Psalm 94:1 “O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.”
Judge Roy Bean lived over one hundred years ago, and he was both a barkeeper and a judge. Whenever the need arose, such as an apprehended cattle-rustler, Roy Bean would simply change hats, step back behind the bar, and become the judge. He was known as the “Law West of the Pecos,” and I guess the old saying of “judge, jury, and executioner” fits him pretty well!
In Psalm 94, we find that God is Judge, Jury, and Defense. The psalmist asked God to reveal Himself, and He does that in at least three ways in the psalm. First, God reveals Himself as the Judge. Verse 2 says, “Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. We must remember that God knows everything, sees everything, and will make things right. He is a God of vengeance (verse 1), but He is not a petty, small, vindictive God; He is the Judge of the universe. He is the great Arbiter of everything that occurs on this earth. We are told in Romans 12:19 to “avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” In other words, instead of getting back at somebody, we are to make space for the wrath of God. God is a God to whom vengeance belongs.
Next, we see a very different picture when God is pictured as a righteous Father. Verse 12 says, “Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law.” In the New Testament, we are told that “no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. . . .” Anybody who had parents that chastened them knows that! The verse continues by saying that “afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. . . .” There is no peace in the home if where there is no chastening and kids are free to do whatever they want. However, there is a difference between a God who takes vengeance on the wicked and a God who chastens His own. When God chastens us, it is not because He hates us or wants to destroy us; He chastens us precisely because He loves us!
The third revelation of God comes in verse 22: “But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.” He is our Defense! Not judge, jury, and executioner; but rather Judge, Jury, and Defense! The same God who is righteous to judge the sinner and to chasten a son is the same God who is righteous to defend those who love Him and seek Him.
I don’t need to be worried about the world today, where it seems like all the bad guys are winning and all the good guys are losing. There is a Judge in heaven–God knows! Live in light of who God is, not in light of who everybody else is today.
Prayer Requests:
– Ranch evangelists traveling to services this weekend in Santa Maria, CA; Palm Harbor, FL; Ocala, FL; and Dayton, OH