July20_2023_Psalm58

The main ideas from this information are that God is the judge on the earth and rewards the uncompromisingly righteous. The psalm emphasizes the importance of not operating outside of sacrificial worship and not defending personal agendas, as this leads to wickedness and violence. It also warns against being ungodly and estranged from God, as this leads to lies and deception. The psalm discusses how God will deal with the wicked and protect his children, bringing joy and fulfillment of his promises. It concludes by highlighting that witnessing God's actions will testify to his existence and judgment. July 20th, 2023, Treasures in Christ, Psalm 58, Jehovah Shaphat Adesh, our Lord God who judges on the earth, Psalm 58, 11. Men will say, surely there is a reward for the uncompromisingly righteous, surely there is a God who judges on the earth. O Heavenly Father, we're just so grateful this morning that you chose to get us up another day and bring us to this very place. As we seek you, Father God, I know that we'll find you. As we ask, I know that you'll answer. As we knock, I know you'll open the door today. For you are the God sovereign over all things. You judge on the earth today. And it's for men to see, men to see your power, men to see your glory, men to see your hand at work first in the lives of your children as you reward those of us that decide and choose the uncompromisingly righteous route. That we operate in the righteousness of Christ, we see the transforming power of the Holy Spirit come in each of your children. And this is our testimony, this is our witness to the world. And in it they'll know that you are the God who judges on the earth. I'm so grateful for this truth this morning, Father God. I'm excited to see what you have to say in Psalm 58. I thank you for giving us manna from heaven today. I thank you for our Savior, Jesus Christ, the very Lord and Redeemer of our souls, the Shepherd of our souls. And the Holy Spirit of power that's been put in each of your children is to seal us until that day of redemption. The very word, the very truth, the very main line into the throne room. So I pray today that the Holy Spirit will have its way, that as we walk in a way that pleases the Spirit, we'll be putting to death those deeds of the flesh that are not pleasing to you. Bless the word now as it goes forward, Father God, that it will be transforming in nature, in Jesus' name, amen, amen. Well, this is an interesting Psalm 58. I'm excited to see what it tells us today. They say it's a psalm of David, a record of memorable thoughts, set to the tune of Do Not Destroy. It starts off in Psalm 58. Do you indeed in silence speak righteousness, O you mighty ones? For is the righteousness, the rightness and justice you should speak, quite dumb? Do you judge fairly and uprightly, O you sons of men? So again, he's starting us off with that correct place. These are the temptations. These are the things that are going to want to draw us away. How good we are in our own righteousness, in our own rightness and justice as we operate and try to judge and do these sorts of things. But he says, quite dumb. Interesting. He says, no, in your heart you devise wickedness. Because when we operate outside of sacrificial worship, it's wickedness in God's eyes. It's counter to the kingdom. And so, no, in your heart you devise wickedness. You deal out in the land the violence of your hands. And we know because of the goodness of our merchandise, our ability to produce things, to have an impact, value in our operating procedures. Then we get to this place where we defend our agenda. That's what I like to call it, the agenda. We defend our agenda and it brings us to violence. This place of violence where we just want to get our agenda fulfilled. And it doesn't matter what we have to do to get it done. That's just the way it operates when we operate outside the kingdom. And this is a good example of that piety doctrine where we just think it's because how good we are. And who are we then to do these things? He says, it's quite dumb. The ungodly are perverse and estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. See, when we're just not operating in sacrificial worship, it just becomes this thing. And I'm not exactly thinking he's talking about, you know, the moment we're born, we start to lie. Because I don't know very many newborn babies that lie. But maybe newborn as in born into the kingdom, you know, newborn into relationship with God. Knowing right from wrong, choosing wrong and then coming into relationship with God. I can see that. I can see that being the case. And since we're not operating with the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, we're operating with our own agenda. We become ungodly and perverse and estranged. See, the thing is, we've become estranged. We've become separated. Because we can't operate in the flesh and in the spirit. It says that in Romans. It says, you know, we do simple things because we think about simple things. But if we want to walk in a way that pleases the spirit, that means we're in good relationship with them. Then we have to think about things that please the spirit, which are the transforming power that's in us with the spirit. We put to death these things, this ungodliness, this perversity. But it brings us into a place of estrangement. You know, we can't have a relationship when we're in this place and position. Their poison is like the venom of a serpent. And they are like the deaf adder or ass that stops its ear. You see, and I'm thinking of these snakes. The serpent in particular is kind of a surprise attack. It just wants to attack. You know, it's not sitting there like a cobra, just kind of showing off. It's kind of sneaking up, and it's coming in, and it's just putting its poison in. And so it's going to be this thing that poisons the... that brings poison into the body of Christ, into this place. When they operate this way. Which listens not to the voice of charmers or of the enchanter, never casting spells so cunningly. And again, it just doesn't follow the lead of God. It just isn't following the Holy Spirit. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths. Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord. And again, young lions is a nice reference to a quick attack, a surprise attack. Something that's coming from an unexpected source. A full-grown lion is going to sit up on top of the pride. Pride is going to be the obvious spot. It's going to be the obvious thing. We know the agenda of the lion. It's to have power and leadership and effect over the entire pride. But a young lion is going to just run around haphazardly. And it just goes around, just doom, doom, doom. And it's very symbolic of the serpent that we read about. It's kind of not so obvious. And the fact is, it just tears up. It just tears and poisons and tears the kingdom. It comes in and can do damage in the kingdom. And let them melt away as water which runs apace. When he aims his arrows, let them be as if they were headless or split apart. So, again, they're going to still be shooting the arrows. You know, no weapon formed against us can prosper. But the weapon will come and hit us. But it just, in some cases, it just won't be very prosperous. We see that here with an arrow, a symbolism of an arrow, a bow and arrow. And the arrow has no head, or it's split apart, which means it isn't going to fly very good. It still could hit its mark, but it won't be very, it won't have an impact. It won't have any, you know, value, I want to say, in it. Because it's not, it's given a symbolism. It's either got no arrow on it, no tip on it, or it's split apart even. So, it's not even going to fly very good. And it's going to not fly very straight. So, we're seeing a very unproductive, unstraight way of being. This is when we see in the body of Christ when we or others go our own way, go off God's course and go our own way. We become like these poisoning snakes and these devouring lions. And we just don't have any direction and really no effect. Let them be as a snail dissolving slime as it passes on, or as a festering sore which wastes away, like the child to which a woman gives untimely birth that has not seen the sun. And it's just one of those things, if you take a look at the snail, it's a very slow thing going on there, a festering sore. It's a very slow thing that's going on, but it's just there. It's a constant misdirection, it's constantly off course. And again, at the end of the day, there is a new birth in the kingdom of God. And this is going to do untimely birth that has not seen the sun. The sun is a reflection of Jesus. And so, it's just not going to be effective work in the kingdom is what it's saying. It's going to be slow, it's going to be like a festering sore that wastes away, and it's going to be like a child that wasn't really born at the right time that has not seen the sun, it was an untimely birth. But the child has not seen the sun. It's going to be somebody trying to push their agenda. Before your pox can feel the thorns that are placed under them for fuel, he will take them away as with a whirlwind, the green and the burning ones alike. So all the things that fuel this agenda, God is going to thwart the plans of the wicked. So we know that that's what he's talking about here. And I like the fact that he uses thorns as symbolism, because we think of thorns as something that can poke or snag or really trip up. I'm thinking of trip up in the body of Christ, because we're trying to bring the symbolism, get the spirit and truth, and get the action in the body of Christ. So it can be very snagging and very poking, the enthusiasm. When I think of fire in a pot going on with fuel, I'm thinking of the motivation, the energy that's behind it. It just becomes a snag, a trap. But God's going to take it away, and that's the good news. This is why we know God is the judge, and that's the good news for us. We don't have to focus on the vengeance. We don't have to focus on anything other than walking in sacrificial worship, and God's taking care of all this outside action. It says, The unyieldingly righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. We're not looking at, Oh, I can't wait to see them get war. But when we're operating under the righteousness of God and operating in the direction of the Holy Spirit, and somebody brings an agenda in that's poisonous and destructive, that's slow, just devouring things, and the motivation behind it is very much a trap. It's ensnaring and snagging. But when God takes that away, this is a good place. We shall rejoice. Rejoice is not make fun of, point the finger at. Rejoicing means that God's fulfilled a promise, and so we have the joy of the Lord, and it outpours in rejoicing. And so this is, yes, when God deals with those around us that are not operating with God's agenda but with their own agenda, God's going to deal with it. God's going to take the vengeance. And it says, He will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. God will take the vengeance. And it brings joy to us, because what was devouring and ensnaring and all of these things that it was, as if the attacks were trying to come against us, even though God kept them from having any sort of prosperity against us with the broken arrow tip and the split arrows and all of that is a reflection of that, that God's going to handle His business. It's His kingdom after all. And He is in charge. And He will bathe His feet in the blood of the wicked. And this is, I like verse 11. 11 was the focus verse. And I like it because it shows us it's not all about us, oh, look at them looking what God's whooping them or doing that. It's not a finger wagging, I told you so kind of a thing going on. We're rejoicing because God fulfills His promises of protection. This is why there's rejoice. When we see the vengeance, it brings us joy in our soul, because God is fulfilling His promise to protect us. It's a beautiful thing. But I like the outcome because God wants none to perish. And so we can't ever forget our purpose. And so verse 11 gives us the purpose again. To remind us it's not about wagging a finger. It's about this. What are men going to say when they see God working? They're going to respond, right? And surely there is a reward for the uncompromisingly righteous. Okay, so that's one thing they're seeing. They're seeing God protect His children. And surely there is a God who judges on the earth. And they're going to see the judgment of the wicked. See, they're going to see it, both of them. And this is when it says all things work together for the good, right? To those who love God and are called according to His purpose, well, this is His purpose. He wants none to perish. So now He's covering them from both sides. So we're getting the joy inside of us as we see God come to work and do all this defense and vengeance and protection and battling for us. But those that are outside, or it could even be us, it could be just encouraging us also. Anybody can see this. But then we get to see the heart of God and the character of God, which is to reward, that He rewards with joy the uncompromisingly righteous. You see, and that doesn't mean the perfectly righteous. It means those that are, their heart doesn't sway. It stays anchored in the Lord, trusted and reliant on the Lord. And when it makes a mistake, it comes back in repentance. It's an awesome thing. And people will see this. We don't have to tell them anything. People will see it, and they will testify to it. You know, it's always that when I think about God having to set the table, this is what we're talking about. We don't have to go tell somebody that, oh, look, God rewarded me because I was uncompromisingly righteous. We just have to live in this place of sacrificial worship, and they'll see God reward us. And they'll know there surely is a God who judges in the area. And He rewards, and then He does all of the things we see as He takes vengeance and all of these things up ahead, up above. He's doing both, and both have an impact on the kingdom. Everything that God does is for the good of the kingdom, and it has an impact, whether it is to reward those who are in sacrificial worship or whether it is to judge and take vengeance on those who are coming against His children. Either way, it has kingdom work associated with it. Either way, it is worked out together for the good for the kingdom, for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose, which would be the kingdom. The people walking in the kingdom of God. Wow. Short but sweet. I like that perspective. And remember, we've got to remember, it's not a, I wag your finger, oh, look at what God's whooping you up. And that's the temptation. That is the temptation. And if we go back up to the first one, the first verse, we see that when we start getting that kind of heart, where we think, oh, it's our righteousness, it's our rightness, it's our justice, it's how we judge fairly and uprightly, that is what takes us off. And our heart is off course. And it divides us. So this is the trap. So we don't want to fall into this trap. And David gives us the confirmation in the last two verses that the rejoicing is the fulfilled promises in our life of God's protection. It's not the joy of watching somebody get smashed down. And the reason we know that is because he wraps it up with it. It has an impact. Having God fulfill promises and fill us with the joy of the Lord, giving us strength in that people will see and it will testify to God. And to show, and then the other way around as well, when he allows the evil wicked to fall by their own devices, then he is, his glory is reflected in that judgment as well. That's why he is the God who judges on the earth. And what an amazing truth. It's a reminder that Psalm 58 truly is a treasure in Christ and a treasure in heaven. And that God is Jehovah Shaphat Eretz, our Lord God who judges on the earth. Oh, Heavenly Father, we're thankful for this word. It was short but sweet. It gave us some insight to your work in the kingdom, Father God, that we don't need to fret over the things that are coming all around us, that are attacking, that are poisoning, that are just festering and causing stumbling and snaring. Because you will judge that. You will not only judge that but defend us from it and make it have no prosperity when it comes against us. And I pray for the body of Christ for this truth today that they'll embrace it, Father God, and it won't be a finger-wagging thing. It'll be a compassion thing really at the end of the day and an encouragement knowing that in this process, whether it's the rewards for your children or the judgments for those walking in wickedness, that it will be evangelizing in nature. And we know that that is your very purpose for all mankind is to have relationship with Him. So that's a beautiful thing. And I pray the body of Christ will catch that truth today and be transformed by it. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen and amen.