“God Will Avenge” from the lesson series Royal Psalms, October 2021
our Scripture
Lord, God of vengeance—
God of vengeance, appear.
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth;
repay the proud what they deserve.
3 Lord, how long will the wicked—
how long will the wicked gloat?4 They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.
5 Lord, they crush Your people;
they afflict Your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the foreigner
and murder the fatherless.
7 They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it.
The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention.”8 Pay attention, you stupid people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
9 Can the One who shaped the ear not hear,
the One who formed the eye not see?
10 The One who instructs nations,
the One who teaches man knowledge—
does He not discipline?
11 The Lord knows man’s thoughts;
they are meaningless.12 Lord, happy is the man You discipline
and teach from Your law
13 to give him relief from troubled times
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 The Lord will not forsake His people
or abandon His heritage,
15 for justice will again be righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.16 Who stands up for me against the wicked?
Who takes a stand for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not been my helper,
I would soon rest in the silence of death.
18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
Your faithful love will support me, Lord.
19 When I am filled with cares,
Your comfort brings me joy.20 Can a corrupt throne—
one that creates trouble by law—
become Your ally?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord is my refuge;
my God is the rock of my protection.
23 He will pay them back for their sins
and destroy them for their evil.
The Lord our God will destroy them.Psalm 94:1-23 NET
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| NASB Psalm 94:1-23 NASB | NIV Psalm 94:1-23 NIV | NLT Psalm 94:1-23 NLT | NCV Psalm 94:1-23 NCV | MSG Psalm 94:1-23 MESSAGE |
| KJV Psalm 94:1-23 KJV | NKJV Psalm 94:1-23 NKJV | HCSB Psalm 94:1-23 HCSB | ESV Psalm 94:1-23 ESV | SPANISH Psalm 94:1-23 RVA60 |
our Lesson
Let’s remember the pattern of information that we are noticing in the Royal Psalms. First, we are looking for evidence of the reign of Almighty God. “The Lord reigns” is seen as a theme through these psalms.
We also notice the rage of the nations. The nations represent the people who do not necessarily follow God. The makeup of this group of people ranges from those who simply do not care to those who violently oppose God’s people and ways. In the Old Testament, the nations were literal, but the meaning applies in a figurative way as well.
Next we look for the presence of the Lord’s anointed one. Israel’s concept of the anointed one was tied completely to the king and kingdom. From the time of Saul forward, God’s chosen king was anointed. Remember, there are two spiritual concept tied to this imagery. God himself fulfilled the role of King for Israel. He also promised that a day would come when His own anointed one – the One He would call His Son – would reign.
Finally we look at the blessings that come for the people who take refuge in the Anointed One. God does not abandon His people. They are more than just members of a kingdom. They become adopted into His family.
Psalm 94
This particular psalm is a prayer of the individual who calls to the Lord for help against the enemy. The interesting thing about the setting of this psalm is the enemies are not foreign nations, which is so often the case. The enemies in this psalm easily could be the leaders in Israel (see Psalm 94:4-7, Psalm 94:20-21). The circumstance certainly puts an interesting twist upon the usage of the psalm.
Because of the stark contrast in the subject matter that seems to shift between verses 15 and 16, there are some that feel there are two different psalms that for some reason have been joined together. While the first fifteen verses stand on their own, the personal nature of the subject speaks to how quickly life’s circumstances can change.
The psalm opens with an appeal to God to act.
The Lord Reigns
Although the psalmist does not use the exact term, the implication of the Lord reigning is the same. A God who is able to avenge is a God who reigns. The vengeance of God is a theme throughout the Scriptures. We tend to use the word “avenge” to speak of justice, while we use the word “revenge” to speak of someone getting even for a wrong committed.
Here are some relevant Scriptures on how a just and righteous God promises to avenge.
- Deuteronomy 32:35
- Nahum 1:2
- Romans 12:19
- Hebrews 10:30
- Jeremiah 51:56
- Psalm 99:8
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8
- Leviticus 26:25
- Jeremiah 51:11
- Jeremiah 5:29
- Isaiah 47:3
- Ezekiel 25:14
- Micah 5:15
Understanding God’s Need to Avenge
There is a difference between saying that “God is a God of vengeance” and saying that “God is vengeful. We tend to associate vengeance with displays of hatred and cruelty. Those who are vengeful are filled with an impassioned drive to right circumstances and spite people. This drive cannot be extinguished. It appears to be unreasonable.
The Scripture uses vengeance with a different meaning. It is a term that it applies only to God. God wields vengeance because He is the Judge of the heavens and earth. God will avenge when He exercises divine judgment. In fact, we are told to avoid vengeance, for the process to avenge belongs only to God. Vengeance is the righteous expression of the justice of God.
A Message from Paul to the Ephesians
Although we tend to compartmentalize, one should never think God’s capacity to avenge without also thinking of the mercy of God. Yes, God judges sin, but because He is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4).
The image of mercy that Paul paints in Ephesians 2:1-7 shows the huge contrast between sin and life.
And although you were dead in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the domain of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!— 6 and he raised us up together with him and seated us together with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-7 NET).
We are like the people of the nations. Our trespasses left us dead in our sins. We followed the course of the world, disobeying God and pursing our own interests. The most important pursuit of our lives was to walk our own path. Such a lifestyle produces nothing but rage (Psalm 2:1). But because of His love for us, God breathed life into dead bones simply because we acknowledge the offer of redemption made by the Anointed One. It is by grace we are saved, and the riches He has in store for us are immeasurable.
A Message from Paul to the Romans
When we think about the vengeance of God, we must also remember Paul’s instruction to the Romans. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God (Romans 12:19 ESV). Paul’s words use the foundation of the Old Testament as he quotes Deuteronomy 32:35. Let’s look at them in a little more detail:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21 NIV).
There will be times in life when people treat us poorly or when circumstances do not seem “fair” by our standards of judgment. When we see injustice or we experience its pain, we will naturally want others to be given the same measure of injustice and evil. We are indeed to “act justly” but we are also to “love mercy” (Micah 6:8). Judgment – the Scripture term of “vengeance” – is God’s job, not ours. God will avenge.
Sin Without Redemption Causes Tension
This tension between a world filled with sin and desire for justice answers the question of the psalmist, “Why do the nations rage?” The world considers justice without mercy. It lives in a state of sin without redemption.
Let’s continue to think about Paul’s words to the Romans.
Wrath connects God’s response to something that deserves judgment or vengeance. God says, “I will repay.” God’s wrath is payment for something that man has done. The wrath of God is God’s settled anger toward sin – a committed act or an atmosphere of injustice – expressed in suitable punishment of vengeance upon the guilty. The connection between anger and wrath is strong. The Bible uses the two words together over 100 times.
The terms are used in such a parallel manner that it becomes difficult to distinguish between the two.
- Psalm 6:1
- Psalm 90:7
- Hosea 13:11
- Romans 2:8
The wrath of God is never out of control. It is not served against the innocent. It is meticulous. His wrath is just, suitable, and proper. This is an avenging God.
How Long Until You Avenge, O Lord?
Along with Psalm 10, Psalm 14, Psalm 73 and Psalm 92, this psalmist deals with the apparent triumph of the wicked. The helpless and weak are treated with injustice and disdain. It is not foreign leaders who were guilty, but their own leaders. Perhaps the psalm came out of the sufferings inflicted during the reign of King Manasseh (2 Kings 21) whom the Lord blamed for the destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:1-4).
If there is a burning question that covers the first pages of Genesis through the last paragraph of Revelation, it is the pondering, “How long, O Lord?” How long will you be patient with sinful people? Will long periods of time elapse before you enact vengeance? How long will you leave the score unsettled?
The psalmist here becomes even more pointed. “How long will you allow the wicked to be jubilant?” There is something telling about the question, isn’t there? Doesn’t it seem to imply, “because I want to be the one who is jubilant.” We must be so careful to not allow the sin and injustice to cause us to rage.
The Psalmist Ponders
How long will the wicked be allowed to pour out arrogant words? Jewish syndicated columnist Don Feder wrote, “Christians are the only group Hollywood can offend with impunity, the only creed it actually goes out of its way to insult. Clerics, from fundamentalist preachers to Catholic monks, are routinely represented as hypocrites, hucksters, sadists, and lechers. The tenets of Christianity are regularly held up to ridicule.”
How long will the wicked be allowed to crush God’s people? In a story covered by the BBC News on May 3, 2019, “Christians were the most persecuted religious group” according to their study. The review found that one in three people suffer from religious persecution. At the time, concerns were expressed over persecutions in China, Sri Lanka, and Palestine. “In some regions, the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the United Nations.”
How long will the wicked oppress the most vulnerable – the widow, the foreigner, and the fatherless? Both the Old and New Testaments speak of the groups that cannot protect themselves. Scripture encourages their protection and provision (Exodus 22:22-24, Deuteronomy 10:18, James 1:27).
How long will it seem that You aren’t paying attention?
What a Fool Believes
The fool believes that the Lord does not see. The fool believes that the God of Jacob is not paying attention. Often the fool concludes that God does not even exist. David writes, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good” (Psalm 14:1 NIV).
As a result, the wicked use arrogant words (Psalm 94:4) because they believe that God does not see or notice them. The verb literally means to gush out – like water from a fire hydrant. The word may denote words of the wise (Psalm 78:2, Psalm 119:171, Proverbs 1:23, Proverbs 18:4) or the words of folly (Psalm 59:7, Proverbs 15:2).
Did you ever notice that plans were being made by someone and you knew the plans would not work? “Sorry, it is not going to happen.” Sometimes we see the misdirected ideas from our children, sometimes from our workers in business. Even though you offer advice, the individual must try it themselves to understand why the plan will not work.
The foolish not only have convinced themselves that God does not notice, they believe with all of their hearts that God will not punish. Do we not hear questions, “How could a good God send people to hell?” They pretend to not believe in God’s existence, yet they call Him good and understand that He will judge.
Rest from the Days
The promise for the Lord’s people comes in the midst of the rage of the wicked. Blessed is the man whom the Lord disciplines. Don’t think of discipline here as punishment. The word used describes the strengthening of the athlete. The psalmist thinks of himself. The Lord’s discipline – His plan and His ways – provides the reason that the faithful do not rage. God cares enough to set boundaries and our direction. This man understands the blessing of God.
The disciplined man taught the ways of the Law will find “relief.” The Hebrew verb describes a quiet, undisturbed place. The KJV – and many other translations – use the word “rest” to capture the idea.
Hebrews tells us God has prepared a Sabbath’s rest for the faithful (Hebrews 4:1-11).
The Rock of My Refuge
The Lord makes promises to His people. The day will come when judgment will again be founded upon righteousness. While the world has turned right and wrong upside-down, a day is coming when God will right the order of justice. “Vengeance is mine,’ says the Lord, “I will avenge.”
The raging of the nations takes a toll on the faithful. They look to God for their help. When the righteous falter in their steps, comfort and strength from the Love of God support their efforts. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul” (Psalm 94:19).
I can rest assured that God will not allow the wicked to prosper. God will avenge His name, His kingdom and the dignity of His people.