Proper 27 (Ps) November 11th

Psalm 58:1-11

¹  Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? 

Do you judge the children of man uprightly? 

²  No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; 

your hands deal out violence on earth. 

³  The wicked are estranged from the womb; 

they go astray from birth, speaking lies. 

⁴  They have venom like the venom of a serpent, 

like the deaf adder that stops its ear, 

⁵  so that it does not hear the voice of charmers 

or of the cunning enchanter. 

⁶  O God, break the teeth in their mouths; 

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! 

⁷  Let them vanish like water that runs away; 

when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. 

⁸  Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, 

like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. 

⁹  Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, 

whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! 

¹⁰  The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; 

he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. 

¹¹  Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; 

surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

God will break the teeth and tear out the fangs of young lions.  There are many things that threaten the lives of people around the world.  Sometimes it is animals or venomous snakes. Sometimes it is other people bent on killing you.  But in most cases it comes down to violence on the earth.

Who is there that can offer us justice?  Who judges our case rightly?  There are many people who desire to tell us what is right or wrong.  There are people that are going to tell us the right way verses the wrong way.  Generally the right way is their way, and the wrong way is your way.  Who can judge our case rightly?  Who can give mankind Justice?

All people come out of the womb wicked and sinful.  All mankind are like venomous snakes out to kill and destroy.  Mankind has made itself deaf to the Lord.  But God will bust in their teeth and show them where true justice can be found.  

"The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked."  Praise God who has washed us in the blood of his Son.  Rejoice because God has taken his vengeance on his Son.  He has granted you forgiveness and made you Holy as he is Holy.