Psalm 9. 3-10
Many times, the presentation of God in the OT is misunderstood. Typically, the Lord is viewed as the God of Judgment, meaning he is cold, cruel, and uncaring. Only a partial reading of the OT presentation of God could result in such a distorted understanding of God.
Psalm 9 presents God as sitting upon his throne judging the nations. Now, we cannot ignore God as judge. The world and all that is in it is his. He created the universe for his own purposes, so, he has both the right and the authority to judge. God is unwilling to allow individuals and nations to act in ways that are inconsistent with his plan. He has established laws for the governance of this world and he expects those laws to be honored.
What kind of judge is God? Is he cold and cruel? Is he unfair or unjust? Does he care more for the legal standard he has established than for those who are required to live under that standard. How does God judge?
We must not forget that every judgment has a precedent. God judges because of an infraction, because his law is broken. God does not call the ignorant or the innocent into account. Only those who have willfully committed a crime must appear before the Judge of the Universe.
How did David describe God as judge? "You have sat upon the throne judging righteously." Actually, the text can be read to say that God sits "as a righteous judge." God is not unfair, unjust, or unrighteous.
What is the significance of the word "righteous"? To be righteous is to be innocent of either wrong motives or wrong actions. The Hebrew word tsedeq, translated righteous, means to conform to an ethical or moral standard. In order to qualify as judge, God, then, must conform to his own ethical demands. He cannot compromise even the most minor point of his law. Otherwise, he would be an unjust judge.
As a judge, God sits on his throne as a ruler, the head of government. He rules the universe, the heavens and the earth. The kingdom is his. Thus, he adjudicates all matters of controversy involving those who live in his kingdom. Even Satan, whom Paul described as the ruler of this age, is accountable to God. When God makes a decision, he enforces that decision. Plea bargains and commuted sentences are not a part of his justice system.
Further, in his kingdom, God is aware of all that transpires. Nothing escapes his sight. He does not execute judgment based upon hearsay or circumstantial evidence. All the facts are known to him: who acted, why they acted as they did, and what they did are all know to him. To rule in a controversy upon any basis other than the absolute truth would make God’s judgments unjust. Thus, his rulings would be illegitimate and null.
So, God as judge means he is the divine, omnipotent, just, and righteous ruler. When God tries a case, whether involving a nation or an individual, his justice is both just and righteous. Any charge of cruel, cold, uncaring actions on God’s part is baseless. To call God unfair or unjust is a claim without foundation. We might not know all the facts, but God does. Our inability to know all things does not mean we are correct in viewing God as unjust and merciless. God is the righteous judge; he always judges righteously, with justice, and with equity.
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