In Court

Psalms 120

Friends of mine were in court last week, then again this week. Another person filed a case against them and in the initial hearing a couple things became very evident. Yes, there was a case, but the case was filed wrongly due to malicious intent by the one who filed the case. The whole case was thrown out because of so much wrong with how it was filed and brought to court.

In Psalms 119 I saw that while very many aspects of life were examined they were examined "by the Book". And guess what, in this case it wasn't cut and dried facts of the Book. No, the idea of "by the Book" in Psalm 119 was living, helpful, and ultimately "by the Book" grows godly life inside of us.

The very next Psalm is that of opposition, that malicious courtroom of life where others seek devastating ill will against us. What is seen here is that contrast between the godly and ungodly, the righteous and the wicked, the holy and the unholy. Don't get me wrong in the positive ideas of these people, godly, righteous, holy. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7:11 "if you then being evil know how to give good things to your children" leaving no doubt that the good, the just, and the righteous may still be considered evil because of their sinful nature within themselves.. In this world the goldly, the righteous, those living holy lives are doing so in a body of flesh that is at enmity with the Spirit. Oh yeah, these two are at war with each other within the same person. Even so God still calls David a man after God's own heart, excepting in the case of Uriah the Hittite. God says also that Noah was a just man, Lot was a just man, Joseph who married Mary the mother of Jesus was a just man, Zacharias and Elizabeth were called just by God. How can God see these as just? Consider how Jesus spoke of two men who went into the temple to pray. The one praised himself while the other wouldn't even think of looking at God. His prayer was simple. God be merciful to me a sinner. Jesus said that this man went to his house justified. That publican, that tax agent who collected taxes from his own people for the Roman government went to his house justified. He saw himself as a sinner and in that he was extremely vile before God. He asked God for mercy. He knew the Word of God, but even knew he could still come to the God who wrote the Book, he could come before the Judge of the whole earth in true repentance before Him and simply plead, Be merciful to me a sinner.

There are those who do not seek God the same way. Jesus illustrated this truth in saying the one praising himself instead of praying was in opposition to Jesus in His day were like the ones of whom this psalmist writes:

A song of degrees.

I called unto the Lord in my trouble, and he heard me.

Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. What doth thy deceitful tongue bring unto thee? or what doth it avail thee? It is as the sharp arrows of a mighty man, and as the coals of juniper.

Psalms 120:1-4 GNV

I have no doubt that Jesus could have easily prayed this Psalm as His very own prayer. Oh, Jesus considered the Pharisees as "mighty men". He said, Except your righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees"... Yes, mighty men, but as He also saw them, as "sepulchers full of dead men's bones”, painted white on the outside, dead on the inside. They had lying lips, deceitful tongues. Jesus knew they had "arrows" ready wanting to kill Him. He knew their tongues were small fires setting on fire a world of iniquity. (James 3)

The apostle Paul never saw himself as attaining that place of holiness (Phi)ipians 3), saw that battle within (Romans 7), but still lived a justified, righteous, holy life, "perfect" in that he was mature in Christ.

The Pharisee praising himself in the temple made that very distinction, "I am thankful I am not like 'this' man" such as that other man who was there. As the psalmist asked, What does such speech profit you? What does your deceitful tongue bring to you?

The apostle Paul, he who was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, he who gathered those who followed Jesus believing in Him putting them in prison and saw some of them die as he did Stephen, he saw himself as the chief of sinners as he confided with Timothy, yet could say, Be followers of me as I am of Christ.

May we turn to the Lord God, the Judge of the whole earth when opposition comes. The one man saw his opposition within, God be merciful to me a sinner. But recognize that opposition from other men can cause us to despair, and when they do we can plead with the Judge of the whole earth,

Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitfull tongue.

My soul hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I seek peace, and when I speak thereof, they are bent to war.

Psalms 120:2, 6-7 GNV

Lay your case before the Judge of the whole earth in His court.