GOD SAVES THE RIGHTEOUS

Passage: Psalm 7:1-17

Key verse: 10

NIV

Psalm 7[a]
A shiggaion[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

1 Lord my God, I take refuge(B) in you;
    save and deliver me(C) from all who pursue me,(D)
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion(E)
    and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(F) me.

3 Lord my God, if I have done this
    and there is guilt on my hands(G)—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
    or without cause(H) have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake(I) me;
    let him trample my life to the ground(J)
    and make me sleep in the dust.[c](K)

6 Arise,(L) Lord, in your anger;
    rise up against the rage of my enemies.(M)
    Awake,(N) my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.(O)
8     Let the Lord judge(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(Q)
    according to my integrity,(R) O Most High.(S)
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—(T)
you, the righteous God(U)
    who probes minds and hearts.(V)

10 My shield[d](W) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.(X)
11 God is a righteous judge,(Y)
    a God who displays his wrath(Z) every day.
12 If he does not relent,(AA)
    he[e] will sharpen his sword;(AB)
    he will bend and string his bow.(AC)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he makes ready his flaming arrows.(AD)

14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth(AE) to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit(AF) they have made.(AG)
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;(AH)
    I will sing the praises(AI) of the name of the Lord Most High.(AJ)

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
  2. Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  4. Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
  5. Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

In You Do I Take Refuge

A (A)Shiggaion[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

7 O Lord my God, in you do I (B)take refuge;
    (C)save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
2 lest like (D)a lion they tear my soul apart,
    rending it in pieces, with (E)none to deliver.

3 O Lord my God, (F)if I have done this,
    if there is (G)wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid (H)my friend[b] with evil
    or (I)plundered my enemy without cause,
5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
    and let him (J)trample my life to the ground
    and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

6 (K)Arise, O Lord, in your anger;
    (L)lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
    (M)awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;
    over it return on high.

8 The Lord (N)judges the peoples;
    (O)judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.
9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    and may you establish the righteous—
you who (P)test (Q)the minds and hearts,[c]
    O righteous God!
10 My shield is (R)with God,
    who saves (S)the upright in heart.
11 God is (T)a righteous judge,
    and a God who feels (U)indignation every day.

12 If a man[d] does not repent, God[e] will (V)whet his sword;
    he has (W)bent and (X)readied his bow;
13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,
    making his (Y)arrows (Z)fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man (AA)conceives evil
    and is (AB)pregnant with mischief
    and gives birth to lies.
15 He makes (AC)a pit, digging it out,
    and falls into the hole that he has made.
16 His (AD)mischief returns upon his own head,
    and on his own skull his violence descends.

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
    and I will (AE)sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 7:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 7:4 Hebrew the one at peace with me
  3. Psalm 7:9 Hebrew the hearts and kidneys
  4. Psalm 7:12 Hebrew he
  5. Psalm 7:12 Hebrew he
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

David begins his psalm by crying out to God in prayer against his enemy (Cush the Benjamite) who has slandered him and accused him of wrongdoing. David is confident that he has done no wrong; he even declares that if he has sinned, then let his enemy triumph over him.

But as he continues to pray, he meditates on God’s justice. God alone is truly righteous. God is angry at sin every day. God sharpens his arrow and bends his bow for judgment, but he is waiting for the penitent one to turn back to him. If not, God allows the sinner to fall into his own trap. When David meditates on God who alone is righteous and just, he ends his psalm with praise and thanksgiving.

God is a just God and he must punish our sins. In his infinite mercy, God sent his own Son Jesus to die in our places and to save us from our sins and judgment. We should praise and thank Jesus for his immeasurable grace and give all our struggles with our enemies to God by faith.

Prayer: Father, thank you and praise you for your righteousness and for saving me. Help me to leave my struggles with my enemies in your hands.

One Word: Thank God for his righteousness