Psalm 11:5b-7 God’s Righteousness

Psalm 11:5b-7 God’s Righteousness

Psalm 11:5b “But the wicked and the one who loves violence His [God’s] soul hates.”
 
[Here is one of those seeming paradoxes of the Bible: God loves all, yet hates the wicked. Here are three possible understandings among several, all of them true:
–He hates what they do, but loves them as His creatures;
–He loves them, but when they refuse to come under His protection by surrendering to Christ, they fall under His hatred for sin;
–or here He is speaking of Satan and his hoard of demons.
 
The certainty is that, in God’s character there are no contradictions: He hates sin and will punish it, yet found a way (an extremely expensive one) to redeem sinners within this context.
Psalm 11:6 “Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.”
 
[As part of your plan to eliminate evil, you, Lord God, in your justice will punish rebellious evil doers–those who refuse your gracious forgiveness and instead love violence, those who hate what is good, those who refuse to believe you and accept Truth.
 
This is what you did in Sodom and Gomorrah, what you did in Canaan to those who rejected you, and what you will do to all those who refuse your offer of goodness and grace. There can be no justice without the punishment of evil.]
 
Psalm 11:7 “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;”
 
[Praise you, Lord God, that in your there is no evil, no darkness, no sin, no wrong. You are righteous and love what is right. You cannot be corrupted and corrupt no one. You cannot be tempted and you tempt no one. Instead, you call all to righteousness.
 
When we believe your Word, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. Then we get to grow in righteousness as we walk in obedience to what we know to be true:
–loving your Word by reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on it;
–listening to and obeying the conviction of the Spirit, that most often comes through the Word;
— working by and through prayer, living the truth that without you we can do nothing;
–participating in fellowship, knowing that in your church we will learn to give and receive, help and be helped; we will both enjoy and be irritated by others, repent and forgive, love as Christ loves us.
 
Help us to be faithful in participating in your righteousness, Lord, living worthy of you, as sons and daughters of the Most High King, the Creator and Sustainer of all. May our central and deepest goal be to glorify, honor and please you.]
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