The Judge

June 27

2 Kings 17-18

Psalm 75:6-10

Proverbs 16:24-25

Acts 22

The Judge

“But God is the Judge; he puts down one and raises up another.  For a cup is in the hand of Yahweh, and the wine foams; It is full of His mixture, and He pours from this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.  But as for me, I will declare it forever;  I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.  And all the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous will be raised up.”  Psalm 75:7-10 LSB

Psalm 75 describes God as the Judge.  He is righteous, holy, and just.  When we have been betrayed or hurt, He is the One we can turn to because He is the only One capable of righting every wrong.  He is powerful, mighty and able to bring about justice.  The foaming wine described in these verses is speaking of God’s wrath.  (Isaiah 51:17, Jeremiah 25:15)  The dregs of the wine are the sediment that settles at the bottom of a bottle or glass usually made up of grape skins, seeds and acid crystals.  It is not something you want to drink.  The psalmist is saying that when God dispenses His wrath on the wicked of the earth, they will have to drink every last drop of His fury.  God is the only One we can trust to always do the right thing in every situation.  We can be confident that God is also wise and measured in His judgments.  He does not act in haste or in anger. He is a merciful and loving God, so when we are the one who has hurt or betrayed others, we can turn to Him seeking forgiveness and redemption.  Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath on behalf of those who repent and believe in Him.  (Matthew 20:22, Luke 22:42)  We do not get the punishment we deserve because Jesus took the punishment for us.  His blood covers us and we are declared righteous.    We can be assured that the wicked will be punished but the righteous will receive mercy and grace.  This can be a tremendous source of comfort in times when we experience injustice and hardship and in times when we feel the guilt and shame for our sinful choices that have hurt others. 

Thankfully, God does not put us in the position of judge over others.  No matter how much we might think we are impartial and fair, we are human.  We will not get it right every time.  Our own feelings, motives, and agenda inevitably play a part in our decisions.  This psalm warns against pride and arrogance and encourages humility.  It emphasizes God’s sovereignty and control over all things.  We would not want others to be the judge over us and we do not want the responsibility of having to render judgment on others.  It is important to remember that He is the Judge and we are not.