SONGS OF JUSTICE
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Opening Prayer
Thank you, Father, for mercifully receiving my every prayer. Give me a heart overflowing with thanksgiving and praise whenever I come to you.
Read PSALM 7
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
A shiggaion[b] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.[c]
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
who probes minds and hearts.
10 My shield[d] is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who displays his wrath every day.
12 If he does not relent,
he[e] will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Footnotes
- Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
- Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
- Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High’ (v. 17).
David’s enemy is named here: Cush, a Benjamite. We know nothing about him, but we know that the tribe of Benjamin was a thorn in David’s side (Saul was also a Benjamite) and that he had been one in theirs, too!1 David turns his anger and distress about Cush into a song to the Lord. I imagine it was more like a passionate rap song than soothing contemporary worship, don’t you?
This psalm makes me think we should dedicate more time to poetry and songs that focus on justice and righteousness. David explores his own situation, feelings, and righteousness before God with searing honesty. He also teaches us how to identify righteousness based on the righteousness and justice of God. He knows that the Lord is the judge of all peoples and of himself (vv. 3–5, 8).
He knows that the Lord’s righteousness pierces heart and mind (v. 9)—nothing is hidden from God. He knows that God’s righteous justice is for the upright in heart (v. 10) and that his anger burns hot against the wicked (vv. 11–13). He knows enough of the wisdom of God to know that wickedness will end in disaster (vv. 14–16). In light of all this, he is happy to place himself in the hands of the living, righteous God. He also sings loudly, ‘Awake, my God; decree justice’ (v. 6)!
I wonder if this is missing from our worship. We are equipped by Scripture to sing songs of justice and righteousness in an unjust world, as well as songs of peace and love. We can sing of loving our enemies as Christ teaches us, but also sing ‘Wake up, O Shield and Defender! Decree justice, bring salvation!’2
Apply
How do you combine God’s righteousness, along with grace and mercy, in your testimony to others about Jesus?
Closing prayer
Lord, help me love my enemies, live righteously, act with mercy, and walk humbly before you so that my life is a living testimony to who you are.
1 Michael Wilcock, Psalms 1–72 (IVP, 2001), 35. 2 A prayer based on Ps 7:6, NLT
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