't it?
4:11
It does. Calvin draws a line between this
4:14
upright, sincere heart and the double heart of the hypocrite.
4:18
Gross hypocrites praise God only outwardly with their lips, but
4:22
their Ingrid affections remain untouched.
4:24
They might go through all the liturgical motions, but they
4:28
hold back their true allegiance. Yeah, because the human heart is
4:31
a factory of idols, and one of our absolute favorite idols is
4:36
our own competence. Oh, without a doubt.
4:38
When Calvin analyzes how irreligious people behave after
4:41
a victory, it exposes a massive theological issue.
4:44
Even people who do not truly know God might casually toss up
4:48
a word of thanks after a major success.
4:50
Yeah, they feel a momentary blush of shame at the idea of
4:53
defrauding God of all praise. Maybe it's out of superstition
4:56
or just a vague sense of obligation.
4:58
But the moment they utter a single expression of thanks,
5:01
they immediately pivot. They start boasting loudly about
5:04
their own skill, their own resources, their own brilliance.
5:06
I cannot help but see a modern equivalent to the ancient
5:09
military generals mentioned in these historical commentaries.
5:12
Oh, I know what you mean. Think about a highly successful
5:15
CEO or maybe a famous athlete sitting down for a post game
5:19
interview. They win the championship or
5:22
they close the massive merger and the very first words out of
5:25
their mouth are first. I want to thank God.
5:28
But then. But then they spend the next 15
5:31
minutes talking about their relentless grind, their
5:33
unmatched hustle, their superior strategy, and how nobody worked
5:37
harder than they did. It is a quick nod to the divine,
5:40
followed by a massive sacrifice to their own ego.
5:43
Calvin calls this a piece of pure mockery.
5:46
To attribute even the smallest fraction of God's glory to the
5:49
creature is an arrogant, sacrilegious thing.
5:52
Giving God partial credit while keeping the lion's share for
5:55
yourself is not praising Him with your whole heart.
5:58
It is a subtle form of theft. That is an incredibly accurate
6:02
analogy for the Reformed understanding of human
6:05
depravity. Yeah, especially when it comes
6:07
to stealing divine glory. Calvin actually references the
6:10
prophet Habakkuk here. He wisely reproves the ambition
6:13
of a presumptuous king, who, quote, sacrifices unto his net,
6:17
and burns incense unto his drag. We love to worship the tools of
6:21
our own success. We worship our education, our
6:24
bank accounts, our physical health, our social networks.
6:27
And the argument here insists that God cannot bear to see his
6:30
glory appropriated by the creature in even the smallest
6:33
degree. Any attempt to claim credit
6:36
obscures his. Glory, the true believer, acting
6:39
with a whole heart, acknowledges that whatever commendable thing
6:43
they have done proceeded entirely from pure grace.
6:46
Right. But let me push back on that for
6:49
just a second. Is it genuinely wrong to
6:51
acknowledge hard work? If someone spends 20 years
6:54
studying medicine to become a surgeon and they save a life, is
6:57
it arrogant for them to acknowledge the decades of study
7:00
they put in? That is a very fair question.
7:02
Does having a whole heart mean pretending we are just passive
7:05
robots who do nothing at all? Well, that is a common
7:08
misunderstanding of race. Acknowledging the means God uses
7:11
like 20 years of medical study or David's military training is
7:15
not inherently sinful. OK.
7:17
So where does the sin occur? The sin occurs in the
7:19
attribution of the ultimate source of the victory.
7:23
The double heart looks at the medical degree and says I
7:26
achieved this through my own sheer willpower independent of
7:29
any outside force. The whole heart looks at the
7:33
exact same medical degree and says God sustained my mind.
7:37
He gave me the physical breath to study every day and ordained
7:41
the circumstances that allowed me to learn this skill.
7:44
Therefore, the ultimate praise belongs to Him.
7:47
So it is about recognizing that every tool in your hand was
7:50
placed there by Providence. Exactly which brings up verse 2
7:54
where David says I will rejoice and exult in me.
7:56
There is a massive contrast drawn here between the character
7:59
of the joy men try to find in themselves and the joy they seek
8:02
in God. True believers do not rest on
8:05
themselves for happiness. They renounce carnal
8:07
presumption. When David says he will exult in
8:09
God, he means he finds a full and overflowing abundance of joy
8:13
solely in God's favor, so much so that he is not under the
8:17
necessity of seeking even the smallest drop of joy in any
8:20
other quarter. Perfect happiness consists in
8:23
seeking the matter of our joy exclusively from the favor of
8:26
the Lord. Seeking not even the smallest
8:28
drop of joy in any other quarter.
8:30
I mean, that is a staggering standard.
8:32
It almost sounds impossible for frail human beings.
8:35
We naturally seek comfort in food relationships or success.
8:39
But as you explained, it is about the ultimate source.
8:43
David is able to reach that point of exclusive joy because
8:46
he recognizes who is actually fighting his battles.
8:50
Just look at verse 3. When my enemies are turned back,
8:53
they fall down and are put to flight at that presence.
8:56
I love how Calvin unpacks this. David sees his enemies turning
8:59
their backs, but he does not credit his own army's superior
9:02
flank maneuver. Right, he lifts up the eyes of
9:04
his mind to perceive the secret and incomprehensible aid of God.
9:08
The enemy does not fall by chance.
9:10
They do not fall because David had better weapons.
9:13
They fall, as the text says, at thy presence.
9:16
Calvin notes that it is God alone who inflicts madness on
9:19
the crafty and strikes them with amazement.
9:21
He gives courage to the faint, and causes the boldest to
9:24
tremble. He makes the sword fall from the
9:26
hands of the valiant. So when we see obstacles removed
9:29
or enemies defeated, we must beware of limiting our view to
9:33
what is visible to the physical eye.
9:35
Unbelievers see with their bodily eyes but are spiritually
9:38
blind. They look at a routed army and
9:40
see only a failure of logistics while.
9:42
Believers look at the exact same victory and see the invisible
9:46
hand of God orchestrating the outcome.
9:49
The victory flows from His presence, not our prowess.
9:52
Which? Requires A trained spiritual
9:54
vision. It is a refusal to accept the
9:56
secular interpretation of historical events.
9:59
Now this brings up a massive tension though.
10:01
What kind of tension? Well, if we establish that God
10:04
is this active sovereign force who routes armies by His mere
10:07
presence, then we have to deal with a terrifying reality of His
10:10
justice. Yes, we transition from the
10:13
internal posture of praise right into the heavenly reality of
10:17
God's throne. Verse 4 says, For Thou hast
10:20
maintained my right and my cause, thou sattest upon the
10:23
throne a righteous judge. Calvin reads this very
10:26
emphatically. God assumes the character of a
10:28
judge to execute his office and defend good causes.
10:31
This is not a passive king watching from a balcony.
10:34
This is an active magistrate taking up the case of the
10:37
innocent. And the result of that judgement
10:39
is absolute. In verse 5, David declares that
10:42
God has rebuked the nation's, destroyed the wicked, and
10:45
blotted out their name forever and ever.
10:47
We are not just talking about individual adversaries here, we
10:49
are talking about entire nation's massive coalitions that
10:53
rose up against David. Because of the favor God bears
10:56
to one of his servants, he spares not even whole nations of
10:59
the ungodly. Their destruction is complete.
11:02
Calvin notes that they are destroyed without any hope of
11:05
ever rising again. They are devoted to everlasting
11:07
shame. Which is a stark contrast to the
11:10
promise in Proverbs 10.7. That verse states that the
11:13
memory of the righteous shall be a blessing.
11:16
The ungodly, on the other hand, have their very names buried
11:19
with them. I have to stop you there for a
11:21
second because we need to grapple with how harsh that
11:23
sounds to modern ears. It does sound severe.
11:26
Blotting out entire nations forever, sparing not even whole
11:29
coalitions. How do we reconcile that level
11:32
of absolute destruction with the concept of a loving, patient
11:36
God? A lot of listeners might hear
11:38
that and feel a deep sense of moral recoil.
11:40
Yeah, that recoil is very natural for modern readers.
11:43
We view justice primarily through the lens of individual
11:46
rehabilitation. But we have to understand the
11:48
corporate solidarity of ancient nations and the objective
11:51
reality of evil in the biblical worldview.
11:54
When the text speaks of God blotting out nations, it is
11:57
referring to systems and empires fundamentally organized around
12:01
idolatry, violence, and the eradication of God's people.
12:05
These were not neutral states. They were engines of profound
12:08
wickedness. If God is a truly righteous
12:11
judge, he cannot simply slap the wrist of an empire built on the
12:14
blood of the innocent. Perfect justice requires the
12:17
complete dismantling of that evil.
12:20
The severity of the destruction is a direct measurement of God's
12:23
holy hatred for sin and His protective love for his flock.
12:27
Like if a shepherd destroys a pack of wolves, the sheep do not
12:31
accuse the shepherd of cruelty, they praise him for his
12:34
righteous defense. That reframes the severity
12:36
entirely. It is the protective ferocity of
12:39
a righteous judge. And it makes the concept of
12:42
having your name blotted out forever even more shelling,
12:45
especially when you think about the monumental efforts wicked
12:48
men make to ensure their legacy. Oh, they build empires,
12:51
monuments, statues, and sprawling cities just to make
12:54
their names immortal, but God simply blots them out of
12:57
existence. The sand covers their monuments.
13:01
This leads right into verses 6 through 8 where we see the
13:03
contrast of desolations. The enemies thought they would
13:06
destroy everything entirely. They were determined to spread
13:09
universal ruin, tearing down cities and wiping out the memory
13:12
of God's people. But God suddenly intervenes.
13:16
Calvin describes a situation where the ungodly run headlong
13:19
into excess. They act as boldly as if God
13:22
were bounded fetters. They set no limit to their
13:25
mischief, but then, right when complete destruction seems
13:28
imminent, God makes his appearance.
13:30
Which creates A fascinating theological dilemma.
13:33
If God is always seated on the throne, executing righteous
13:36
judgement, why does He allow the enemies to cause such extreme
13:39
devastation before stepping in? Why let the wicked run rampant
13:43
to the very edge of total destruction before putting a
13:45
stop to it? That is the perennial question
13:48
of the suffering believer, and Calvin addresses it masterfully
13:52
by refuting the Epicurean view of God.
13:55
Let's define that, because Epicureanism is not just some
13:58
dusty ancient philosophy, it is alive and well today.
14:01
Definitely, the Epicurean philosophy imagined a deity who
14:05
was wholly devoted to ease and pleasure.
14:07
This false God was satisfied with himself alone and had no
14:10
care whatever about mankind or the messy affairs of the world.
14:14
It is essentially a form of deism, a clockmaker God who
14:17
winds up the universe, sets it on the shelf, and goes to sleep.
14:20
Precisely. It is the theological equivalent
14:22
of a deadbeat father, and Calvin vehemently argues against this.
14:26
He asserts that the Goddess scripture is constantly
14:28
operating. He governs the world inequity.
14:31
When he seems to take no notice, when he does not immediately
14:34
remedy the evils we suffer, he is not deserting his office, he
14:37
is not asleep. Instead, he is intentionally
14:40
exercising the patience of his people.
14:43
God's might is not shut up in heaven.
14:45
It is actively engaged and suckering men, but on his
14:48
timeline, not ours. We are called to wait for the
14:51
issue in patients, and with tranquility of mind we must be
14:55
fully persuaded that there is not a single moment in which he
14:59
ceases to take an interest in his children.
15:01
If you have ever sat in a hospital waiting room watching a
15:04
loved 1 suffer and felt like God was on vacation, you are
15:07
wrestling with this exact Epicurean myth.
15:10
The silence of God feels like absence, but the text forces us
15:14
to look at the mechanics of his timing.
15:16
David moves from this high theology of God's patience right
15:19
into the gritty reality of how God handles the afflicted in
15:23
real time. Verse 9 says and Jehovah will be
15:25
a refuge to the poor and a protection in seasonable times
15:29
in trouble. Calvin looks closely at that
15:31
phrase seasonable times. He interprets the Hebrew word
15:34
but Sarah as in distress. The timing is everything.
15:38
Why does God wait for seasonable times?
15:40
And Calvin argues that God delays his aid and allows the
15:42
innocent to be reduced to extreme poverty for a very
15:45
specific pedagogical reason. And what is that?
15:48
To light up a lamp to enable them to see his judgments more
15:51
clearly. The pedagogy of suffering is a
15:53
difficult concept, but it is highly biblical.
15:56
It is when things are going well, or if God intervenes at
16:00
the very first sign of trouble. Our gratitude is often shallow.
16:03
We might not even realize how much danger we were in.
16:06
We might attribute the minor rescue to our own quick
16:09
thinking. But when we are brought to the
16:11
very brink of ruin, when we are weighed down with extreme
16:15
affliction and there is 0 possibility of human escape,
16:19
that is when divine assistance becomes most manifest.
16:23
It's like a rescue swimmer who sometimes has to let a panic
16:26
drowning victim tire out before bringing them in, lest they drag
16:29
both under. That is a great analogy.
16:31
God waits until human resources are depleted.
16:34
His Providence shines brightest against the backdrop of our
16:37
darkest distress. God's silence is not absence, it
16:40
is the stage setting for a more glorious deliverance.
16:43
And that experience of deliverance leads directly to
16:46
the trust mentioned in verse 10. And they that know thy name will
16:49
put their trust in me. Calvin specifies something
16:52
really significant here about the name of God.
16:55
God's essence is hidden and incomprehensible to us.
16:58
We cannot wrap our finite human minds around the infinite
17:02
uncreated essence of the Almighty.
17:04
It would destroy us to try. Therefore, his name refers to
17:08
his character specifically, so far as he has been pleased to
17:12
make it known to us. We trust Him because we know His
17:15
revealed character through His Word and His historical acts of
17:19
deliverance. We do not trust a blank slate.
17:21
We trust a revealed Savior. And this knowledge of his name
17:25
leads directly into true worship, as seen in verse 11.
17:29
Sing unto Jehovah, who dwelleth in Sion.
17:31
This brings us to a vital Reformed concept regarding
17:34
worship, often referred to as the regulative principle of
17:37
worship. Yes, God restricts proper
17:39
worship to His own appointments. He gives himself the title He
17:42
Who Dwelleth in Zion to distinguish himself from the
17:45
false gods of the Gentiles. Because those false gods were
17:48
worshipped according to the depraved fancies of men, Zion
17:51
was chosen by God, not by human preference.
17:53
The holy fathers did not resort to Zion out of their own
17:56
imagination. They went there in obedience to
17:58
divine command. That point about worshipping
18:00
according to divine command rather than human fancy is so
18:03
relevant today. We live in a culture of
18:05
therapeutic religion. People want to invent spiritual
18:09
practices based on what feels authentic or emotionally
18:12
satisfying to them. But Calvin is very clear that we
18:15
cannot just honor some vague deity indiscriminately.
18:19
We cannot invent religious observances based on what feels
18:22
good to us. We have to yield to the true
18:24
God, the specific worship He commands.
18:28
But there is a brilliant layer added here regarding the
18:31
physical aspects of that worship.
18:33
Calvin discusses the sanctuary in Scion and the use of external
18:37
symbols. He argues that these physical
18:39
elements which we would connect to the sacraments today, we're
18:42
never meant to bind the senses of the people to earthly things.
18:46
Right. God did not institute physical
18:48
elements to keep our minds trapped in the dirt.
18:50
Calvin says these symbols act as ladders so the faithful can
18:53
ascend to heaven. They consult the weak capacity
18:56
of our human nature. We are physical beings.
18:58
We need need something we can see, touch and taste.
19:01
The water of baptism, the bread and wine of communion, these
19:04
physical elements are accommodated to our frailty.
19:07
But the goal is always spiritual elevation.
19:10
We use the elements to assist us in seeking God spiritually in
19:13
His heavenly glory. Not to occupy our minds with the
19:17
vanities of the flesh. If you focus only on the bread,
19:20
you have missed the feast. The physical signs and seals are
19:23
designed to lift our souls to feed on Christ in heavenly
19:27
places. No, I need to pause here because
19:29
we're about to transition into verse 12 and the logic Calvin
19:33
uses to interpret this verse is just staggering.
19:38
It is one of the best parts of the commentary.
19:40
I actually had to read this Section 3 times to make sure I
19:42
was grasping the magnitude of the argument.
19:44
Verse 12 says, For in requiring blood he hath remembered it, he
19:48
hath not forgotten the cry of the afflicted.
19:50
Calvin draws out a breathtaking conclusion from this phrase
19:53
regarding the afterlife. He states that God's care for
19:56
the blood of his persecuted servants, even after they are
19:59
dead, is clear proof of blessed immortality.
20:03
The logic is airtight and incredibly comforting.
20:05
Think about the premise. OK, if God only cared for us in
20:08
this present earthly life, you would always intervene to
20:11
prevent our murder. He would never let a single
20:13
martyr die. He would stop every bullet,
20:16
blunt every sword and extend, distinguish every fire.
20:19
But history shows he does allow his sense to suffer outrage and
20:23
even death. The blood of the martyrs has
20:26
flowed for centuries. However, the text says he then
20:30
arises to require that blood to avenge those who have been
20:34
killed. By requiring and accounting for
20:36
that blood, God unanswerably proves that the martyrs are
20:39
still alive in His presence. That is the part that blew my
20:42
mind. He does not hold an estimation.
20:44
The memory of those who have ceased to exist.
20:47
You do not demand a legal reckoning for something that has
20:49
been annihilated into nothingness.
20:51
If the martyr was just gone, erased from the cosmos, avenging
20:54
them would be a hollow, meaningless gesture.
20:57
But by taking vengeance God proves they have standing in his
21:00
heavenly court, He cherishes in His bosom those who, according
21:03
to the flesh, seem to be no more.
21:06
The avenging of the martyr is the absolute proof of their
21:09
eternal life. It completely upends how we view
21:12
physical death. The grave is not a period.
21:15
It is barely even a comma. It is a phenomenal defense of
21:18
the doctrine of immortality drawn straight from the justice
21:21
of God. But even with that glorious
21:22
theological assurance of eternal life, we still have to deal with
21:26
the visceral, terrifying reality of facing death here and now.
21:31
The biblical writers never minimize human pain, and that is
21:34
exactly where David takes us in the next segment.
21:36
We move from the soaring theological assurance right back
21:39
down into a desperate, present tense plea for mercy.
21:44
In verse 13, David cries out, Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah,
21:47
see my affliction, which I suffer from those who persecute
21:50
me, Thou that lift us me up from the gates of death.
21:53
David is not writing from a place of comfortable academic
21:56
detachment. He says he is at the gates of
21:58
death, which Calvin describes as the the utmost perils that lay
22:02
the grave wide open before us. He's looking right into the
22:05
gaping ma of the grave. All human hope of life is cut
22:08
off. Yet even in that terrifying
22:10
position, he calls God the lifter up.
22:13
He leans on his past experience. Remembering that God delivers
22:17
not just by ordinary means, but by pulling His people back from
22:20
the very jaws of destruction. And there is a brilliant
22:23
contrast David sets up in the very next verse.
22:26
He pleads to be lifted up from the gates of death in verse 13
22:31
so that in verse 14 he may recount God's praises in the
22:34
gates of the daughter of Zion. The contrast between those two
22:37
gates is totally intentional. He wants to move from the gates
22:40
of the grave to the gates of the city, which was the place of
22:44
greatest public concourse. He does not ask for deliverance
22:47
just so he can go live a quiet, comfortable, private life and
22:52
hide from his enemies. He wants to be rescued
22:54
specifically so he can offer public testimony in the
22:57
assemblies of God's people. He wants his physical survival
23:00
to be a public broadcast of God saving grace.
23:03
True gratitude refuses to remain silent, and this deliverance of
23:07
the righteous is perfectly mirrored by the sudden downfall
23:10
of the wicked, which we see in verses 15 and 16.
23:13
The heathen are sunk into the pit which they made in the net
23:16
which they have hid are their own feet taken.
23:19
The plotting of the ungodly completely backfires on them.
23:22
This dynamic of the wicked falling into their own pit is
23:24
fascinating. You see this throughout history
23:26
in Scripture. Oh, everywhere.
23:27
It makes me think of the story of Haman builds an enormous
23:31
gallows to execute Mordecai, but through the Providence of God,
23:35
Haman is hung on the exact gallows he constructed.
23:38
Or you think of medieval siege warfare.
23:40
An invading army builds a massive, intricate siege tower
23:44
to breach a city wall, only to have the foundation give way so
23:48
that the tower crushes the very engineers who built it.
23:51
It is not just that they lose the battle, it is the irony that
23:54
their own intellect and ballast become the weapons of their
23:57
destruction. The enemy spends all time
23:59
weaving this intricate net of deceit, trying to ruin the
24:03
innocent, and God simply steps aside and lets them ensnare
24:06
themselves. The theological insight on this
24:08
exact dynamic is heavy. Calvin points out that Satan is
24:12
the father of lies and wicked men are his imitators.
24:15
They employ all their ingenuity and craftiness and devising
24:18
mischief and practicing deceit. They think they are the masters
24:21
of their own cunning plots, playing three-dimensional chess
24:24
while the righteous are stumbling around.
24:27
But God makes himself known by executing judgement.
24:30
He takes the issue entirely out of their hands and turns their
24:32
mischief upon their own heads. The wicked are ensnared in the
24:35
specific work of their own hands.
24:38
This proves that their downfall is not a matter of random
24:40
misfortune or natural consequence alone.
24:43
It is the manifest judgement of God.
24:46
And David wants us to pause and really let that reality sink in.
24:50
At the end of verse 16, we see these two musical and liturgical
24:53
notations. Higeon, Sayla.
24:56
These words are not just filler. Higeon translates to meditation.
25:00
These notations are inserted to command a full stop.
25:03
Think about our modern attention span.
25:05
We live in a scrolling culture where we consume massive amounts
25:08
of tragedy, triumph and data and we just keep swiping.
25:11
We never stopped to digest what we have seen, but the biblical
25:14
text demands a halt. It is telling the singer and you
25:18
the listener, to fix your mind and deep meditation upon these
25:21
specific judgments of God. Do not just rush past the fact
25:24
that the wicked fall into their own traps.
25:26
Pause. Reflect on the sovereign hand
25:28
that guides that process. Let the music swell or let the
25:31
silence hang so that the truth can take root in your soul.
25:34
That mandated pause is essential for spiritual health.
25:37
We cannot absorb the gravity of divine justice at a Sprint.
25:40
And that call to meditation prepares us perfectly for the
25:43
final segment of the Psalm, verses 17 through 20.
25:47
Here, David builds from the wicked falling into their own
25:50
traps to their ultimate destination, exposing the stark
25:54
reality of human frailty. Verse 17 states boldly, The
25:58
wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget
26:02
God. Calvin clarifies that the Hebrew
26:05
word used here is sheol, while some translate it simply as the
26:09
grave. There is much more going on here
26:11
than just common physical death. Which happens to everyone,
26:14
including the faithful. Right.
26:16
There is a tacit contrast here between the height of the
26:18
wicked's presumption and the depth of their sudden fall.
26:21
The ungodly, devoid of fear, exalt themselves above the
26:24
clouds. They act as if they've made a
26:26
covenant with death. They are arrogant, presumptuous,
26:29
flying a lot as if they are untouchable, but God in a single
26:33
moment turns them back in the midst of their course and
26:35
plunges them headlong into ruin. Their presumption brings upon
26:38
them complete perdition. They descend with fearful
26:41
violence, without hope of ever coming out.
26:43
By contrast, while the faithful also descend into the grave
26:46
physically, they do not face this violent perdition.
26:50
Kelvin beautifully notes that even when shut up in the grave,
26:53
the faithful dwell already in heaven by hope.
26:56
The destinies of the two groups are entirely distinct.
26:59
And this distinction brings immense comfort to the
27:02
afflicted, which David highlights in verse 18.
27:05
For the poor shall not always be forgotten.
27:07
The hope of the humble shall not perish forever.
27:10
We talked earlier about the Epicurean myth and God's
27:13
apparent silence. Here we see that God's silence
27:16
is heavily calculated. He seems to take no notice of
27:18
our afflictions because He desires us to awaken Him, so to
27:21
speak, by means of our prayers. He waits for the cry of the
27:24
Saints. The agony of waiting produces a
27:26
depth of reliance that immediate comfort never could.
27:29
When they cry out in their distress, having been pushed to
27:32
the edge of their endurance, he stretches forth his hands.
27:35
This brings us to a fascinating request in verse 19.
27:39
Arise, O Jehovah, let not man prevail.
27:42
Let the nation's be judged in thy sight.
27:44
Now we have spent this entire hour establishing that God never
27:48
actually sleeps. He is the active, righteous
27:50
judge. So when David yells out arise,
27:53
how do we understand that? Calvin clarifies that this does
27:56
not strictly apply to God's literal posture.
27:58
It refers entirely to our sensory experience.
28:01
It is the language of divine accommodation.
28:04
We do not perceive God as our deliverer until He appears
28:07
before our eyes, acting as it were, upon the judgement seat.
28:11
But the reason David gives for God to arise is what captures my
28:14
attention. Let not man prevail.
28:16
When God gives the wicked loose reins, they become audaciously
28:20
insolent. But the moment God shows even a
28:23
token of His judgement, He breaks their strength with a
28:26
mere nod. He restrains the fierce ungodly.
28:29
David calls the enemies man, using the Hebrew word enosh,
28:33
which denotes misery or wretchedness.
28:35
It means frail mortal man. That linguistic detail is vital.
28:39
In Hebrew you have different words for man.
28:41
You have Adam referring to man made of.
28:43
Earth you have ish, which often implies man and his strength or
28:46
dignity. But David uses Enos,
28:48
highlighting absolute frailty. Despite all their arrogant
28:51
boasting, despite their empires and their siege towers, they are
28:54
just frail creatures who can do absolutely nothing beyond what
28:57
God permits. The wicked think they are ish
29:00
standing in their own unshakable strength.
29:03
David prays that God will expose them as Enosh.
29:06
If we connect this to the bigger picture of how God governs
29:08
humanity, verse 20 provides A devastating conclusion.
29:11
David praise, put them in fear, O Jehovah, that the nations may
29:15
know that they are men. Again, using that word Enosh,
29:18
mortal and frail. There's a crucial distinction
29:20
made here between how God disciplines his elect and how he
29:24
deals with the reprobate. With His chosen people, God
29:27
moderates His rigor. He softens their Stony hearts so
29:31
that when they are disciplined, they willingly and quietly
29:34
submit themselves to Him. They learn true humility through
29:36
a process of sanctification, but the reprobate possess an
29:40
inflexible obduracy. And we should clarify that term
29:42
inflexible obduracy means they are violently stubborn.
29:46
Their wills are locked in rebellion against the Creator.
29:48
They're easier to break than to bend, so God must subdue their
29:52
desperate obstinacy by sheer force.
29:54
When he strikes them with terror, they are not reformed.
29:58
Their hearts do not miraculously soften into love for God, but an
30:02
acknowledgement of their own massive weakness is violently
30:05
extorted from them. When the dread of God seizes
30:08
them, they are thrown down by their own violence and fall
30:11
under their own weight. That is such a vivid, terrifying
30:14
picture. The terror of God does not save
30:16
the reprobate, but it exposes them.
30:18
It strips away all their ridiculous self-confidence and
30:22
subjects it to mockery before the watching world.
30:24
They realize too late that they are only frail, miserable men
30:29
whose breath is in their nostrils.
30:31
Calvin actually recites Augustine here, and it is a
30:34
quote that hits right at the core of the human condition.
30:36
Augustine said the whole humility of man consists in the
30:39
knowledge of himself. If we truly know ourselves, if
30:43
we grasp our frailty, our sin, and our total moment by moment
30:47
reliance on God for every breath we take, pride becomes an
30:50
absolute logical impossibility. How can a creature of dust
30:53
boasts before the throne of heaven?
30:55
The righteous learn this humility through the gentle but
30:59
firm discipline of a loving Father.
31:01
We are taught to remember that we are dust.
31:03
But the wicked who constantly elevate themselves above the
31:07
condition of man, must be met with divine terror to put them
31:11
back in their place with shame and confusion.
31:13
And that brings us full circle back to the central theme of the
31:16
Psalm. The only appropriate response to
31:19
this sovereign righteous act of God is the exact response David
31:23
modeled in verse one. Sincere, wholehearted praise,
31:27
recognizing our frailty, recognizing His infinite might,
31:30
and yielding every single ounce of glory to Him alone.
31:33
We cannot harbor a double heart when we are face to face with
31:36
the righteous judge. Well, we have covered a massive
31:39
amount of theological ground today.
31:40
We certainly have. We started by looking at the
31:42
absolute necessity of sincere praise and the subtle danger of
31:46
giving God partial credit while harboring our own pride.
31:49
We established the active, righteous governance of a God
31:52
who sits on the throne, completely refuting the
31:54
Epicurean myth of a distant, uncaring clockmaker deity.
31:58
We unpacked the pedagogical reason for delayed justice, how
32:02
God waits for the seasonable time of extreme distress to
32:06
light a lamp in the darkness so that His deliverance cannot be
32:09
ignored. We studied the staggering logic
32:11
that God's vengeance for the martyrs proves their eternal
32:14
life. And finally, we witnessed the
32:15
ultimate exposure of human frailty, where the wicked are
32:19
ensnared in their own traps and forced through divine terror to
32:23
recognize their miserable mortal state.
32:27
As we wrap up this analysis, I want to leave you with a final
32:29
thought to Mull over, drawing from that brilliant insight
32:32
regarding the shed blood of the martyrs.
32:35
If God's care for His persecuted servants is absolute proof of
32:38
our immortality, if His vengeance for the slain
32:41
guarantees that they are currently alive in His presence,
32:43
how should that truth alter your daily anxieties?
32:46
We spend vast amounts of our mental energy worrying about our
32:49
physical safety, our social status, and our earthly
32:51
security. We are terrified of the gavel
32:53
falling on our own lives, but if you truly believe that you
32:57
remain alive in His presence even after the absolute worst
33:00
earthly scenario happens, how fearless could your obedience
33:04
become today? That is a reality that changes
33:07
how you walk out your front door.
33:09
It takes that suspended gavel we talked about at the very
33:11
beginning, the delay of justice that causes us so much anxiety
33:14
and reframes it entirely. It really does.
33:17
The gavel is not suspended because the judge is asleep.
33:20
It is held aloft by a Father who is orchestrating a masterpiece
33:23
of Providence, preparing A seasonable deliverance, and
33:26
securing your eternal joy. Thank you for joining us for
33:29
this deep dive into Reformed thinking.
33:31
We encourage you to continue reading the Psalms with a sharp
33:34
eye toward God's sovereign hand in all your circumstances.