"I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most High." —Psalm 7:17
The Psalm from which our text is taken, and for which it forms the conclusion, is essentially a song of distress. The writer complains of injustice, protests his own righteousness and solicits divine intervention in his behalf. He is the victim of what many have faced over time, a sense that life is "just not fair;" at least, not always! The tone throughout, despite the affirmation of his theology of divine justice, is in a minor key. That is, until this last verse when, without any change of circumstance, there is a decided change of tone.
The key to this abrupt change is simple: "I will praise the Lord!" Unable to change the circumstances, and unwilling to be devoured by them, he purposes in heart to change his perspective and focus on the One who is Lord of every circumstance. The focus of his praise becomes the Lord's righteousness and the Lord's Name.
Each of us brings with us to every situation his own sense of justice. And with that sense of justice comes a sense that "something should be done," and that right soon! It behooves us to surrender our own small screen to the divine panorama, and praise the Lord according to His righteousness. Under admittedly different circumstances the Lord declared, "the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart [I Sam. 16:7]." He knows the end from the beginning, works all things after the counsel of His own will, and as "judge of all the earth," will surely do right (cf. Gen. 18:25). His righteousness involves His omniscience and His time. Sometimes, it would seem, His righteousness involves restraint as He is "longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, but the day of the Lord will come… " in His time! (Cf. II Pet. 3:9-10) Let us suffer the circumstances, if need be, and rise above them to praise the Lord according to HIS righteousness.
And, in the worst of times let us "sing praise to the name of the Lord most High." His Name is the key to salvation. Looking forward to this age of grace the prophet Joel declared, 'And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call [Joel 2:32]." Enlarged in the New Testament it reads, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved [Acts 2:21]." Glory to His Name! "We will rejoice in Thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners… [Ps. 20:5]."
And, in the name of the Lord is security. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe [Prov. 18:10]." "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God [Ps. 20:7]." In this present evil world, the storm may not pass by, but the child of God has a Precious hiding place, the Name of the Lord.
Finally, the name of the Lord is supremacy. In the song of Moses we read, "… I will publish the Name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He [Deut. 32:3-4]." And in the New Testament this glory is transferred to our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom God has given "a name which is above every name: That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [Phil. 2:9-11]."
If life seems not to be treating you fair, it is not wrong to take it to the Lord in prayer; David did. But don't linger in the shadows. The believer can have confidence in the righteousness of God, and find reassurance in the salvation, security and supremacy that are comprehended in His high and holy name. "I will praise the Lord!"
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
The Psalm from which our text is taken, and for which it forms the conclusion, is essentially a song of distress. The writer complains of injustice, protests his own righteousness and solicits divine intervention in his behalf. He is the victim of what many have faced over time, a sense that life is "just not fair;" at least, not always! The tone throughout, despite the affirmation of his theology of divine justice, is in a minor key. That is, until this last verse when, without any change of circumstance, there is a decided change of tone.
The key to this abrupt change is simple: "I will praise the Lord!" Unable to change the circumstances, and unwilling to be devoured by them, he purposes in heart to change his perspective and focus on the One who is Lord of every circumstance. The focus of his praise becomes the Lord's righteousness and the Lord's Name.
Each of us brings with us to every situation his own sense of justice. And with that sense of justice comes a sense that "something should be done," and that right soon! It behooves us to surrender our own small screen to the divine panorama, and praise the Lord according to His righteousness. Under admittedly different circumstances the Lord declared, "the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart [I Sam. 16:7]." He knows the end from the beginning, works all things after the counsel of His own will, and as "judge of all the earth," will surely do right (cf. Gen. 18:25). His righteousness involves His omniscience and His time. Sometimes, it would seem, His righteousness involves restraint as He is "longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, but the day of the Lord will come… " in His time! (Cf. II Pet. 3:9-10) Let us suffer the circumstances, if need be, and rise above them to praise the Lord according to HIS righteousness.
And, in the worst of times let us "sing praise to the name of the Lord most High." His Name is the key to salvation. Looking forward to this age of grace the prophet Joel declared, 'And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call [Joel 2:32]." Enlarged in the New Testament it reads, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved [Acts 2:21]." Glory to His Name! "We will rejoice in Thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners… [Ps. 20:5]."
And, in the name of the Lord is security. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe [Prov. 18:10]." "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God [Ps. 20:7]." In this present evil world, the storm may not pass by, but the child of God has a Precious hiding place, the Name of the Lord.
Finally, the name of the Lord is supremacy. In the song of Moses we read, "… I will publish the Name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He [Deut. 32:3-4]." And in the New Testament this glory is transferred to our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom God has given "a name which is above every name: That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [Phil. 2:9-11]."
If life seems not to be treating you fair, it is not wrong to take it to the Lord in prayer; David did. But don't linger in the shadows. The believer can have confidence in the righteousness of God, and find reassurance in the salvation, security and supremacy that are comprehended in His high and holy name. "I will praise the Lord!"
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
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