Psalm 75:1-10 - "When I Choose the Proper Time..."

Psalm 75 was written by Asaph to be a song of praise, of thanksgiving and celebration for how the Lord had miraculously delivered Jerusalem from the powerful Assyrians. True worship really begins when we get our eyes off our circumstances, and we focus on Who God really is! That’s what Asaph did in verse one: “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.”   There is no other name like the name Jehovah, Elohim, the Creator God,  El Elyon, the Most High God! We know He is supreme and sovereign and is near when we see His mighty works around us in so many ways. Even today we can see wonderful works of God in our lives, in our families, especially if we learn to obey Him and depend upon Him. He can save us, He can cleanse us, He can wash us, He can redeem us, He can restore us. Even this week I received a call from someone sharing with me how God is restoring a marriage that appeared to be beyond repair! Praise the Lord!   That’s what true worship looks like! His wonderous words declare that His name is near!   Now in verses 2-5, we have a wonderful message from God and He is reminding us that; "When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah” We watch as the enemy dominates and appears to be victorious in their evil conquest over other nations. A good example is what is happening in Europe right now between Russia and Ukraine, where an evil ruler with his own agenda is destroying cities, killing innocent women and children, and we wonder where is God. Doesn’t He see this? Does He care?   Even the nation of Israel in King Hezekiah’s day would be surrounded by the Assyrians and the people were terrified and greatly distressed!  But God says, “Don’t you worry about it! I’m the One who sets the time of judgment, just wait! Just wait! The time of judgment is coming!   Today we watch the evil, wicked, ungodly people in powerful positions of authority mocking God, blaspheming Him and His Word and persecuting His people and we fret! But God says, “Don’t worry about it, just wait, I have set a time of judgment! God says, “When the proper time comes, I will judge uprightly. Just wait, I can take care of anything!   In our passage today, God assured His people that He had already chosen the appointed time for judgment and that His people could wait in confidence and peace because He had everything under control. The Lord has His times and seasons (Psalm 102:13; Acts 1:7), and He is never late to an appointment. It may seem to us that the foundations of society are being destroyed (Psalm 11:3; 82:5), and the "pillars" of morality are falling down, but the Lord knows what He is doing (46:6; 1 Sam. 2:8). Jesus Christ is on the throne and holds everything together (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3).   But there is also a message for the godless (vv. 4-5), and it warns them not to be arrogant and deliberately disobey the will of God. Before it lowers its head and attacks, a horned beast proudly lifts its head high and challenges its opponent, and the ungodly were following this example. The Hebrew word translated "lift up" is used five times in this psalm (vv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 10), and in verses 4-5, it is associated with arrogance that leads to trouble. A "stiff neck" and proud speech are marks of an insolent and rebellious person, not one who is bowed down in submission to the Lord (Deut. 31:27; 2 Kings 17:14; 2 Chron. 36:13; Jer. 7:26).   They will not repent nor turn from their evil ways even as God deals with them. But God’s message for us today is wait, wait, wait. He has an appointed time of judgment, and it is sure to come!   God bless!