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Psalm 7 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
As I read Psalm 7, I found myself asking if God was not righteous, would I pray to Him? In other words, what logical reason do we have for pleading our case before the Lord? First, it is important to understand that the Psalmist’s plea for innocence is not a theological violation of Scripture. It is not a self-righteous plea. The context, much like Job’s, is specific to an instance where the consequences seem to be unbalanced with the behavior. Job was a God-fearing man who was pursuing righteousness but suffering unbelievable consequences.
The Psalmist is actually asking God to search his heart and find anything that is impure because he is unaware of why this suffering has come upon him. So, an appeal is presented to the judge. That appeal is centered squarely on the fact that we know the Lord is righteous. He is fair and just. He is worthy to be trusted. So the mere fact that we can approach Him in this way verifies our belief that He is holy. We don’t pray to convince ourselves that we are righteous, but because we believe He is. Have you ever thought of it this way?
The thought of praying to a God who does not rule justly is nerve-racking, but honestly, this is the view that some have of God. Some picture Him as an isolated Being that does whatever He wants. His involvement depends on His mood and His decisions are seemingly random. If this is our view of God, then our commitment level to prayer will dwindle.
The fact is that our God is full of grace and truth. He loves us and knows what’s best. He hears us and wants to be involved in our lives. Finally, He always rules with justice and righteousness. This should bring us to our knees more than ever.