Psalm 94

 “Vengeance is Mine,” says the Lord.

Understanding the Creator/creature distinction is a key to clear thinking about God, humanity, and life. Proud oppressors that pursue and kill the weak have to answer to God. Civil governments are supposed to be God's agents on earth for good. But what can be done when those powers become agents of evil and abuse?

We can cry out to the God of vengeance to step in and help us. This does not prohibit a Stephen from praying at his death, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Others might have said words that were more like the start of Psalm 94, “O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!” The Lord of justice and mercy is able to sort this out. We cry out to Him rather than assuming that the only justice and mercy in this world will come from us. Sometimes we may not even know what to say. God knows.

The Lord will judge the wicked. This psalm urges godless oppressors to give up on their foolish belief that God does not see or understand what they are doing when they murder the innocent. They have taken to themselves God-like powers. If they choose to kill, they kill. They imagine that they give life and take it away. They imagine that they are wiser and stronger than God. But they are “a breath.”

The righteous are different than the wicked.

We know that there is no one righteous before God, and that we cannot approach God without the mercy that has come to us through the merit of our Redeemer. But the Lord who saves us is able to change us. He has turned our arrogant rejection of Him into a humble receiving of Him. That new humility toward God produces fruit. Those who are righteous in Jesus Christ are actually different then the wicked.

Who are the wicked? Some who reject God oppress the weak without any shame. They do not believe that God will judge. Others who cannot imagine that they would ever abuse anyone refuse to concede that there is a distinction between good and evil. A third group believes that they are on God's side and that they are serving Him best when they stand against His loved ones who cry out to Him day and night. A forth group is complacent in the face of all evil, refusing to take action among men or to cry out to God for help for those who are being persecuted. All of them will have to stand before the King of the Ages.

Our only plea on that day will be Jesus.

Until the final judgment comes, the Lord will guide His people in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. He will discipline them in love and teach them the way to go. He will hear our requests for forgiveness and He will have mercy. He will save those who call upon His Name, but He will also judge the wicked.

Even if everyone abandons the righteous person, God will be with him. Even when Jesus was atoning for our sin as our sin offering, God heard His cries and answered His prayers.

It is hard for us to understand the mystery of the cross – the perfectly righteous One dying in the place of the many who would be counted righteous in Him. Did the Lord bring vengeance upon Jesus that we deserved? Did He ever hate His Son? How can we speak that way? But whatever else can be said, we know that the Father heard the cries of His Son and answered. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the fullness of divine vindication for the Man who knew no sin.

Now we who are in Christ find that in the day of distress, consolations come to us from the Almighty. God is our stronghold. He is our Rock of Refuge.

He will judge the wicked who oppress us. What can we say about that? A day of judgment is actually coming. After all, He is God. The only safe place for anyone is to be found in Jesus.