Perfect Justice
Prairie Baptist Church – 10/25/09
P.M. Service
Text: Psalm 9
Key verse: Psalm 9:9-10 - 9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Premise: The justice of God is two-sided and perfect in its judgment and execution. We, His saints need not fear retribution but reward and refuge.
The Introduction
A young lady who occasionally walked through the park after work, stopped to have her picture taken by a photographer on this particular day. She was very excited about her picture being taken. As she walked out of the park, she looked at the Polaroid picture in total amazement. She turned and headed back to the cameraman. When she got there she stated, "This is not right! This is not right! You have done me no justice!" The photographer looked at the picture and looked at her and stated, "Miss, you don’t need justice, what you need is mercy."
JUSTICE — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government.
• In remunerative justice he distributes rewards (James 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:8)
• In vindictive or punitive justice he inflicts punishment on account of transgression (2 Thess. 1:6).
There is a slight difference between justice and judgment:
Justice – rendering to everyone that which is his due, i.e. equality
Judgment – a formal decision by the court (or in this case, the judge)
1. The Elements of Praise to God – 9:1-2
2. The Effects of the Judgment of God – 9:3-6
3. The Eternal Protection of God – 9:7-14
4. The Equal Justice of God – 9:15-20
In this Psalm we get a picture of both sides of God’s justice.
Body
1. Justice for the Sinner
A. Dreadful - 3
i. Fearful justice
ii. Heb. 10:31 - It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
B. Wrathful – 5-8
i. In Scripture, God’s strong and vigorous opposition to everything evil. There is a Greek verb that can be used both of anger and of the swelling of buds as the sap rises. It points to the kind of anger that results from a settled and consistent disposition, and not to a losing of one’s temper. God’s wrath is like that, rather than like human anger on a grand scale. With us, wrath always has elements of passion, lack of self-control, and irrationality. The wrath of God does not. The Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook, Walter A. Elwell, Editor, (Harold Shaw Publ., Wheaton , IL; 1984), p. 361
ii. Destructive justice – 5-6
a. It is designed for annihilation
b. Nothing can withstand this kind of justice and nothing will survive
iii. Eternal justice – 7
a. Psalm 90:2 - Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
b. It is not a temporary justice from a temporary God
c. Our God is an everlasting, indestructible, unconquerable God
iv. Perfect justice – 8
a. Romans 2:5-6, 16 - 5But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 16in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
b. Righteous is the perfect standard
c. It is flawless
d. It is holy and will always be right, perfect and equitable
C. Punishment – 15-17
i. Mr. Thomas, one of the missionary brethren of Serampore, was one day, after addressing a crowd of natives on the banks of the Ganges, accosted by a Brahmin as follows: "Sir, don’t you say that the devil tempts men to sin?" "Yes!" answered Mr Thomas. "Then," said the Brahmin, "certainly the fault is the devil’s. The devil, therefore, and not man, ought to suffer punishment."
While the countenances of many of the natives disclosed their approbation of the Brahmin’s inference, Mr. Thomas, observed a boat with several men on board descending the river. With that facility of instructive retort for which he was so much distinguished, he replied "Brahmin, do you see yonder boat?" "Yes," "Suppose I were to send some of my friends to destroy every person on board, and bring me all that is valuable in the boat--who ought to suffer punishment? I, for instructing them or, they for doing this wicked act? "Why," answered the Brahmin with emotion, "You ought to be put to dead together!" "Ay, Brahmin," replied Mr. Thomas, "and if you and the devil sin together, the devil and you will be punished together." --H. F. Sayles
ii. Self-condemned justice – 15-16
a. It is one thing to have a question of guilt
b. It is another to be caught red-handed
c. The traps the world sets for us are the very ones they are caught in
iii. Final justice – 17
a. Hell – for the Christ-rejecting, godless world
b. All those who have shaken their fist in the face of God
c. Forget = not think about or respond properly as an extension of not remembering information
D. Unavoidable
i. Unobstructed justice – 19 (19-20)
a. Man cannot place anything in God’s way to deter or overcome Him
b. Man cannot hide because God sees everything at all times – Proverbs 15:3 - The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
ii. Sovereign justice – 20
a. Man thinks He is greater than God
b. They are “but men” – insignificant next to God
2. Justice for the Saint
A. Defensive - 4
i. Psalm 140:12 - I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor.
ii. Defending us against our enemies
iii. As long as God is on the throne, we fear no threat from false accusations.
B. Attentive – 9-14
i. Protective justice – 9
a. He is a refuge, or a fortress, a stronghold for us,
b. His protection is better than any that man could afford us
ii. Abiding justice – 10
a. He is everlastingly dependable
b. He will never abandon us, no matter how bleak the situation is.
c. 2nd Tim. 1:12 - For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
iii. Praiseworthy justice – 11, 14
a. His fairness to us is evident
b. It causes us to be joyful and to proclaim this justice to all around us
c. It causes us to live in a state of joy and delight in our God.
iv. Caring justice – 12
a. A young girl once prayed, "Bless my mommy and daddy...and dear God, take good care of Yourself. If anything happens to You, we’re sunk." SOURCE: Pastor Tim, http://www.cybersalt.org
b. He hears us
c. H never forgets us
d. A good reason to stay humble - Psalm 34:6 - This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
v. Merciful justice – 13
a. We have received mercy at salvation
b. We continue to receive God’s mercy because of what others may do to us – Ps. 100:5 - For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
C. Provisional - 18
i. Ps. 37:25 - I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
ii. His provision of His care over us
iii. His provision of eternal vigilance
iv. His provision of final and eternal rest and life with Him
Conclusion:
When you feel like life is out of control and unfair, when you feel like evil man is winning and you are losing, remember this Psalm.
God’s comfort to us is that He is in control, He is the judge and is just, and that all things will be taken care of in the end.
We are in His hands.
