Psalms 7-11

Psalms 7-11

            One of the surprising features in Psalm 7 is David’s claim for his own righteousness in verse 8, “Vindicate me according to my righteousness.” Here’s a place for some careful distinctions. It’s not that David (or any of the other psalmist) think they are perfect. Psalm 51, also of David, makes that point with David’s abject repentance! But he does think, as Job did, that he has live a life that by human standards has been good, that he has integrity. A useful distinction is between how things look from God’s point of view (coram Deo) and how they look from a human point of view (coram hominibus). David here is speaking from that human point of view. Even our Lutheran Confessions make space for what they call civic righteousness. Think of it this way: just because every human carries the corruption of original sin, that doesn’t make every human Jeffrey Dahmer…

            Psalm 8 is well-known, if for no other reason than that there is a famous praise song that uses verse 1 as a chorus. It is also quoted four times in the New Testament. Verse 2 is cited in Matthew 21 in regard to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. And verses 4-6 are quoted in Hebrews in regard to the divinity of Jesus. In its original context, Psalm 8 is a paean about the role that humans play in God’s order for his creation: they are, in a sense, lower than the angels, without that power and splendor, yet they are, in a sense, higher than the angels because they bear God’s image and are his regents on earth.

            Psalm 9 intriguingly compares the Lord to the avenger of blood. The avenger of blood was a close relative whose duty it was to make sure that those who hurt a member of the family paid the price. So, the psalmist calls on the Lord to remember his troubles and those who have caused it. That the Lord is not some vigilante is seen in the confident assertion that the Lord judges with equity.

            Psalm 10 begins with a lament that the Lord seems to delay his intervention for his people. The bulk of the psalm (verses 2-11) recount how awful the wicked are. And it ends with a stirring call for the Lord to act. Sometimes the language of the Psalms can seem vicious. “Break the arm of the wicked!” For Christians, we understand that the ultimate day of God’s punishment is the last day, and the ultimate punishment is not vicious so much as untellingly severe: an eternity in hell.