Psalm 94 - The LORD, My Defense

[Music] psalm 94 is a beautiful psalm exalting the lord as the defender of his people it is a psalm that has no title to it in the original hebrew text so we don't know who wrote psalm 94 and we don't know the circumstances in which it was written other than it was obviously a time when god's people were being persecuted i like what gcamel morgan had to say about psalm 94 as a whole this is what he said in this song we see how the very things which assault faith and threaten to produce despair may be made the opportunity for praise in the place and act of worship again that's g camel morgan making observations on psalm 94 as a whole which is a wonderful psalm again speaking about the lord who is our defense let's take a look at the psalm verse by verse beginning now at verse 1 psalm 94 verse oh lord god to whom vengeance belongs o god to whom vengeance belongs shine forth rise up o judge of the earth render punishment to the proud lord how long will the wicked how long will the wicked triumph here in this beautiful and poetic opening of the first three verses of psalm 94 we see the first the declaration of who god is and it's a very important declaration did you see that in verse one oh lord god to whom vengeance belongs and he repeated that phrase twice in the first verse that is a simple and profound recognition that vengeance belongs to god he sees and he judges righteously among mankind and will bring vengeance as appropriate now this means that vengeance does not belong to man it also means that vengeance belongs to the one who sees more than we see and knows more than we know it also means that it is appropriate to ask god to dispense vengeance and then trust in his superior knowledge and wisdom and timing in doing so now we don't use this idea that vengeance belongs to the lord which is very clear and like i say it's repeated twice in the first verse we do not use that idea to make us passive and never advocates for what is just and good in this world no we don't eliminate the police force and the law courts and say well if god wants to bring vengeance or justice he'll do it himself no we understand that god uses humanity and especially the god-appointed institutions of humanity to bring forth his justice in this world and we should promote justice in just those ways nevertheless we realize that wherever human beings are involved it's going to fall short of the mark and it will fall short in this life the administration of justice on a human scale we trust that god will ultimately set all things right and we serve the lord god to whom vengeance belongs in jeremiah chapter 51 verse 56 god is given the title the god of recompense and then we are surely assured right there he will surely repay and it's true god is a god of justice i like what adam clarke that old english commentator had to say about this he said this quote god is the author of retributive justice as well as of mercy this retribute of justice is what we often term vengeance but perhaps improperly for vengeance with us signifies an excitement of angry passions in order to gratify and vindictive spirit which supposes itself to have received some real injury whereas what is here referred to is that simple act of justice which gives to all their do in other words there is a difference between vengeance in a biblical sense and revenge it has been said that revenge is an act of passion vengeance is an act of justice injuries are revenged crimes are avenged and so it's a different thing we're not talking about revenge we're not talking about disproportionate justice we're talking about god bringing forth true justice to the earth that's why he repeats the phrase again in the first verse oh god to whom vengeance belongs shine forth now the repetition of the statement adds more than emphasis and intensity it also connects god's vengeance with his glory did you see that in verse 1 oh god to whom vengeance belongs shine forth god's shining forth his glory is connected to his justice in the end god's vengeance his justice upon sin and upon sinners is part of his own glory and so the cry goes forth lord you are the god to whom vengeance plugs shine forth your glory now verse two rise up o judge of the earth the psalmist has committed the work of vengeance to god but he'll still pray that god fulfills his office and that god will as it says in verse 2 render punishment to the proud this has been a prayer of god's persecuted people throughout the centuries i like what g campbell morgan had to say about this he said quote in catacombs in dungeons in places of the utmost desolation when it is seemed to sense that the way of god was blocked that his rule was overcome that all evil things had gained the victory these songs have arisen proclaiming him king mocking all the vain and foolish thoughts of man and declaring his ultimate victory brother and sister can you see it can you see a poor group of persecuted believers you can see it in the days of the early church you can see it in the days of the medieval church you can see at the days of the reforming church you can see it in the modern day because christians today in the world and in the last 100 years have endured unbelievable persecution and they cry out to god lord rise up o judge of the earth render punishment to the proud that has been a prayer of god's persecuted people throughout the centuries and this is not a bad thing to pray listen if the giving of justice is a good thing if it's a right thing then it's a very appropriate thing for us to desire it now we're not talking about private revenge no but here out of a sympathy with what is true and right we cry out to god and say lord render punishment to the proud and when justice seems delayed we do what it says there in verse 3 we cry out lord how long now that adds a note of urgency to the psalmist's prayer with a combination of boldness and humility he asked god to account for the time until this righteous vengeance will be accomplished like the souls under the altar mentioned in revelation chapter 6 the psalmist cries out how long lord it seems to be taking a long time how long are you going to allow this to remain now he doesn't dream for a moment that god is blind to his afflictions he doesn't dream for a moment that god has abandoned him but he does simply say lord it seems like a long time since you have accomplished this justice would you please do it i like what charles spurgeon had to say about that prayer how long he said many a time has this bitter complaint been heard in the dungeons of the inquisition at the whipping posts of slavery and in the prisons of oppression in due time god will publish his reply but the full end is not yet now starting at verse 4 he's going to speak about the rebellion of the wicked against god so here the psalmist continues starting at verse four they utter speech and speak insolent things all the workers of iniquity boast in themselves they break in pieces your people o lord and afflict your heritage they slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless yet they say the lord does not see nor does the god of jacob understand there are four things noted about the wicked in these verses verses four through seven and let me describe to you these four characteristics of the wicked the first of the four things noted about the wicked is their words verse four they utter speech and speak insolent things the wicked speak defiant as it says they're insolent things and they boast in themselves conversely a mark of the righteous is their humble gracious speech now i want you to consider something just for a moment here before we leave verse 4. here he has described a persecution and this idea of god's people being under great attack and when he begins to describe what the actual persecution is he begins with describing the words of the wicked against the righteous now it is true that to speak a word against somebody is not as bad as to actually do physical violence against them but it is an injury nevertheless and it can be an injury that lasts for a long long time when we were children we used to have a little rhyme that we would say we would say sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me that's not quite true is it these proud insolent defiant things that the wicked speak against god and against god's people can wound and bring deep injury it is not a small thing when the wicked slander the righteous when the wicked falsely accuse the righteous when the wicked speak unspeakable lies about the righteous those are not small sins they are sins that god sees and sins that are spoken about it is the first of four things noted about the wicked in these verses of psalm 94. don't ever forget that and as well rare is it to have actual violence that is committed against the people of god that has not been first promoted by words against the people of god like what charles spurgeon said he said words often wound more than swords they are as hard to the heart as stones to the flesh and these are poured forth by the ungodly in redundance so that's the first thing the words that the wicked speak against the righteous but that's not it it's also their violence their actions against god's people verse 5 says they break in pieces your people oh lord again that's the second thing they actually commit violence they commit violence against god's people those who are his heritage they destroy them break in pieces that's the idea there in verse 5 and they afflict them again conversely a mark of the righteous is their love for god's people their care for god's people the third thing noted about the wicked in these verses is found in verse six it says they slay the widow and the stranger that is their actual attack against the weak and the disadvantaged extending even to murder it says they're in verse six again they slay whom the widow and the stranger those were two classes of people in the biblical world that were known to be somewhat helpless and certainly disadvantaged oh isn't that true about the wicked they're not going up against the strong among the people of god they're trying to pick off the weak the best they can conversely a mark of the righteous is their care for the weak and the disadvantaged again charles spurgeon had an insightful comment here on this idea that they slay the widow and the stranger spurgeon said this must not such inhuman conduct as this provoke the lord shall the tears of widows the groans of strangers and the blood of orphans be poured forth in vain as surely as there is a god in heaven he will visit those who perpetrate such crimes though he bear long with them he will yet take vengeance and that speedily now the fourth characteristic of the wicked is found in verse seven it says here the lord does not see that's what the wicked say about god in other words the fourth thing about the wicked is their ignorance and their arrogance toward god they deny that god exists in the manner that god is revealed in the bible this ignorance of god leads them to a deluded arrogance towards him they say the lord doesn't see in other words they are blind in their wickedness therefore they dream that god is blind don't ever make that mistake no dear brothers and sisters don't ever be ones who say the lord does not see and so we see these very strong words speaking against the spoken i should say against the wicked these four characteristics that mark them in verses four through seven but now in verse eight we come to a rebuke against the wicked here we go starting now at verse 8. understand you senseless among the people and you fools when will you be wise he who planted the ear shall he not hear he who formed the eye shall he not see he who instructs the nations shall he not correct he who teaches man knowledge the lord knows the thoughts of man that they are futile so after observing four characteristics of the wicked in verses four through seven now starting at verse eight the psalmist speaks to the wicked and gives them a rebuke he calls out to all the wicked who persecute god's people and this is what he says verse 8 understand you senseless among the people you see the psalmist attempted what many people think is a useless mission that is to help the senseless to help the fools with instruction and understanding so he specifically spoke to those who were mentioned in the previous verse those who believed that god did not see or understand their wickedness now the idea of senseless here in verse 8 understand you senseless among the people it's much the same as we saw in psalm 92 verse 6 senseless is connected to the idea of sort of being like an animal like a brute beast unable to really perceive things on a human level all they do is care about things such as a dog might care about things or a cat or some other ox or some other just brute beast they are more animal-like than human-like at least in their sensibility and this is what they need to learn verse 9 he who planted the ear shall he not hear you see in the previous verses they boasted or they thought that perhaps god was blind and so here the psalmist answers them with simple and solid logic here's the logic the god who created the ear can hear the god who created the eye can see the god as it mentions in verse 10 the god of all wisdom and knowledge will hold men and women to account for their lives i think it's very interesting here something pointed out by adam clarke adam clark noted this that it does not say that the god who planted the ear doesn't he have an ear the god who created the eye doesn't he have an eye that's not what it says in other words it says the god who created an ear he hears the god who created the eye he sees in other words he's not going into the error of over humanizing god he's not attributing to god directly the body parts that we have but rather the powers that humanity has we can't say that god at least god the father being a spirit has an ear but we can say he hears we can't say god the father being a spirit actually has a literal eye but he can see and so the lord is very um wonderful in the way that he describes himself so precisely here even more so verse 11 says that the lord knows the thoughts of man god's wisdom and his knowledge is so great that he even knows the thoughts of men and women now this great god must be appropriately feared and respected and obeyed and this was an important thing for the senseless and the fools to hear maybe they would be instructed by it maybe they would reject the instructed but the psalmist is going to give it to them there now it's interesting the apostle paul later quoted psalm 94 verse 11 where he says the lord knows the thoughts of man that they are futile paul later quoted that in first corinthians chapter 3 verse 20 that's speaking of god's triumph over the exalting of defiant human wisdom and knowledge and then he quotes it again in romans chapter 1 verse 21 speaking of the futility of man's intellect against god it's just interesting to me that verse 11 is quoted twice by the apostle paul in psalm nine in uh excuse me in the new testament apparently the apostle paul had a high regard for psalm 94. now here in verse 12 the scene shifts he has had a focus more on the ungodly in the first 11 verses now starting at verse 12 there's more of a focus on the people of god here he speaks starting at verse 12. blessed is the man whom you instruct o lord and teach out of your law that you may give him rest from the days of adversity until the pit is dug for the wicked for the lord will not cast off his people nor will he forsake his inheritance but judgment will return to righteousness and all the upright in heart will follow it now maybe the senseless and the fools will never listen to god we discuss them in the previous section but verse 12 blessed is the man whom you instruct god's people must listen to him if the senseless and the fools will not and he will instruct and teach his people from out of his word did you see that there in verse 12 he will teach them out of your law that's another reference to god's word don't ever mistake it that is the fundamental and the primary way that god teaches his people no i know he teaches us through experiences i know that he may even teach us to by according to what the holy spirit speaks in our life and works in our life but the fundamental way that god teaches his people is through his word that's why it says there in verse 12 out of your law god will teach us why verse 13 that you may give him rest from the days of adversity now this is a wonderful promise to those who receive the teaching from god's word spoken of in verse 12. they have rest when the inevitable days of adversity come and this rest is theirs until the pit is dug for the wicked until god sets all things right in his judgment did you see that phrase there in verse 13 rest from the days of adversity christians through the centuries and in our own present day have certainly known these days of adversity now you can remember more olden times charles spurgeon did that he said this quote remember the martyr age and the days of the covenanters who were hunted upon the mountains like the partridge you must not wonder if the easy places of the earth are not yours and if the sentinel's stern duties should fall to your lot it is so and it must be for god has ordained it in other words what spurgeon's saying is there are days of adversity that may come into the life of the child of god but it's not just in more distant history brethren sisters we need to consider that right now in the 21st century god's people are persecuted and murdered and suffer in so many parts of the earth we need to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters and just because we perhaps we in the western world do not face this severe persecution the economic persecution that the very severe social and cultural persecution we may face that on a lesser level in our own culture but we certainly don't face right now at the current time that that violent physical persecution many of our brothers and sisters around the world do experience that persecution in the present day and in the distant more distant past it has been said that in the last 100 years if you want to say in the 20th century more people have been murdered for being christians in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined no we live in the age of martyrs now this speaks to us again of the fact that there are days of adversity and thankfully even though there are days god will give his people as it says there in verse 13 give them rest from the days of adversity when god gives you that rest cherish it rejoice in it and for some that rest will not finally come until they are in heaven but understand this verse 14 says for the lord will not cast off his people this is beautiful and powerful assurance we can say it is first given to israel under the old covenant but then it also extends to the child of god under a better covenant the new covenant given to us in jesus christ now i want to be clear about this some people do teach that god did cast off israel but this and many other passages contradict that idea with repetition and with emphasis god insists nor will he forsake his inheritance you realize that saying essentially the same thing in verse 14 the lord will not cast off his people and if that doesn't say it powerfully enough he repeats it nor will he forsake his inheritance brothers and sisters that's true of the purpose for which god has chosen israel those covenant descendants of abraham isaac and jacob but it's also true of his people under the new covenant don't ever fear that god has cast you off i like what charles spurgeon said upon that thought he said even if satan should come and whisper to you the lord has cast you off do not believe it it cannot be the devil has his cast offs but god has no cast offs sometimes he takes the devil's castaways and makes them the trophies of his mighty grace listen i love that thought from charles spurgeon isn't that beautiful the devil has his cast offs god has none but god can take some of the devil's castaways or castoffs and what does he do he as spurgeon said makes them trophies of his amazing grace one day god will set things right look at verse 15 judgment will return to righteousness god promises to bring his righteous reign and judgment to all things bringing satisfaction to the upright in heart this is a great comfort for god's people and he continues in verse 16 to speak about this comfort look at it here starting at verse 16. who will rise up for me against the evil-doers who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity unless the lord had been my help my soul would soon have settled in silence if i say my foot slips your mercy o lord will hold me up in the mercy of my anxieties within me excuse me in the multitude of my anxieties within me your comforts delight my soul did you notice that in verse 16 the psalmist looks around in his present trouble and he calls out and simply asks the question who will rise up for me against the evildoers you see the previous lines of this psalm expressed satisfaction in god's ultimate righteous judgment now the psalmist consider that that hoped for day was not yet he understands and expresses his own limitations in dealing with evildoers and the workers of iniquity so he needs i need help who will rise up for me against the evildoers and then i love the proclamation in verse 17. i'm sure you noticed it as well he says unless the lord had been my help my soul would soon have settled in silence that rhetorical question was answered the lord had been his help the lord would be his help against the wicked and prevent him from being settled in silence that's a very poetic reference to death now look we acknowledge that oftentimes the suffering of god's people has resulted in them dying for the faith in passing from this world unto the next but at least in this circumstance the psalmist who composed and sang psalm 94 was assured that he in his present distress would not die but god would help him god would deliver him his soul would not at that moment be settled in silence instead verse 18 he understood your mercy o lord will hold me up god's mercy would sustain him in the difficult day even when it seemed that his foot might slip he would not fall instead he could declare as it says in verse 19 your comforts delight my soul with enemies and difficulties all around him the psalmist needed help he needed comfort from god and the lord answered with many comforts that brought delight to his soul that's in verse 19. that rescued him did you see that phrase in verse 19. i misread it the first time when we read through the text i read in the mercy of mind saying no in the multitude of my anxieties within me god brought comforts to delight the soul and brothers and sisters isn't it wonderful how many beautiful comforts god can bring to us by his spirit we think about god's great love we think about his plan of the ages we think about his amazing promises we think about what he accomplished at the cross we think about the glory of the risen jesus we think about how he is one with us his people we think about his glorious return we think about all these things and these are comforts that god brings to us even when we have the multitude of anxieties within now starting at verse 20 we're going to go to the end of psalm 94 and again see how god is the defense of his people look at it here starting at verse 20 shall the throne of iniquity which devises evil by law have fellowship with you they gather together against the life of the righteous and condemn innocent blood but the lord has been my defense and my god the rock of my refuge he has brought on them their own iniquity and shall cast them off in their own wickedness the lord our god shall cut them off here again in the last four verses of psalm 94 he's considering again the great power of wickedness around him notice it in verse 20 he describes wickedness around him as the throne of iniquity and he says that they devise evil by law the psalmist knew that sometimes wickedness is found in high places in the places of rulership expressed by the throne of iniquity even in the place of law and legislation that's expressed by the phrase which devises evil by law and he understood that such thrones that are marked by iniquity and such laws that are devised by evil those will never have fellowship with god this suggests to us the thought from 1 john chapter 1 verse 6 that verse says if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth so he understood the iniquity in the world again i can't get away from that phrase in verse 20 which devises evil by law there are all sorts of evil in this world but one of the worst kinds of evil is evil that is set in place by the laws of a people and when we look at our own nations at our own communities and see some laws that are just plain evil such as laws that permit and virtually encourage or pay for or subsidize or protect the murder of the unborn though that is evil by law you could say that that is the height of crime god sees it and he has no fellowship with it these same wicked people are the ones described in verse 21 where it says they gathered together against the life of the righteous you see this kind of wickedness it was already described in verses four five and six that kind of wickedness that condemns innocent blood again john again in 1st john chapter 3 he described that same wicked heart he said do not marvel my brethren if the world hates you so when as it says in verse 21 they gather together against the life of the righteous it doesn't surprise us it does interest us though that it says they gather together did you notice that sometimes what brings the world together is its hatred of the people of god it's as if they say well that's the one thing we can agree together about that we don't like the people of god and that we want them to perish away but god is greater than it all look at that wonderful proclamation in verse 22 but the lord has been my defense though the wicked who were set against the psalmist and the people of god were in high places though their evil was even entrenched in the laws of the day the psalmist and the people of god had an even greater defense god himself was as it says right there in verse 22 the rock of their refuge and listen that is a beautiful powerful thing i want you to notice something here in verse 22 that the psalmist is making it very personal in verse 22 he says my defense my refuge this is an individual personal testimony and of course it could be true for each one of us but i just want you to understand that this was something that he had personally received and experienced oh no i know what it's like to have the lord be my defense the lord be my refuge and i hope you know that as well personally in your own life but as for the resolution of the wicked look at what he says there in verse 23 he meaning the lord has brought on them their own iniquity here the ultimate doom of the wicked is anticipated the judgment god brings against them will be righteous and it will be fitting their doom will be connected to their own iniquity and it says they're in verse 23 in their own wickedness what does that mean it means that when god brings his justice the punishment is going to fit the crime and those who have cut off others they themselves will be cut off this was the confidence and the defense of the psalmist that the punishment god brings upon the wicked will fit what they have owned what they themselves have done by the way if you think of that phrase he has brought on them their own iniquity spurgeon said about that idea this he said quote that is the punishment of sin it seems strange that it is so but sin is the punishment of sin when a man has once sinned it is part of his punishment that he is inclined to sin again and so on and so on add infinitum no that is part of the judgment that god will bring upon the iniquity excuse me upon those who work iniquity he will bring more sin or allow more sin to come upon them you see this beautiful confidence is expressed finally in the repetition in verse 23 of the phrase cut off he shall cut them off in their own wickedness the lord our god shall cut them off again that repetition gives emphasis to the idea and it also matches the repetition of vengeance in the first verse of the psalm in the first verse of psalm 94 the psalmist twice mentioned vengeance now in the last verse he twice mentions cut them off we can say that the psalm began with trusting god to set things right and it ends with the same confidence can you have that confidence in the lord and in his strength that god the righteous god shall set all things right now before we leave psalm 94 let's consider a few ways that psalm 94 points to jesus i'm sure that if we spent the time we could find many many ways but i thought of three ways that psalm 94 points to jesus let's take a look at them one by one number one jesus is the judge of the earth verse two says rise up o judge of the earth now jesus told us in john chapter 5 verse 22 for the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son jesus christ will judge all the earth and so in verse 2 when it speaks of the judge of the earth it is speaking in some ways of jesus himself that's number one number two jesus knew the thoughts of man verse 11 says this the lord knows the thoughts of man and there are several occasions in the gospels when it tells us the story of the life and ministry of jesus christ where it tells us specifically that he knew the thoughts of others you can look it up in matthew chapter 9 verse 4 or in matthew chapter 12 verse 25 or in luke chapter 6 verse 8 all of those tell us of occasions where jesus knew the thoughts of others and it says here in verse 11 the lord knows the thoughts of man well indeed that was true of jesus christ then thirdly and for our time together in psalm 94 this is finally jesus will never cast away his people verse 14 says this for the lord will not cast off his people do you remember that verse i love that phrase in psalm 94. well remember that jesus told us in john chapter 6 verse 37 all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me i will by no means cast out jesus promises he will never cast out he will never cast off his people it's good to know that we will never be cast away in jesus christ brothers and sisters can you have that confidence in jesus we are safe and secure and we can rest in the god described for us in psalm 94 the god who will defend and when necessary avenge his people let's pray and thank the lord for that father in heaven when we see such a glorious psalm like psalm 94 how you defend and how you avenge even lord your persecuted and afflicted people it makes us want to pray lord for our dear brothers and sisters around the globe right now who are persecuted lord i don't have any doubt that today someone will die for being a christian in some part of the world lord i pray that you would strengthen that you would encourage that you would deliver that you would protect your persecuted people and lord i pray that not a single drop of a martyr among your god among your people would fail to bring forth a rich harvest that would glorify you in eternity it makes us also lord pray for the persecutors of your people we pray that by miracles of conversion you would turn their hearts around and that they would come to a true faith in jesus christ and the transformation of life that flows from that lord exalt yourself in our presence as the god who defends and avenges his people and we thank you that you have promised to never cast us off we give you thanks and praise in jesus name [Music] amen

Channel: David Guzik

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Keywords: david guzik, guzik, enduring word, psalm 94, the lord my defense, old testament, lord, defense, obey, rebellious, wicked, people of god, instruction

Id: U-ZCnbGZP-E

Length: 44min 7sec (2647 seconds)

Published: Mon May 03 2021