JUSTICE-Psalm 7

Justice: “Awake, my God; decree justice” (Ps 7:6b). “Wake up, my God, and bring justice!” (NLT) “Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them!” (NET)

Prayer and praise. Psalm 7 is about a man who has been falsely accused based on lies said about him (Ps 7:2-4). It begins with a supplication for help from the man pursued by those bent on his destruction (Ps 7:1), and concludes by celebrating God with thanksgiving (Ps 7:17). The overall movement is the familiar theme that prayer resolves crises, and issues in praise and thanksgiving for their solution.

Questions [O God, my Righteous Judge. The Judge is on your side. A cry for justice. Finding refuge in God’s justice. God battles against evil people. God’s righteous judgment. Confidence in God’s deliverance. The blessing of a good conscience. A conscience without offence]:

• Who might “Cush, a Benjamite” [Title] be who lied and slandered him (2 Sam 16:5-6, 7-8)? What did David do in response (2 Sam 16:9, 10-12)?

1. Have you ever desperately prayed to God alone to save and deliver you (Ps 7:1) from a desperate situation (Ps 7:2)? Do you seek secondary means to rescue yourself, just in case God does not?
2. What is David proclaiming and swearing to God with his repeated use of “if” in Ps 7:3-4? Are you so confident about your own innocence as he is (Ps 7:3-5)? Is David saying he is sinless (Ps 51:3-4)? [Eccl 7:20; Prov 20:9; Rom 3:10]
   • How conscientiously do you strive to keep your conscience clear and to live honorably (Ac 24:16; Heb 13:18; 1 Pet 3:16; 2 Cor 4:2)?
3. Do you ever pray for God on high to express his anger against those who perpetrate injustice (Ps 7:6, 9)? How might God’s anger differ from ours (Eph 4:26)? Was David able to take matters into his own hands (1 Sam 24:10-11, 13)? Should you avenge yourself (Rom 12:19)?
   • Ps 7:8a can also be translated “Pass judgment on me.”  Do you pray similarly? Should you? Who do we judge (Mt 7:1-2)? How confident are you about your own righteousness and integrity (Ps 7:8)?
   • What is his prayer for the people of God (Ps 7:7, 9a)?
   • Are you comfortable with God probing your mind [heart] and heart [kidneys, feelings] (Ps 7:9b; 137:23-24)?
4. Do you live as though God is your shield (Ps 7:10)? That God is a righteous judge (Ps 7:11)? What if you don’t?
5. What happens if you disregard God (Ps 7:12-13, 14-16; Gal 6:7-8)?
6. What does the psalmist conclusion of the psalm (Ps 7:17) in the midst of experiencing injustice and false accusations teach you?