273 – Psalm 7 – Righteous Yahweh

Do you ever experience discouragement or despair by the seemingly growing wickedness plaguing our society? The voices of truth are too often silenced while anti-God rhetoric is shouted out repeatedly. It’s easy to feel helpless against the media machine – “after all I’m just one of the little people”.

The message and actions of the wicked are increasingly embraced and seem to prosper. What is a believer in Jesus to do?

For starters take heart! Psalm seven is one among many Scriptural passages that offer real encouragement.

Let’s consider the last four verses of Psalm 7.

Psalm 7:14-17

14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made. 

16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. 

17 I will praise [Yahweh] according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of [Yahweh] Most High. 

One of the things I love about the Bible is it doesn’t avoid nor sugarcoat difficult situations. You’ll notice three of the last four verses in this Psalm center on the wicked. But the last verse concisely declares a wonderful offsetting truth.

Verse fourteen is easy to understand and believe. What does the wicked produce? Iniquity (gross wickedness). The verse uses the metaphor of pregnant women (conceive/bring forth). When you conceive trouble you don’t give birth to anything good, the “baby” will be falsehood, or in our modern word usage lies.

In verse fifteen, what He (the wicked) has actually done is “made a pit and dug it out”. He doesn’t realize the pit he’s dug is actually for himself, his ultimate end is a hard fall into the very trouble he conceived!

The head is where the trouble of verse fifteen was conceived. Isn’t it interesting that verse sixteen continues the theme by talking about his head in the first part of the verse and his crown in the second? 

Verse seventeen as glorious as it is doesn’t seem to fit. The previous three verses tell about what the wicked conceives and brings forth, and the damage it ultimately does to his own life. Wouldn’t you expect subsequent verses to contrast what the righteous conceives and brings forth, and the reward he reaps? No. The author doesn’t answer the wicked. He doesn’t struggle against him or his devices. No righteous banner is taken up against the wicked. The psalmist simply declares I will praise and I will sing! Who is the object of the praise and song? Yahweh the righteous God! Notice too that there is no contrast made between the wicked and righteous Yahweh – because there simply is no comparison!

I can’t quote the whole thing here but I hope you will read Psalm 37. It supports and undergirds the truth proclaimed here in verse seventeen!

Choosing not to engage the wicked is not cowardice or sticking your head in the sand if instead you are fully placing your trust in Yahweh for His protection, guidance, and awaiting His commands!

Praise Righteous Yahweh! Sing praise to Him!