Read Psalm 7:12-17. 12If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; 13he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. 14Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. 15He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. 16His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. 17I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
The book of James reminds us that desire gives birth to sin, and sin brings forth death. David is not only teaching this truth here in Psalm 7, he is counting on it. God will fight for him but how? By giving his enemies over to the self-defeating nature of sin. We dig a pit and fall into it ourselves. Mischief returns on our own heads. Violence descends on our own skulls. This too is God’s justice.
Jesus is the only person in history that fell into a pit that he didn’t dig. Mischief and violence that were not his own tore apart his head. The sword and arrows of God’s wrath pierced his innocent body and soul. Sin brought forth death on the cross because he became our sin for us.
The cross of Christ shows us that we can trust God’s justice to have the final word in the end. No evil deed will go unpunished by God. Unfortunately, we are the perpetrators of evil deeds just as much as we are evil’s victims. How can God destroy evil without destroying us in the process?
Repentance. Through repentance we are brought into union wit Christ’s cross and resurrection. Our union with the cross of Christ metes the punishment we deserve, and our union with the resurrection of Christ declares us to be the innocent victims of evil’s injustice. What’s left for us as Sinner-Saints? I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
To live is Christ is to always trust God’s final justice, but to do so with great humility, knowing that we too deserved the punishment of the cross.
You: Have you ever fallen into your own pit?
You in Christ: How does your union with Christ spare you from God’s justice and also bring you God’s justice at the same time?
Christ in you: What would repentance look like for you today? Are you humble in regards to seeking justice?
Prayer. Father, based on your justice help me to forgive those who desire to do me wrong, for I know that you have forgiven me by the blood of the cross of Christ. Amen.
To Live is Christ 