“O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities; even their
memory has perished. But the Lord shall
endure forever; He has prepared His throne
for judgment, He shall judge the world in
righteousness, and He shall administer
judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
“The Lord also will be a refuge for the
oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put
their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not
forsaken those who seek You. . . .
“The nations have sunk down in the pit
which they made; in the net which they
hid, their own foot is caught. The Lord is
known by the judgment He executes;
the wicked is snared in the work on his
own hands.
Meditation.
Selah.”
Psalm 9:6-10,
15-16 (NKJV)
This psalm marks the
Bible’s stark contrast between the redeemed and the lost; salvation and
judgment. There is no middle ground with God and people don’t like to hear
that. The idea of coming judgment is not popular either but it’s a recurring
theme in Scripture and it is inevitable.
Judgment of sin is in
keeping with God's holy character. God is not capricious or vindictive. His
judgments are sure and always righteous. The Lord is known by the judgments He
executes. Indeed, God often prefaces judgment by stating that those being
judged will know that He is the Lord. (See, e.g., Exodus 7:5, Ezekiel 25:11)
The solemnity of God’s
judgment is emphasized by the double exhortation of “Meditation. Selah.” (v.
16) Readers are urged to ponder God’s coming righteous judgment and
seriously consider whether they are ready for that day.
It is not just those who
have “destroyed cities” (v. 6) or committed other crimes who will be judged,
but even those who “forget God” (v. 17). Indeed, all those who have not
put their faith in Christ will be judged.
Thankfully, God is
merciful and He would rather forgive than judge. That forgiveness is a blessed
refuge for sinners who put their faith in Christ. Everyone who knows Jesus and
puts their trust in Him will be saved and not forsaken.
Consider the seriousness
of this message and who God would have you tell of His plan of salvation that
they may escape the judgment to come.