Psalm 75
The title of this psalm in the NKJV is Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment. In the subtitle we see it’s a song written by Asaph. This is a psalm where not only are Asaph’s words dictated, but the Father’s words are dictated as well in verses 2-5 and 10.
The psalm starts with the people thanking God for His nearness to them. That is so important for us to realize that God is always near to His people. Sometimes we feel like He is far from us and there are two main reasons for this. The first is that He wants your faith to be in Him and His Word, not in your feelings or experiences. The second reason is because you have unrepentant sin in your life that is breaking your fellowship with God, and therefore you don’t feel His presence. Always remember that God is near and is drawing you closer to Him with chords of kindness (Hosea 11:4).
Then immediately in verse 2 God starts to speak. If you want to hear God audibly, read this verse out loud and boom you have heard him audibly. But His message is more important. His message is about his impending judgment of the proud and the wicked. God always chooses the “proper time” for his upright and fair judgment. Sometimes in our minds we think God takes too long to bring justice. Other times we think He is too quick. But God is sovereign, and He always picks the proper time for His judgment. The danger for us humans is we don’t know His timetable. It is dangerous because we often think, “I’m still young, I will deal with my sin later because it’s still fun right now. I will get right with God when I need to raise kids.” Don’t delay. Humble yourself before God casts His judgment on you.
When God says in verse 5, “Do not lift up your horn on high; Do not speak with a stiff neck”, He is using the imagery of a stubborn ox who doesn’t want to be yoked. God is saying don’t be stubborn with me and resist me. Humble yourself and take my yoke upon you because it is easy and light. The reason Jesus’ yoke is easy is because He is the one on the other side! I love you enough to tell you that there is a final judgment on those who don’t put their faith and trust in Jesus. The result of the Great White Throne Judgment is that all unbelievers are thrown into the lake of fire for eternal judgment which includes separation from God’s goodness (Revelation 20:11-15).
The beauty of verse 10, in this psalm, is that there is hope in the midst of impending judgment. It reads, “All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.” God exalts those who are righteous. How can we be righteous? By accepting the gift of salvation. When you repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 10:9-10, 13), Christ’s righteousness is accounted to you. You are then exalted as a Child of God with a future reward waiting for you in heaven (2 Cor. 5: 9-11). The first step is humility. You need to humble yourself and recognize your sinfulness, and therefore your need for a savior. Jesus is near. Repent of your sins and turn to Him and He will wash you as white as snow.