The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity. Sermons
I. TRUE INNOCENCE IS MARKED BY HUMILITY. David is bold before men, but humble before God. Why? There is the sense that innocence is limited and imperfect. We may be free from particular sins, and yet be guilty in others. Besides, innocence is but comparative. Measured by the standard of men, we may be without offence, but tried by the holy, spiritual Law of God, we are convicted of innumerable sins, and behind all is a sinful heart. II. ASSOCIATED WITH MERCY. "Yea, I have delivered him" (ver. 4). So David dealt gently with Saul. His magnanimous sparing of him when he was in his power was no mere impulse, but the free outcome of his loving and generous heart. The merciful, whom our Lord has blessed, are placed between those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" and "the pure in heart," who see God. III. APPEALS WITH CONFIDENCE TO THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. The sense of right prophesies of the triumph of right. Having faith in the justice of God, we can leave all in his hands; and, loving him and assured of his love toward us, we can patiently await the end, knowing that all things shall work together for our good. - W.F.
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. A truly noble confidence! and yet many of our time would call the language very dangerous, if it were spoken by any but one of the Scripture saints. Some, on the other hand, charge it as a fault in our doctrine of salvation by grace, that it lets down even the standards of our morality itself; because it is a part of our merit, under grace, to have no merit. Let us see if we can find the true place for integrity under the Christian salvation by noting —I. HOW THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK OF INTEGRITY. The text cited does not stand alone. David says again, "Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity." Good men are called "upright," "just," "righteous," and "right." It is even declared that they "shall deliver their own souls by their righteousness." The Christian disciples of the New Testament dare to say that they have a conscience void of offence. They exhort others to walk so as they have them for examples. Making the strongest confessions of ill-desert, and resting their salvation on the justifying grace of God, they are still able to be free in professing their own conscious integrity in their discipleship. The explanation is not difficult if we consider — II. WHAT INTEGRITY MEANS. As an integer is a whole, in distinction from a fraction, which is only a part, so a man of integrity is a man whose aim in the right is a whole aim, in distinction from one whose aim is divided, partial, or unstable. It does not mean that he has never been a sinner, or that he is not now, but simply that the intent of his soul is to do and be wholly right with God and man. Distinguish between commercial integrity and the higher integrity of religion. What does it signify that a man gives men their due, and will not give God His? God is a person as truly as men are, more closely related to us, a better friend, one who has claims of right more sacred. Does it entitle one to the name of a just man that he is honest with men of one colour and not with those of another? What, then, shall we think of mere commercial integrity taken, by itself? Real integrity, ready to do right to God as to men, to men as to God, must be the condition of Christian character itself. Let us inquire — III. IN WHAT MANNER? If Christ saves men, not by their merit, or on terms of justice or reward, but by purely gratuitous favour, what place have we for insisting on the need of integrity at all? It seems to be the comfort of what some call their piety, that God is going to dispense with all merit in them, which they take to mean all sound reality of character, — all exactness of principle and conduct. Integrity is wholeness of aim or intent; but mere intent does not make a character. Yet it is just that by which all evil will be vanquished, under Christ and by grace, because it puts a man at the very gate of faith, where all God's helps are waiting for Him. His new and better aim is his way of coming into the righteousness of God. The Scripture conditions all help on the integrity of the soul. "Ye shall seek and find Me, if ye search for Me with all your heart." Let us note, in conclusion — 1. What it is that gives such peace and loftiness of bearing to the life of a truly righteous man. Storms of detraction and malignant conspiracies against his character may drive their clouds about Him, but he sits above with his God, and they all sail under. "The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effects of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever." Here, too — 2. Is the ground of all failures, and all highest successes in the Christian life. Only to be an honest man, in this genuinely Christian sense, signifies a great deal more than most of us ever conceive. Little do we realise how honest a man must be to pray, how heartily, simply, totally he must mean what he prays for. Perhaps he prays much, and has it for a continual wonder that God does not answer his prayers. Perhaps he has conceived a higher standing in religion, and has tried long to reach it, and finds it not. Strange as it may seem, here is the root of the difficulty — that his projected attainments are dear ahead of his integrity. Some traitor is hid in his soul's chambers, that is kept there, and carefully fed. Success is the fixed destiny of any soul that has once reached the point of whole intent. I note — 3. A very important deduction, namely, — that every man who comes into a state of right intent will forthwith also be a Christian. Whoever is willing to be carried just where it will carry him, cost him. what it may, in that man the spirit of all sin is broken, and his mind is in a state to lay hold of Christ and be laid hold of by Him. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards Him." God is on the look-out always for an honest man — him to help and with him, and for him, to be strong. And if there be one, God will not miss him; for His desiring, all-searching eyes are running the world through always to find him. (Horace Bushnell, D. D.) I. BUT WE MAY MISUSE THAT DOCTRINE. Many do. 1. Some people try to confess as many sins as possible. They do not go and commit them, but they fancy themselves guilty of them. This is all too common. It is ruinous oftentimes to the body; I have seen people kill their own bodies and die early by this folly. And they kill their souls too, and enter into strong delusions and believe lies. And yet one pities them more than we can be angry with them, and all the more because they are generally the most innocent, and who have least to confess. We should pray for them. 2. But there is a worse misuse of St. John's doctrine than this. A man may be proud of calling himself a miserable sinner, and of confessing his sins. But if he really knew the misery of sin he would not talk so much about it. His talk is only another way of saying, "I am a better man than you. I confess my sins, and you do not." II. BUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT USE OF THE DOCTRINE? If you refuse, like Job, to own yourself guilty of what you know you are not guilty of, such a man will tell you that you are ignorant of the first principles of the gospel. You are building integrity and morality. Now, he is partly right, and so are you. St. Paul will help us, for he said, I judge not mine own self; for I know nothing against myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but He that judgeth me is the Lord." Now, no man was ever less self-righteous than Paul, and yet he says, "I know nothing against myself." Then, here is the rule. If you have done wrong, confess that; if you have done right, be not afraid to say you have. And to keep up self-respect, go on trying to do right. Wrong no man, least of all, a woman, But, mind, your right-doing will not justify you, for we all have sinned. III. REMEMBER THE LORD WILL JUDGE YOU. Be glad of this, as David was, for he knew that the Lord would bring him out of his sin. You must not think of God as hard, or you will fret and not fight. But if you believe Him good you will fight and not fret. And you will be able to leave yourself in His hands. (Charles Kingsley.) People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Administers, Decision, Integrity, Judge, Judges, Judgment, Minister, Ministerest, Ministereth, O, Peoples, Reward, Righteousness, Vindicate, VirtueOutline 1. David prays against the malice of his enemies, professing his innocence10. By faith he sees his defense, and the destruction of his enemies Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 7:88158 righteousness, of believers Library January the Twenty-Ninth Noble Revenge"I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy." --PSALM vii. 4. That is the noblest revenge, and in those moments David had intimate knowledge of the spirit of his Lord. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him!" Evil for good is devil-like. To receive a favour and to return a blow! To obtain the gift of language, and then to use one's speech to curse the giver! To use a sacred sword is unholy warfare! All this is devil-like. Evil for evil is beast-like. Yes, the dog bites back when it is … John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year Turn or Burn Self-Respect and Self-Righteousness Love for Hate, the True Quid Pro Quo A Bundle of Proverbs Of Having Confidence in God when Evil Words are Cast at Us The Exile --Continued. Twenty-Third Lesson Bear Fruit, that the Father May Give what Ye Ask;' The Section Chap. I. -iii. The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. ) Calvin -- Enduring Persecution for Christ Some General Uses from this Useful Truth, that Christ is the Truth. He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church. Psalms Links Psalm 7:8 NIVPsalm 7:8 NLT Psalm 7:8 ESV Psalm 7:8 NASB Psalm 7:8 KJV Psalm 7:8 Bible Apps Psalm 7:8 Parallel Psalm 7:8 Biblia Paralela Psalm 7:8 Chinese Bible Psalm 7:8 French Bible Psalm 7:8 German Bible Psalm 7:8 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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