The Righteous Judge is Good! (Part 1)

Even when things look bleak, the earth is still full of the goodness of God.

July 27, 2018

"He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD."

Psalm 33:5

You can learn much about a person by just being observant.  What is it that makes your friend laugh, and what makes them cry?  Do they laugh at appropriate things, and cry about the sin that breaks God’s heart?  Listen as they tell you about what they read, and to what their downtime conversations drift toward.  Are their interests in the things of the Lord, or the things of the world?  What is the love of your friend’s life?  If, “The tongue is the dipstick of the heart,”1 then their speech carries the message of what is most important to them.  But please remember that people can tell much about us by our words as well.2

Similarly, we can know much about our God by what He loves!  (This topic could be a wonderful personal Bible study for you.  Go through the Word of God and see what He loves, and what He hates.  What you learn might surprise you.)  In our verse for today, we find that He loves both “righteousness” and “judgment.”  These things are near and dear to the heart of God.  His words are always “right,” and His works are always done with “truth” (see v. 4).  In these verses we can see what is precious to the heart of God, righteousness, and judgment.  And when He witnesses these traits in His child, He is pleased.

The Righteous God:
Our righteous God watches the “upright.” His children are righteous, not because there is any righteousness in them, but because of Jesus’ righteousness, they are upright.

“For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright,” (Psalm 11:7).

We are before His face (countenance) all the time. He watches over us!

We who live for Him should be looking for the “smile of God” on our lives daily.

Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.  Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance,” (Psalm 89:14-15).

Notice how these qualities go with “righteousness.”

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven,” (Psalm 85:10-11).

When did “mercy and truth,” and “righteousness and peace,” meet together?  At Calvary, when Jesus paid for our sin.  As our sin was poured out on Jesus – Mercy, was there; and when the Father saw the TRUTH – His Son died not for His own sin, He had none, but for ours — MERCY, was there!  Without truth, there is no mercy, and mercy thrives in an atmosphere of truth.

Why was Jesus willing to go to the cross for us?

“Thou [Jesus] hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows,” (Hebrews 1:9).

Jesus hates sin, as the Father does; and He went to the cross so there can be a remedy for our sin! “Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

 

 

 

1. I have heard this saying many times from Dr. Marty Herron. My pastor for many years at Harvest Ministries.
2. We need to be sure that our words are grace-filled. “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man,” (Colossians 4:6).