Hassled By “The Man”

There Will Be Liberty and Justice for All

PREVIEW: Human longing for God’s justice has been a common theme in every age—including ours. Too often, the powerless have been hassled by “the man,” with impunity. Throughout history, the rich have built their wealth on the backs of the poor, men have treated women as chattel, adults have neglected children, ruling parties have disenfranchised minorities, captains of industry have enslaved “lesser” human beings, and those who have the means to prevent and eradicate poverty, hunger, and disease have stood by while the lives of untold millions have been needlessly imprisoned in misery and whose lives have been ruined. Perhaps at some level, even you have felt hassled by “the man.” There is something in us cries out for God to intervene, isn’t there? And sometimes, we feel as though the God of justice who rules from heaven above has turned a blind eye to the plight of the unfortunate. But there is a day coming when God will rise to bring both the living and the dead to full account. And on that day, justice and fairness will finally and fully reign throughout all of creation. It may not seem like it today, but that day is coming.

Hassled By “The Man” - Ray Noah

A JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 82:1-4,8

God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”: How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

The opening line is a little confusing. Who are the “gods” that Almighty God is addressing? According to the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, God is speaking to one of three possible audiences: (1) human judges who are condemned by the Great Judge for being unjust; (2) the principalities and the powers of other nations that oppress Israel; (3) pagan deities judged by God, who rule the darkness of the world.

Whatever the case may be, his entire psalm is a plea for God to rise up against the powerful who use their positions of power—either through aggression or neglect—to harass and abuse the powerless: the poor, the orphan, the destitute, the oppressed. In fact, this psalm is more than a plea; it’s a challenge, really, to the Almighty to do what a righteous God ought to do: Ensure liberty and justice for one and all.

That has been a common theme in every age—including ours. Too often, the powerless have been hassled by “the man” with impunity. Throughout history, the rich have built their wealth on the backs of the poor, men have treated women as chattel, adults have neglected children, ruling parties have disenfranchised minorities, captains of industry have enslaved “lesser” human beings, and those who have the means to prevent and eradicate poverty, hunger, and disease have stood by while the lives of untold millions have been needlessly imprisoned in misery and whose lives have been ruined. Perhaps at some level, even you have felt hassled by “the man.”

There is something in us that cries out for God to intervene, isn’t there? And sometimes, we feel as though the God of justice who rules from heaven above has turned a blind eye to the plight of the unfortunate. But there is a day coming when God will rise to bring both the living and the dead to full account. And on that day, justice and fairness will finally and fully reign throughout all of creation. It may not seem like it today, but that day is coming.

The Christian must never forget that we are people of the resurrection. What does that mean in this context? Simply this: We follow a Risen Savior who rose from the tomb victorious over death, hell, and the grave. And that is a permanent reminded that Jesus broke the chains of sin, sickness, and suffering on the days he rose from the tomb, and in so doing, sent notice throughout time and eternity that he will not rest until the rulers and principalities and world systems and spiritual dominions that have caused the ruination of God’s plan for the human race are brought under his fair and just dominion.

It may not seem like it today, but the empty tomb and the Risen Savior we celebrate are to remind us, not just on Easter Sunday, but every day, that God has not turned a blind eye to this planet, nor to you. So, on this day, be reminded that “the man’s” days are numbered.

And when “the man’s” number is up, then the innumerable and unending days of the rule and reign of the Son of Man will begin—and then there will truly be liberty and justice for all!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: As an act of faith, offer up praise to Almighty God for his just and true judgments, and give him thanks that you will live forever in Eden restored.

The Tables Will Be Turned

At The Proper Time, Divine Justice Calls For Divine judgment.

Divine justice calls for judgment when you consider the cruelty and wickedness that has been carried out against the people of God throughout the centuries. And when justice is finally served, you and I will lift our voice in praise, and along with all the saints and the heavenly hosts, say, “just and true are your judgments, O Lord.”

Read: Psalm 149 // Focus: Psalm 149:4,6,9

For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory … Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands … To carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD.”

God’s people have been the victims of injustice for far too long, but the day is coming when they will be not only victorious, but the administrators of justice upon this evil world.

“Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.” (Psalm 149:6-9)

With humility and through indignity, the saints of God have borne the yoke of oppression, but when Christ returns to set up his Father’s righteous rule on the earth, it will be with glory, praise and joy that his people will carry out just punishment upon those who have served Satan’s purposes.

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.” (Psalm 149:1-5)

Now that kind of militant talk may make you a bit uncomfortable. You prefer to love your enemies and pray for those who have persecuted you. You more accustomed to think in terms of forgiveness and reconciliation, peace and tolerance than judgment. And rightly so! That is our assignment for the time being.

But at the proper time, Divine justice calls for Divine judgment. And Divine judgment is only right and fair when you consider the cruelty and wickedness that has been carried out against the people of God throughout the centuries. Just think of what the nation of Israel, the Jews, have endured—not the least of which was the horror of the holocaust.

And what about the church? Anywhere between one hundred to three hundred thousands believers are killed each year throughout the world for nothing more than believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Daily, in other parts of the world, the saints are mistreated, suffer economic terrorism, endure beatings, rape, imprisonment and death—by the thousands. Just because we don’t see those horrors here in the western world does not mean it is not happening elsewhere—or won’t happen here some day.

Yes, Divine justice is coming to this world. It has to, or God isn’t just and righteous. And when justice finally arrives, you and I will lift our voice in praise, and along with all the saints and the heavenly hosts, say, “just and true are your judgments, O Lord.” (Revelation 16:7)

Yes, the day is coming, sooner than you think, when the tables will be turned, and the saints of God will be in charge. God’s justice demands it; God’s fairness ensures it.

And thank God, by his grace and mercy, through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you and I will be on the right side of the table!

Making Life Work: One day the tables will be turned, and Divine justice will be served. But until them, speak out for just causes and practice patience.

A Downright Nasty Little Prayer

When It’s Completely Appropriate to Pray Angry

If you are going to unleash an imprecatory prayer on someone—a downright nasty little diatribe to God—just remember that Divine justice is blind; it cuts both ways. So make sure your own evil has been covered by the blood of Christ, which comes by grace through faith through the acknowledgement and repentance of sin.

Read: Psalm 137 // Focus: Psalm 137:8

“O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us.”

If you are going to enjoy the psalms, sooner or later you’ll have to deal with a psalm like this. Psalm 137 is a downright nasty little song/prayer that calls for the violent destruction of the Babylonian people—akin to the call for a Jewish Jihad! This is what we called an imprecatory psalm—the calling down of a divine curse; a prayer for violent vengeance.

So the question is, what place does such an angry psalm have in the song book of a loving God?

First, this isn’t simply a religious rant. Psalm 137 should not be isolated from the others psalms—or from the rest of Scripture, for that matter. It makes sense only in context of both the theological and historical setting. The writer wasn’t just calling down vengeance because he didn’t like someone. The Babylonians had perpetrated great violence against God’s people, so the psalmist was only calling on God to do what God had promised to do. (see Jeremiah 52:4-11)

Second, this is not a call to take vengeance into human hands. The psalmist sees God as judge, jury and executioner, and upon that basis makes his plea for the proper execution of Divine justice. (James 4:12)

Third, though it isn’t acknowledged within this psalm, other Scripture shows that before the Jews had called down judgment on their captors, they had first thoroughly repented before God for the very things that had brought them under the iron-fist of Babylon to begin with. (Daniel 9:1-19) They had, as Jesus later called us to do, taken the beam out of their own eye before they bothered with judgment for their tormentors. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Finally, this prayer, and others like it, is aligned with God’s prophetic indictment of Israel’s enemies. The writer is praying what the Scripture has already declared, calling into fulfillment God’s judgment against some extremely evil people. (Psalm 103:6)

For the most part, our prayers should be along the lines that Jesus taught: “love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:27-28 NLT) But when evil goes beyond the pale, it is certainly appropriate to pray for what is at the core of God’s being: Justice.

However, I think I need to offer one caveat: If you are going to unleash an imprecatory prayer, just remember that Divine justice is blind; it cuts both ways. So make sure your own evil has been covered by the blood of Christ, which comes by grace through faith through the acknowledgement and repentance of sin.

Making Life Work: Are you angry about someone or something? First, make sure you are good and angry. (see Psalm 4:4 and Ephesians 4:26) Next, confess your own sins before God and thank him for his undeserved mercy and grace in your life, Now you are ready to pray for what or for whom you angry. So go for it!

The Tables Will Be Turned

Read Psalm 149

Featured Verse: Psalm 149:9

“To carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD.”

God’s people have been the victims of injustice for far too long, but the day is coming when they will be not only victorious, they will actually be the administrators of Divine justice upon this evil world. (Psalm 149:6-9)  Through humiliation and indignity, the saints of God have historically borne the yoke of oppression, but when Christ returns to set up his Father’s righteous rule on the earth, it will be with glory, praise and joy that his people will carry out just punishment upon those who have served Satan’s purposes. (Psalm 149:1-5)

Now that kind of militant talk may make you a bit uncomfortable. You prefer to love your enemies and pray for those who have persecuted you. You are more accustomed to think in terms of forgiveness and reconciliation, peace and tolerance than judgment. And rightly so. That is our assignment for the time being.

But at the proper time, Divine justice calls for Divine judgment. And Divine judgment is only right and fair when you consider the cruelty and wickedness that has been carried out against the people of God throughout the centuries. Just think of what the nation of Israel, the Jews, have endured—not the least of which was the horror of the holocaust.

And what about the church? According to Voice of the Martyrs, anywhere between one hundred to three hundred thousand believers are killed each year throughout the world for nothing more than believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Daily, in other parts of the world, the saints are mistreated, suffer economic terrorism, endure beatings, rape, imprisonment and death—by the thousands. Just because we don’t see those horrors here in the western world does not mean it is not happening elsewhere—or won’t happen here some day.

Yes, Divine justice is coming to this world. It has to, or God isn’t just and righteous. And when justice finally arrives, you and I will lift our voice in praise, and along with all the saints and the heavenly hosts, say, “just and true are your judgments, O Lord.” (Revelation 16:7)

Yes, the day is coming, sooner than you think, when the tables will be turned, and the saints of God will be in charge. God’s justice demands it; God’s fairness ensures it.

And thank God, by his grace and mercy, through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you and I will be on the right side of the table!

“Your life is short, your duties many, your assistance great, and your reward sure; therefore faint not, hold on and hold up, in ways of well-doing, and heaven shall make amends for all.”
~Thomas Brooks

The Complete Appropriateness Of A Downright Nasty Little Prayer

Read Psalm 137

Featured Verse: Psalm 137:8

“O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us.”

If you are going to enjoy the psalms, sooner or later you’ll have to deal with a psalm like this. This is a downright nasty little psalm that calls for the violent destruction of the Babylonian people—akin to the call for a Jewish Jihad! This is what we call an imprecatory psalm—the calling down of a divine curse; a prayer for violent vengeance.

So the question is, what place does such an angry psalm have in a loving God’s book?

First, this isn’t simply a religious rant. Psalm 137 should not be isolated from the others psalms—or from the rest of Scripture, for that matter. It makes sense only in context of both theological and historical context. The writer wasn’t just calling down vengeance because he didn’t like someone. The Babylonians had perpetrated great violence against God’s people, so the psalmist was only calling on God to do what God had promised to do.

Second, this is not a call to take vengeance into human hands. The psalmist sees God as judge, jury and executioner, and upon that basis makes his plea for the proper execution of Divine justice.

Third, though it isn’t acknowledged within this psalm, other Scripture shows that before the Jews had called down judgment on their captors, they had first thoroughly repented before God for the very things that had brought them under the iron-fist of Babylon to begin with. (Daniel 9:1-19) They had, as Jesus later called us to do, taken the beam out of their own eye before they bothered with judgment for their tormentors. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Finally, this prayer, and others like it, is aligned with God’s prophetic indictment of Israel’s enemies. They are praying what the Scripture has already declared, calling into fulfillment God’s judgment against some extremely evil people.

For the most part, our prayers should be along the lines that Jesus taught: “Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:27-28 NLT) But when evil goes beyond the pale, it is certainly appropriate to pray for what is at the core of God’s being: Justice.

However, there is just one caveat: If you are going to unleash an imprecatory prayer, just remember that Divine justice is blind; it cuts both ways. So make sure your own evil has been covered by the blood of Christ, which comes only by grace through faith through the acknowledgement and repentance of sin.

“I tell you, brethren, if mercies and if judgments do not convert you, God has no other arrows in His quiver.”
~Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Love That Outweighs Wrath

Judges 7:1-11:40

Love That Outweighs Wrath

Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord.
And he was grieved by their misery.
Judges 10:16 (NLT)

Go Deep: When you read the book of Judges, you quickly discover a pattern—a sad one.  It’s not limited to Judges—it’s the same cycle in the history of God’s people from creation to the present day.  In a nutshell, it is concisely illustrated in Judges 6:6-10, and it goes something like this:

God calls a people unto himself and blesses their obedience to his ways; God’s people wander from their calling and pursue gratification outside of God’s law; God sends warning after warning of the disastrous consequences of disobedience; God’s people continue in their rebellion; disaster strikes; the people repent; God relents and restores.

It would be so much easier if we would just stay under the umbrella of God’s blessing through our loving obedience, wouldn’t it?  And yet we don’t.  As the old hymn points out, we’re “prone to wander from the God we love”.  And how it grieves his heart when we do.  It grieves him that we would spurn his love—and the blessings that flow to us for our loving obedience—to swallow the sweet poison of the world’s enticements.  It grieves him that we would ignore the plentiful warnings, both throughout Scripture as well as through the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, to plunge knowingly into that which invites Divine judgment—the direct judgment of his punitive anger and the more familiar judgment of the consequences of going our own way.

God is a just God, and sin brings his justice.  But God’s redemptive love is more powerful than his righteous wrath!  That is not to lessen or negate the consequences of sin—the law of sowing and reaping is a universal law—but what we observe in the history of God’s dealing with his people is that his compassion outweighs his indignation…when there is repentance. Notice the interaction between God and his people in this section of Judges 10:

God:  “You have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” (Judges 10:13-14)

Israel:  “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. (Judges 10:15-16a)

God: And the Lord could bear Israel’s misery no longer. (Judges 10:16b)

Again I say, how about we skip the rebellion and it’s consequences by staying under the umbrella of blessing by loving and obeying the God who loves us.

Just Saying… Dutch Anabaptist reformer Menno Simons wrote in a letter, “Wherever there is a pulverized and penitent heart, there grace also is, and wherever there is a voluntary confession not gained by pressure, there love covereth a multitude of sins.”

Psalm 149: The Tables Will Be Turned

One Year Bible: II Kings 18:13-19:37, Acts 21:1-16; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8

The Tables Will Be Turned

To carry out the sentence written against them.
This is the glory of all his saints.
Praise the LORD.
(Psalm 149:9)

God’s people have been the victims of injustice for far too long, but the day is coming when they will be not only victorious, but the administrators of justice upon this evil world. (Psalm 149:6-9) With humility and through indignity, the saints of God have borne the yoke of oppression, but when Christ returns to set up his Father’s righteous rule on the earth, it will be with glory, praise and joy that his people will carry out just punishment upon those who have served Satan’s purposes. (Psalm 149:1-5)

Now that kind of militant talk may make you a bit uncomfortable. You prefer to love your enemies and pray for those who have persecuted you. You’re more accustomed to think in terms of forgiveness and reconciliation, peace and tolerance than judgment. And rightly so. That is our assignment for the time being.

But at the proper time, Divine justice calls for Divine judgment. And Divine judgment is only right and fair when you consider the cruelty and wickedness that has been carried out against the people of God throughout the centuries. Just think of what the nation of Israel, the Jews, have endured—not the least of which was the horror of the holocaust.

And what about the church? Anywhere between one hundred to three hundred thousand believers are killed each year throughout the world for nothing more than believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Daily, in other parts of the world, the saints are mistreated, suffer economic terrorism, endure beatings, rape, imprisonment and death—by the thousands. Just because we don’t see those horrors here in the western world does not mean it is not happening elsewhere—or won’t happen here some day.

Yes, Divine justice is coming to this world. It has to, or God isn’t just and righteous. And when justice finally arrives, you and I will lift our voice in praise, and along with all the saints and the heavenly hosts, say, “just and true are your judgments, O Lord.” (Revelation 16:7)

Yes, the day is coming, sooner than you think, when the tables will be turned, and the saints of God will be in charge. God’s justice demands it; God’s fairness ensures it.

And thank God, by his grace and mercy, through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you and I will be on the right side of the table!

“Your life is short, your duties many, your assistance great, and your
reward sure; therefore faint not, hold on and hold up, in ways
of well-doing, and heaven shall make amends for all.”
~Thomas Brooks