Latest / Reformed Thinking / When You Are Wrongly Accused: Trusting the God Who Judges Justly (Psalm 7) | Charles Simeon

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When You Are Wrongly Accused: Trusting the God Who Judges Justly (Psalm 7) | Charles Simeon · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. This is our deep dive where we
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well, we try to cut through some of the noise and really look at
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the essential truths we find in the sources you share with us.
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And today our Socus, our mission, if you like, is to
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really examine the, the dual nature of God's governance.
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We're looking particularly at sources that touch on Psalm 7.
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Psalm you know it holds these two well seemingly opposing
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ideas right next to each other. God judging the righteous and
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being angry with the wicked every single day it.
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Really does set up quite a paradox, doesn't it?
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Right from the start? I mean, how can the absolute
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rule of one single sovereign God be, on the one hand, the source
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of ultimate security for one group of people, causing the
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earth to rejoice, as the text says, and yet at the very same
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time, for another group, it confirms their, well, their
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ultimate destruction, causing the earth to tremble.
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It really feels like this, this clash, you know, supreme
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security and supreme terror coming from the exact same
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place, the same throne. It does seem that way, but it's
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perhaps better understood as the ultimate display of God's
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impartiality. The single truth of his
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sovereignty really does act like a double edged sword.
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OK, so for those who are in that covenant relationship with him,
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God's government gives this this supreme security, its
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protection. But for those who are opposed to
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him, yeah, well, that very same ruling sovereignty confirms the,
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well, the frightening certainty that consequences are coming and
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they are inescapable. OK, so our goal then for you
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listening is to really unpack how this works.
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How does this play out? And the sources seem to suggest
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it happens across two different time frames.
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That's right. There's the present moral
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government, you know, here on earth day-to-day, and then there
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are the future judicial proceedings at the last day.
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Looking at both should give us hopefully a clearer, maybe
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deeper picture of God's daily impartial discrimination, how he
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treats different groups differently right now and in the
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end, yeah, so let's start with the anchor, the theological
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bedrock for all of this, the sovereignty that commands all
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things. Right.
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So when Scripture declares often in, you know, a tone of great
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celebration, the Lord Ranneth, that's not just a casual
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observation. It's not like saying it's sunny
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today. It's a command, really.
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It's a statement of fundamental reality that dictates how all
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creation should respond. And the sources we're looking
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at, they identify 2 very distinct responses based
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entirely on where you stand in relation to that king.
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So for the godly, the first group, the response that's
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called for is, well, overwhelming joy.
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And the reason given is because the Lord they serve, the one
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they obey, has all things at his command.
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His reign isn't partial. His control isn't limited to,
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you know, just the spiritual realm or just the big events.
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It's everything. Precisely and this is where you
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know, deep theology really meets our mental peace, our everyday
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experience. If we could just grasp the sheer
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scale of this idea that God is actively right now governing
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every event, every circumstance down to the smallest detail, it
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completely changes the of our fears.
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The godly person understanding this comes to realize they need
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not fear what all the Confederate hosts of Earth and
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Hell can do against you. That's a powerful statement.
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It is because no force, whether it's spiritual or physical, no
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matter how organized or how seemingly powerful, can operate
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outside the King's ultimate jurisdiction.
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It's all under his control. That's the bedrock of security
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then. But flip the coin for the
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ungodly. That exact same truth God
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commands all all things necessitates trembling.
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Why? Because the very fact that He
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commands all means He is the one they're offending.
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Yes. And he is able, as the sources
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put it, to vindicate the honor of his insulted Majesty.
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So. The ability to enforce justice
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is linked directly to the scope of his role.
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Absolutely. Think about it.
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If a healing king is slighted, well, the consequences are
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limited, localized. But if the king who commands all
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things is offended, the consequences half be well,
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universal and absolute. The The magnitude of the
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offense, as our sources point out, is measured by the infinite
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magnitude of the one who was offended.
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That puts things in perspective and we see this, this dual truth
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played out very personally, don't we, in the life of someone
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like David? Oh, different.
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He's oppressed, he's constantly pursued, wronged by enemies.
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Saul being the prime example. David didn't just see God's
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universal reign as some, you know, distant philosophical
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idea. He actively used the doctrine of
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God's judgement for his immediate today personal
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security. He really did.
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He found comfort, even the sources say, delight in thinking
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about God's active current reign and his judging capacity.
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It wasn't just hope for the future.
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He was protection now, right? That's why he could say with
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such confidence my defenses of God, which saveth the upright in
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heart. And that specific quote, my
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defenses of God, it shows us exactly why David rejoiced, not
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trembled, at the thought of God's judgement.
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He's anticipating judgement, yes, but not judgement against
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him. He's expecting active defense
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from his enemies. Correct.
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The meaning of the word judging here really shifts depending on
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the context. For David, a just sovereign God
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isn't a threat, He's the ultimate shield.
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God's judging in this positive sense for the righteous means
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active government and powerful protection.
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David saw God not just as you know, the future judge handing
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out rewards and punishments, but as the present governor whose
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sovereign role guaranteed his personal defense against those
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trying to harm him. So the godly rejoice, because
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their defense system is, well, nothing less than the highest
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authority in the cosmos. It's an immediate governing
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control that provides security right now in the midst of
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trouble. And yet that same mechanism,
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that same sovereign control that secures David, is at the same
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time preparing judgement for someone like Saul.
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This distinction, it really leads us into that more maybe
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unsettling statement we found in the source, is that God is angry
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with the wicked every day. If God is the ultimate refuge
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for the righteous, what does this ongoing daily anger look
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like towards the ungodly? That phrase Angry with the
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wicked every day. It requires a lot of careful
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handling, because when we start applying human terms to God, our
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language often falls short. We need to be precise about what
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the sources mean when they assert that God maintains this
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disposition continuously. Yeah, that makes sense, because
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if a person says they're angry everyday, we tend to picture
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someone volatile, maybe unstable, certainly full of
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passion. But if God is impassable,
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meaning he doesn't change, he isn't subject to uncontrolled
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emotion, then we absolutely have to define what the sources mean
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when they use words like anger and wrath about Him.
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This is a really key point in, well, in Reformed theology
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generally, and the sources we're looking at are very clear on
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this. They state that these
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expressions anger, wrath, they are applied to God only in a
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figurative sense. Figurative.
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OK, so it's like an accommodation, using human terms
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to describe something beyond our full grasp.
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That's a good way to put it, an accommodation of infinite truth
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to our finite understanding. So when we read about God being
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angry, we really need to pause and recognize we're reading
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anthropomorphic language attributing human
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characteristics to God. We should definitely avoid
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picturing God experiencing, you know, emotional turbulence like
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a human does. Right.
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So we need to steer clear of the idea that God really feels those
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strong emotions, which we call anger and wrath, at least not in
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the way that, as you said, volatile, reactive humans feel
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them. God isn't subject to instability
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or passion or that kind of temporary derangement that can
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come with human rage or resentment.
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Precisely. He's constant, unchanging in his
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being. OK, but if the emotion itself is
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figurative, just a way to help us understand, why does
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scripture use such strong language?
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Why use words like anger if it doesn't involve the kind of
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passion we associate with it? That's a fair question.
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The sources explained that this figurative language, this strong
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terminology, is chosen very deliberately to teach us what
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will be His dispensations towards us.
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His dispensations? You mean his actions, how he
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deals with us? Yes, his dealings, his actions,
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both now and in the future. The strong language acts almost
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like a a warning system. It communicates the certain
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outcome and the seriousness of God's actions, His
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dispensations, without needing God Himself to be emotionally
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volatile in His essential nature.
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I say that distinction is really helpful.
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So the feeling might be described figuratively, but the
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underlying disposition is intensely real, and the
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consequences are certainly literal.
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Exactly. So what is that real consonant
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disposition that this figurative anger represents every single
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day? It represents A genuine, settled
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indignation, a righteous displeasure.
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God views the impiety, the rebellion of those who reject
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Him with His constant holy displeasure.
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He views with indignation those who, as the sources say, cast
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off his fear and walk after the imagination of their own hearts.
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It's the steady moral disapproval of the Holy King
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towards essentially treason against his rule.
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And critically, this indignation is there every day, regardless
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of how someone might appear on the outside.
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The sources seem to really make a point of that external
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appearances don't matter here. Yes, that's crucial.
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The daily indignation holds. As long as they live to
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themselves instead of unto Him, whether they're outward conduct
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seems, you know, more or less decent in the eyes of the world,
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that's secondary. What matters is the fundamental
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allegiance of the heart. If the heart is set on self,
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rejecting God's reign, the relationship is 1 of continuous
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offense. OK.
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And that daily settled indignation translates directly
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into another point the sources make that God is continuously
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marking the conduct of the wicked.
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He's paying attention. All right, so if we try to sum
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up this section, God is angry with the wicked every day,
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doesn't mean he's having temper tantrums like us.
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It means he maintains a constant settled righteous indignation
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against unrepented sin. He's perpetually monitoring
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their conduct and, as we'll see, preparing consequences.
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All this without experiencing human like rage.
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That's a good summary. It confirms the certainty of the
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outcome, but it's communicated in language that we can grasp,
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language that warns us effectively.
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And that certainty, that disposition, it directly effects
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how God exercises His authority right now, in the present
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moment. Which brings us neatly to the
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first major phase of his judgement, His moral government
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here on earth. Right.
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This is where we see that daily discrimination, the difference
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in how God deals with the righteous and the wicked
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actively playing out. God isn't indifferent to human
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actions. He's exercising authority long
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before any final judgement day. OK, so let's break that down.
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Let's look at the righteous first.
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How does his moral government apply to them?
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Well, for the righteous, remember how we said God's
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judging meant defense for David? That carries through here.
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For the righteous, God's judging primarily means government and
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protection. Government and protection.
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Yeah, the concept is drawn partly from, you know, ancient
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Jewish history where the judges were rulers and defenders of the
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people for centuries. God acts like that, perfectly
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just ruler and powerful protector for his people now in
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this life. So this means God is actively
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giving every possible benefit that, say, the wisest, most
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powerful, most benevolent king could give to his loyal
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subjects. Is that the idea?
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That's the idea, but the sources stress that it's not just a
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general abstract care. It's incredibly specific,
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personal, and continuously applied.
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God Shields them from well, from every oppressor, and keeps them
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safely under the shadow of his wings, under the.
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Shadow of his wings. That's such an intimate image.
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It is, and the historical examples that the sources point
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to. Think of God's care for Abraham
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and the patriarchs, or his constant and miraculous
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interposition for David against Saul's relentless pursuit.
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These aren't just stories from the past.
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OK, how so? The sources explicitly state
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that those ancient deliverances, that kind of protective care,
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are still continued to his church and people.
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So the same level of care, the same active intervention that
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people like Abraham and David experienced is still operational
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today, even if maybe it looks less dramatic, less visible.
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Precisely. It might be less outwardly
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spectacular sometimes, but the underlying reality of his
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protection is the same. The language used here aims to
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convey this intimate, intense personal concern.
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God is still actively a wall of fire roundabout.
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Them a wall of fire, that's defense.
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And the care is described as so profound, so personal, that an
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attack on one of his righteous people is felt immediately and
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personally by God himself. The sources use that striking
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phrase. Whosoever toucheth one of them
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toucheth the apple of his eye. Wow.
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The apple of his eye, that's incredibly potent.
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It speaks to, well, vulnerability, doesn't it?
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And the need for immediate defense.
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We instinctively guard our eyes more than anything to suggest
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God views his people that way. It really elevates the idea of
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security. It implies an instantaneous
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divine reaction to harm or threat, and that leads directly
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to the well, the ultimate security that comes from
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friendship with God. If God is actively governing the
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world right now, and he views his people with this intense
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level of personal care, the question the sources pose is
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unavoidable. Who or what can harm you, right?
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Because if God is their friend, then, as the sources say, man
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cannot touch a hair of your head without God's permission.
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That sovereign control, the very same control that causes the
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ungodly to tremble, becomes the absolute shield for the
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righteous. It's the ultimate comfort,
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really. Our security isn't based on our
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own strength or wisdom, but on the all commanding authority of
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our defender. And it's important.
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To note, this protection extends even through suffering.
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When the righteous do suffer slander or hardship, which they
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often do, the fact that God permits it means it serves some
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wise, temporary purpose within his plan.
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And the sources stress that ultimately, any suffering here
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is brief compared to the ample recompense we'll discuss later
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in the eternal world. But for now, the key take away
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is that the security, the protection is present and
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immediate. OK, so.
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That's the experience of the righteous under God's present
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moral government. Now let's turn to the other side
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of the coin, the wicked. We know they are objects of
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God's merited displeasure, and he's marking their conduct
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daily. But the sources also talk a lot
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about God showing tremendous patience before any final
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judgement comes. How do those two things fit
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together? Daily indignation and seemingly
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endless patience. Yes, that's the crucial tension
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within God's present day moral government towards the
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impenitent, his long-suffering. The sources emphasize that God
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is not willing that any of them should perish.
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So he waits. He waits for them to turn to
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Him, showing, as the text says, much long-suffering and
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forbearance, so that. Anger with the wicked everyday
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that indignation, it's held in check, maybe contained by his
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patients because he genuinely desires repentance.
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That's a good way to. See it The door for repentance,
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remarkably, remains open. The sources confirm that if they
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would just turn, if they would genuinely repent, God would lay
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aside his anger in an instant and receive them to the arms of
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mercy instantly. Instantly.
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That figurative anger, that daily indignation we talked
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about? It's conditional on their
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continued impenitence. It's removed the moment genuine
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repentance occurs. But what if they?
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Don't turn. What if they continue impenitent
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as the sources put it? What happens then?
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Then that. Patient indignation begins to
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solidify. It transitions into active
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preparation for action. This is the really terrifying
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pivot point where patients starts to turn into readiness
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for execution. God then meditates, the sources
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say, nothing but displaying his merited indignation towards
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them. So.
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Forbearance shifts to preparation, and this is where
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that figurative anger starts translating into something
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tangible, something that points towards their excision.
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They're being cut off Exactly they're.
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Being cut off entirely, the sources use vivid imagery.
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Here, God is described as actively preparing his
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instruments of judgment. He's pictured as wetting his
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sword, wetting his. Sword and bending.
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With an unerring hand, his bow for their destruction, the.
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Unerring hand part sounds ominous.
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It removes any chance of escape, doesn't it?
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Or any failure of the judgement. When the time comes, it does it.
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Signifies precision and certainty.
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There's no randomness, no possibility delay once the
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decision is made, the outcome is fixed once the determination to
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remain impenitent is clear, and the.
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Imagery aims to convey immediate readiness, right?
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Yes. Very immediate, the arrow of
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judgement is described as being now already on the string
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pointed at their hearts. Even in the present day, while
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patience is still being shown, the judgement itself now of a
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long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumberth noth.
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Everything is prepared, set. All that seemingly left is for
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the string to be released, which would cast them into everlasting
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perdition. OK.
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But help me reconcile this. If the arrow is already on the
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string pointed at their hearts, how does that fit with the
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long-suffering we just talked about?
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Why isn't it loosed instantly? If it's ready?
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That's a deep. Question.
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The sources seem to imply that the string is actually being
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held back by long-suffering itself.
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The arrow is poised, ready to demonstrate the immediate
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justice required by their actions and the absolute
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certainty of the consequence. But the act of holding back the
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release demonstrates God's restraint, his desire for
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repentance. So the.
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Preparation itself is a warning. Exactly.
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The preparation is part of the warning, a daily warning
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confirmed by the daily indignation.
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This whole process of preparation is part of God's
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present, ongoing moral government.
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It shows he's actively involved in the fate of individuals right
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now, even before the final day of judgment.
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It's a truly. Sobering thought, isn't it, that
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every moment someone remains in penitent, it's that Bow is just
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being held tighter, confirming the certainty of its eventual
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release? It is and.
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That leads us very logically to the moment when that release
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finally happens. When this equitable
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discrimination, this difference in treatment is made fully
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public and visible to all creation.
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OK, so this is the. 2nd and final dispensation of judgement
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We need to look at the judicial proceedings at the last day.
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If the moral government here involves maybe hidden protection
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for the righteous and poised preparation against the wicked,
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then this final judgement is where God makes his equitable
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discrimination totally clear to everyone.
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No more ambiguity. Is that right?
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That's. Precisely it This is the moment
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when God steps fully onto the you could say the public stages
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judge all the earthly confusion, the misinterpretations, the
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hidden motives, all gone. Everything is laid bare before
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him and before all creation. Hashtag tag, tag, tag.
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I The reward and vindication of the righteous now thinking.
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About the righteous first here on earth, as we've touched on,
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they often face real difficulties, the sources say.
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They're frequently traduced and loaded with all manner of
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obloquy, yes. Slandered.
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Misrepresented their goodness. Is questioned, their motives are
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attacked, their character dragged through the mud.
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So the last day for them serves as their ultimate public
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vindication. It's their.
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Day in court, you might say, and the judge is the only one who
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truly knows their hearts. God who triath the hearts and
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reigns. He knows the inner thoughts and
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motivations. He will appear specifically on
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their behalf. His first act concerning the
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righteous, according to the sources, is to vindicate them,
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to clear their names from all the false accusations they
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endured. So it's more.
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Than just reviewing their good deeds.
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It's actively clearing their reputation from all the malice
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and misunderstanding they faced on earth.
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Why is that vindication piece so central to this final judgement
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for them? Well.
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Perhaps because one of the heaviest burdens for a believer
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in this life isn't just the external persecution, but the
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internal doubt they can creep in, and certainly the external
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accusations about their motives. The sources mentioned
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specifically that good things the righteous did for God in
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this world were often misinterpreted by others.
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People would look at their actions and dismiss them as
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proceeding from, say, pride or vanity or hypocrisy.
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That's a heavy. Thing to bear having genuine
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acts of faith and love just written off his performance or
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self righteousness it is. But God counters that
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completely. At the last day, He will
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publicly testify to the real motives, the secret principles
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of faith and love that actually drove their actions.
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He will acknowledge them before the entire gathered assembly.
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Angels redeemed humanity everyone as Israelites in whom
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was no guile truly sincere this public acknowledgement of their
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true God word motivation seems essential before the final
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reward is given and the. Sources describe this
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acknowledgement leading to this moment of, well, just
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breathtaking glory for the righteous.
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It says their righteousness shall shine forth as the noonday
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total. Clarity.
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Imagine all the shadows, all the false accusations from their
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earthly life just instantly burned away by the pure light of
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divine truth. And then God will publicly exalt
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them to Thrones and kingdoms forever.
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More Thrones. And kingdoms.
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And the setting, the context for this is really striking.
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This exaltation happens in the presence of their now prostate
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enemies. That detail, it connects right
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back to David, doesn't it? The God who was his defense
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during his oppression is now the one rewarding him publicly,
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right in front of those who oppressed him.
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Absolutely. The connection is strong.
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The sources confirm that this reward, this public exaltation
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to eternal glory, serves as an ample recompense.
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A full payment, you might say, in the eternal world.
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For every bit of suffering, slander, or assault they endured
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during their life on earth, their security becomes eternally
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visible and validated. Hashtag hashtag tag to the shame
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and punishment of the wicked, OK?
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So if the last day is the time of ultimate clarity, vindication
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and glory for the righteous, for the wicked, it's called
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something very different. The sources refer to it as the
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day of the perdition of ungodly men.
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That word perdition signals a fate that's the complete
21:45
opposite of their frequent earthly experience, doesn't it?
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It really does. Well, the wicked might often
21:50
seem to escape consequences in this life, walking around
21:52
seemingly free while that arrow of judgement is held back by
21:55
God's patience. The sources state unequivocally
21:58
that the last day they shall all, without exception, meet a
22:01
just reward. There's absolutely 0 possibility
22:04
of evasion this time, and the. Inescapability is described in
22:08
almost physical terms. Isn't it reinforcing that idea
22:11
of God's absolute sovereignty? Again, wheresoever they might
22:15
have fled to hide themselves, His right hand shall find them
22:18
out, no? Refuge, no hiding place.
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In all the creation. You can't escape the reach of
22:22
the Sovereign Judge and the sources.
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Seem to move very quickly from that inescapable presence to the
22:27
immediate execution of the sentence.
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Once they're gathered, God issues that final start.
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Dark command to the angels waiting nearby, confirming the
22:35
end of his forbearance. Yes, the command is.
22:37
Chilling bring hit her those that were mine enemies who would
22:40
not that I should reign over them and slay them before me
22:44
that final. Command.
22:45
It's the ultimate display of that merited indignation we
22:49
talked about, now translated into irreversible action.
22:52
It's the immediate physical confrontation and final
22:55
destruction of those who set themselves up as enemies of
22:58
God's reign. It confirms the certainty that
23:00
was being prepared by His daily anger all along.
23:03
It's the. Righteous conclusion the moral
23:05
government that began often with long-suffering reaches its just
23:09
end. It concerns that their judgement
23:12
well, it wasn't really delayed in God's mind now of a long time
23:16
linguist not and their damnation slumbereth not the preparation
23:20
phases over. The consequence is now reality.
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We've. Talked a lot about the certainty
23:26
and the severity of this final judgment for the wicked.
23:29
But what about the actual instruments?
23:30
What is God preparing for this eternal consequence?
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This seems to be where the figurative language of, say,
23:36
daily anger gives way to the literal and frankly horrifying
23:40
reality of eternal punishment. Yes, we saw.
23:42
The figurative preparations earlier, the wedded sword, the
23:45
bent bow, maybe pointing towards temporal judgments or physical
23:47
death, that excision, but for the eternal consequence.
23:51
The sources speak very specifically of God preparing
23:53
the instrument of death, even of everlasting death and this
23:56
instrument. Is identified, isn't it?
23:58
The sources name it as Tofit. That name itself carries a lot
24:02
of, well, historical and symbolic weight from the Old
24:05
Testament. We probably need to pause and
24:07
consider what Tofit signifies here according to these sources,
24:10
right? Tofit isn't portrayed as some
24:13
place hastily created right at the moment of judgement.
24:16
Instead, it's described as something ordained of old for
24:20
the king it is prepared, ordained of.
24:22
Old prepared for the king, yes. The idea is 1 of
24:26
predetermination, a place specifically set aside by the
24:29
sovereign King for the express purpose of executing eternal
24:33
vengeance upon those who definitively rejected his reign
24:36
and the. Description of this place tofit.
24:38
It's terrifyingly physical. In the sources it's made deep
24:41
and large, suggesting it's capable of containing all those
24:44
found to be God's enemies and its fuel.
24:47
Its pile consists of fire and much wood.
24:50
The language. Clearly intends to convey
24:52
immense scale and unending duration.
24:54
It's pictured as an unquenchable fire.
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But perhaps the most horrifying detail of all is what Kindles
25:00
this ultimate fire. It's not sustained just by
25:02
earthly materials, by wood and fire as we know it.
25:05
What Kindles it then? According to.
25:06
The sources, it is kindled by the breath of the Lord like a
25:09
stream of brimstone, The breath of the Lord.
25:12
Like Brimstone? Yes, this detail seems designed
25:15
to convey that the duration, the intensity, and the sheer terror
25:20
of the punishment are sustained directly by God's own presence
25:24
and his righteous judgement. It's not a distant, passive
25:27
suffering. It's a state maintained by the
25:30
infinite power of the offended King himself.
25:33
That makes the vengeance seem, well, as the sources say,
25:36
inconceivably awful. It forces us to move beyond any
25:39
human comparison of suffering where pain might eventually end
25:42
or lessen. It confronts us with the direct
25:45
consequence of opposing a God who has all things at his
25:47
command, and whose own fiery presence becomes the sustaining
25:51
fuel of eternal punishment. It's a truly.
25:53
Dreadful thought and the ultimate.
25:54
Question the sources leave us with at the end of this
25:56
particular discussion is just chilling.
25:58
It forces immediate self reflection for anyone listening.
26:01
I think it asks who can dwell with everlasting burnings.
26:05
Yes, it just cuts. Through any potential comfort or
26:07
self deception someone might be holding on to about their
26:10
standing with God it really. Challenges the whole idea of
26:12
living carelessly, doesn't it? If this is the literal
26:15
consequence that follows from the figurative anger and the
26:18
literal preparation of that bimbo, then the question of
26:21
where one stands before God becomes the single most critical
26:24
question in all existence. Hash high conclusion.
26:26
Takeaways for the learner? Absolutely.
26:29
And so this whole deep dive, looking at this stark dichotomy,
26:32
the secure joy of the righteous versus the terrifying certainty
26:35
facing the wicked, it really compels us towards self
26:39
examination. If we've grasped anything from
26:42
these sources today, it has to be the need to ascertain our
26:45
real character, our true standing before God now.
26:49
Because so. Many people, as the sources
26:51
hint, might live under a kind of delusion, hoping they're in a
26:54
better spiritual state than they really are.
26:56
That seems. To be the concern, But the
26:58
sources are very blunt here. God will not judge us by the
27:01
standard which we have fixed for ourselves, but by that which He
27:04
has established for us in His law and in His gospel.
27:07
Our own internal scorecard, our self defined morality.
27:10
It's just irrelevant compared to God's revealed standard, it
27:13
seems like. The ultimate folly then, to live
27:15
in self deception now, only to be as the source of split,
27:19
undeceived and reap the bitter fruits of your folly on that
27:23
final day when God's discrimination is made visible
27:26
to the entire universe. So the call.
27:29
From these texts is immediate, isn't it?
27:31
Return to the Lord without delay.
27:32
Seek the favorable tokens of his acceptance.
27:35
Find assurance in your soul now, while that door of
27:38
long-suffering is still open, while that arrow is still just
27:41
poised, not yet loosed. And then?
27:44
For those who, through God's grace, have certain that they
27:47
are among the righteous. This whole discussion circles
27:50
right back to where we started, doesn't it?
27:52
Back to that core comfort and security, the sheer blessedness
27:56
of having God as your friend, that friendship.
27:58
That covenant relationship, it truly is the source of all real
28:02
security and peace. Because if God is your enemy,
28:05
well, the whole world combined cannot protect you from His
28:08
avenging arm, the arm that has all things at its command.
28:11
But if He is your friend, you have complete security.
28:14
You genuinely need not fear what all the Confederate hosts of
28:18
Earth and Hell can do against you, because as we read, man
28:21
cannot touch a hair of your head without God's permission.
28:25
So. The real take away seems to be
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recognizing that God is governing the world right now,
28:29
and he's acting as your active, present defense.
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Even if you suffer, and Christians do suffer, you suffer
28:35
under the sovereign permission of the One who promises you that
28:38
ample recompense in the eternal world.
28:41
Exactly. And this ongoing present
28:44
discrimination, God treating the righteous and wicked differently
28:47
today, is the truth we perhaps most often overlook.
28:50
We tend to focus maybe on the big, dramatic, visible judicial
28:53
proceedings at the last day, right?
28:55
And we forget that God's moral government here is active,
28:59
immediate, and working constantly, even if subtly.
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OK, so here's a. Final thought then, maybe
29:04
something for you listening to Mull over connecting that
29:06
ancient care for the patriarchs directly to your life today.
29:09
We read in the sources that God acted as a wall of fire around
29:12
about them, providing constant and miraculous interposition for
29:15
Saints like Abraham and David. Those dramatic deliverances,
29:19
yes. And the sources insist quite
29:22
strongly that those kinds of deliverances are still continued
29:26
to his church and people, even though they admit these
29:28
deliverances are often less visible today.
29:31
So it. Prompts a question for each of
29:33
us, isn't it? It does.
29:34
What subtle daily deliverances might you be overlooking right
29:37
now? What quiet Shields of
29:38
protection? What moments of seemingly random
29:41
good fortune or averted disasters that you just didn't
29:45
notice because they seemed less dramatic than, say, the see
29:48
parting or a giant falling, even though.
29:50
God might still be actively functioning as your personal
29:53
wall of fire, your ultimate defense, every single day in
29:57
ways you haven't recognized. It's a vital.
29:59
Truth to reflect on that the governor of the entire universe
30:02
is intimately involved in the quiet, often mundane details of
30:06
your life right now. Indeed.
30:08
Well. Thank you for sharing your
30:09
sources with us for this deep dive into Reformed thinking.
30:12
We really hope this exploration of God's dual governance, His
30:15
justice and His mercy, His protection and His judgement,
30:18
offer some clarity and perhaps some real confidence for those
30:22
who are upright in heart.