Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
5/15 Reading Portions: Numbers 24; Psalms 66-67; Isaiah 14; 1 Peter 2
Psalm 67:4
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
EQUITY
“Equity” is a key word in this verse. The KJV translates the original Hebrew as “righteously.” I translate the word, “true justice.” The psalmist’s prayer is that the unbelieving nations would see the true justice of God and rejoice with singing and gladness. In other words, it is a request made for evangelistic missions. Many unbelievers see God’s justice as unfair, inequitable, or even corrupt. That should come as no surprise; for many professing believers often act as if God’s judgments were unreasonable or excessive. In fact, like Adam in the garden, we even blame God for the circumstances we encounter because He is, after all, sovereign— so our foul reasoning concludes (Gen 3:12). We suffer from spiritual near-sightedness when we fail to see God’s judgments through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ (and thus, we oft times flatter ourselves to think we are more compassionate than God). By simple faith in Christ, God judges you and me as wholly acceptable and righteous altogether, viewing us through Christ’s perfect, sinless, and holy righteousness. Does that seem just and equitable? We deserve eternal hell for the sins we’ve committed against an infinitely holy God; yet we are pardoned in the Son. The price the Lord Jesus paid in suffering God’s infinite and eternal wrath for our sakes was so overwhelmingly sufficient for our salvation, that trusting in Christ’s perfect sacrifice alone will wipe out a debt we cannot possibly pay. God’s every judgment, however small or seemingly insignificant, is purposed with Christ’s crucifixion at its heart and foundation. Yes, our prayer for the nations is for them to be glad and sing for joy, but let our request today be, “Lord, let me be glad and sing for joy, for You judged Christ for my pardon so Your true justice would guide the nations upon the earth. Selah!” Hallelujah! What a Savior!
God’s judgments are most just, indeed,
Because they’re founded in
Christ’s death upon Mount Calv’ry’s tree
To save my soul from sin.