This psalm of faith opens and closes with praise. It is a song of deliverance and gratitude to God. The prayer of the previous psalm is answered in this one, and it looks forward to the Lord’s return to reign in justice. He will bring righteousness to the nations of the world. He is going to preserve His name over all the earth. He will judge justly in His own time. God takes action when He is ready.
Like children who have not grasped the concept of time, they can easily understand the present but resist waiting until a more appropriate time. To see the big picture of time and events gives us understanding instead of immediate gratification. Often, the demand for immediate action is driven by our own self- gratification rather than by the glory of God. We are thankful to the Lord for all His grace and mercy. “Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks.” It resonates in our hearts. When we recall God’s works, we give thanks. When we remember that God controls the earth and the seasons, we need to stop and consider (Selah).
God’s perspective is different than ours because of our human limitations. He does what needs to be done, not necessarily what we like or want Him to do. Our schedule is very different than His. We may be like impatient children, but we can’t help it; we must never doubt God and must admit that His interests are far more significant and higher than ours. How foolish it is to boast of human accomplishments when we are all accountable to God, the Judge of the Universe, and the Almighty Authority. He gave to the psalmist a reassuring word from heaven. He will call the arrogant to account and deal with them in justice.
“I will judge uprightly.” He will not fail in His just judgments but will do so in His own time. Moral order seems to have disintegrated, but God will bring stability to the world again. Arrogance and foolish boasting will not last. The writer warns the proud and conceited not to boast. He told the fool and the wicked not to be foolish and not think they have the power to lift themselves up high. If we seek help from anyone or anything other than God, we are making a mistake, because only God promotes and executes righteousness and righteous judgment. He may use chosen vessels to carry out His will, but “it is God who worketh in you to will and do His good pleasure.”
When our Lord was here, He came as a man who “humbled Himself.” When He comes again at the time designated for His return in glory, He will be the Judge. There will be no help for the wicked from any direction. God will deliver His people from the wicked when He cuts off and destroys the might and pride of the wicked, including the antichrist. There will be triumph in God’s time, and the cup of wrath will be poured out like a cup of wine with all kinds of spices in it, no matter what people choose to believe. He will make His enemies drink it. His cup of judgment will be like a person opposed to you, taking “a dose of his own medicine.”
God will have the final say on matters concerning both the righteous and the wicked. The ungodly will experience God’s judgment, and the godly will experience God’s eternal love. The pride and might of the wicked will be destroyed, but the righteous will be made strong by the Lord and honored with the Lord. He is sovereign over our lives today, and it is wise for us to understand and accept that fact. Actually, we should be glad that the final outcome is His choice. His word will always be the final word on any matter. To praise God forever for His just judgments is and will be our privilege and responsibility.