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“‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” - Deuteronomy 27:19

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. – Isaiah 1:16-17

Psalm 94 is an especially powerful call for the LORD to intervene: 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!

Listen closely to the Psalmist’s complaint: They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush Your people, O LORD, and afflict Your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless… The Psalmist knows the law and the prophets; he knows how things should be among the people of God. Here in Psalm 94, the law and the prophets intersect upon a prayer of one who is confident only because the LORD is his help: “They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.”

But a sharp turn occurs in Psalm 95, and the remainder of today’s Psalms are calls to the congregation to celebrate and worship the LORD. “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” bears no resemblance to the shadow of suffering and lament to which we’ve grown accustomed. Psalm 94 feels like rock bottom, against which Psalm 95 and its successors jolt our senses.

But neither is out of place, if we consider the course of life. The petition for the LORD’s vengeance and the celebration of the LORD’s rescue are, for the righteous, a firm acknowledgement of the LORD’s sovereignty and faithfulness. For the Psalmist knows, and wants the congregation to sing, that “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.”

Our verses for this week are Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 94 through 102. Now let’s read it!

Psalms 94 - 102

Jehovah, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine out. Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve. Jehovah, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph? They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast. They break your people in pieces, Jehovah, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless. They say, "Jehovah will not see, neither will Jacob's God consider." Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise? He who implanted the ear, won't he hear? He who formed the eye, won't he see? He who disciplines the nations, won't he punish? He who teaches man knows. Jehovah knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, Jehovah, and teach out of your law, that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. For Jehovah won't reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it. Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evildoers? Unless Jehovah had been my help, my soul would have soon lived in silence. When I said, "My foot is slipping!" Your loving kindness, Jehovah, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul. Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But Jehovah has been my high tower, my God, the rock of my refuge. He has brought on them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. Jehovah, our God, will cut them off. Oh come, let's sing to Jehovah. Let's shout aloud to the rock of our salvation! Let's come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let's extol him with songs! For Jehovah is a great God, a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the mountains are also his. The sea is his, and he made it. His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let's worship and bow down. Let's kneel before Jehovah, our Maker, for he is our God. We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep in his care. Today, oh that you would hear his voice! Don't harden your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work. Forty long years I was grieved with that generation, and said, "They are a people who err in their heart. They have not known my ways." Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They won't enter into my rest." Sing to Jehovah a new song! Sing to Jehovah, all the earth. Sing to Jehovah! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day! Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. For Jehovah is great, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Jehovah made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to Jehovah, you families of nations, ascribe to Jehovah glory and strength. Ascribe to Jehovah the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship Jehovah in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "Jehovah reigns." The world is also established. It can't be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy before Jehovah; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth. Jehovah reigns! Let the earth rejoice! Let the multitude of islands be glad! Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. A fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries on every side. His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees, and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Jehovah, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness. All the peoples have seen his glory. Let all them be shamed who serve engraved images, who boast in their idols. Worship him, all you gods! Zion heard and was glad. The daughters of Judah rejoiced because of your judgments, Jehovah. For you, Jehovah, are most high above all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods. You who love Jehovah, hate evil! He preserves the souls of his saints. He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in Jehovah, you righteous people! Give thanks to his holy Name. A Psalm. Sing to Jehovah a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. Jehovah has made known his salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to Jehovah, all the earth! Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises! Sing praises to Jehovah with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody. With trumpets and sound of the ram's horn, make a joyful noise before the King, Jehovah. Let the sea roar with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains sing for joy together. Let them sing before Jehovah, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Jehovah reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved. Jehovah is great in Zion. He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name. He is Holy! The King's strength also loves justice. You establish equity. You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt Jehovah our God. Worship at his footstool. He is Holy! Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who call on his name. They called on Jehovah, and he answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud. They kept his testimonies, the statute that he gave them. You answered them, Jehovah our God. You are a God who forgave them, although you took vengeance for their doings. Exalt Jehovah, our God. Worship at his holy hill, for Jehovah, our God, is holy! A Psalm of thanksgiving. Shout for joy to Jehovah, all you lands! Serve Jehovah with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know that Jehovah, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name. For Jehovah is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations. A Psalm by David. I will sing of loving kindness and justice. To you, Jehovah, I will sing praises. I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart. I will set no vile thing before my eyes. I hate the deeds of faithless men. They will not cling to me. A perverse heart will be far from me. I will have nothing to do with evil. I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won't tolerate one who is arrogant and conceited. My eyes will be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he will serve me. He who practices deceit won't dwell within my house. He who speaks falsehood won't be established before my eyes. Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the land, to cut off all the workers of iniquity from Jehovah's city. A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before Jehovah. Hear my prayer, Jehovah! Let my cry come to you. Don't hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me. Answer me quickly in the day when I call. For my days consume away like smoke. My bones are burned as a torch. My heart is blighted like grass, and withered, for I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones stick to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places. I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop. My enemies reproach me all day. Those who are mad at me use my name as a curse. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears, because of your indignation and your wrath; for you have taken me up and thrown me away. My days are like a long shadow. I have withered like grass. But you, Jehovah, will remain forever; your renown endures to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to have pity on her. Yes, the set time has come. For your servants take pleasure in her stones, and have pity on her dust. So the nations will fear Jehovah's name, all the kings of the earth your glory. For Jehovah has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory. He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come. A people which will be created will praise Jehovah, for he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven, Jehovah saw the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoner, to free those who are condemned to death, that men may declare Jehovah's name in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah. He weakened my strength along the course. He shortened my days. I said, "My God, don't take me away in the middle of my days. Your years are throughout all generations. Of old, you laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed. But you are the same. Your years will have no end. The children of your servants will continue. Their offspring will be established before you."

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