"The Righteous Judge"

   

  "Endow the King with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice." -- Psalm 72:1

            A few weeks ago we talked about Christ the King, and how we truly see him as king when he is on the cross. We even noted that the thief who turned to him knew he was the king, and did not ask for forgiveness, as he would if speaking to a judge, but rather said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." But now, in this Psalm, we see that the King is the Judge. And the King who is the Judge is given justice and righteousness from the Father to guide his decisions. So he defends the afflicted and saves the children of the needy. The Righteous Judge saves them, and they receive grace and mercy.

            John Oswalt tells us that in the ancient near east, it was quite common to portray the king as one who carried the responsibility of judging the poor, that is, the king was expected to give the special protection of the crown to the poor of his land. But it simply did not happen that way. Kings acted like kings act; they rested their authority on the favor and goodwill of the rich and powerful.

            The Old Testament prophets took seriously this task of giving justice to the poor. Oswalt writes that Isaiah chapter 11 "envisions a time when the ruler will no longer see himself as privileged but rather as responsible, when he will become one for whom his people's welfare is uppermost."

            Psalm 72 is a prayer for the king, that he will judge the people in righteousness. I have been reading the biography of John Adams written by David McCullough. During the time of the French Revolution, there were many in America, including Thomas Jefferson, who wholeheartedly embraced what was happening in France. But Adams felt that a direct democracy where all decisions would be made by one body, would lead to mob rule and eventually to dictatorship. He was right. It is not possible to combine the functions of king and judge in one body or one person. The American system of a separation of powers into three branches and two legislative arms actually preserves democracy and freedom. There is not one person who can hold together the responsibilities and power of both king and judge.

  In this Psalm the Messiah is both King and Judge, and yet maintains justice and righteousness. The Psalm then sets out three aspects of the rule of this King and Judge. He will do justice, he will bring prosperity to the land, and he will rule all nations, not through conquest but by attracting their sincere loyalty.

            This King will do justice by delivering the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no one to help (v.12). James Limburg writes that this description of the new king outruns reality. Real kings simply did not act in that way. But the hope for the righteous king is found throughout the prophets. Isaiah, Amos, Micah and others define doing justice as taking up the cause of the widow, the orphan and the poor. So often we think of justice as punishing those who break the law, criminal justice. Here the justice of the king lifts those who are in need. It is a restorative justice.

            The next aspect of this ideal king is that he will bring prosperity to the land. The word for "prosperity" is "shalom," which is often translated as "peace." Shalom is a complex word; it means more than the absence of conflict. Shalom is peace that is wholeness, completeness, a restoration of the relationships that God intended in the creation. So in God's Shalom the land brings forth a bountiful harvest, and the king's rule is not oppressive, but it is a blessing, like rain on new mown grass that keeps things green.

The point is that poverty is a product of society and not a product of creation. Poverty is caused by the concentration of wealth in the hands of the powerful, through a deliberate strategy that exploits the many to benefit a few. At the "Feed my Starving Children" event yesterday we learned that in Haiti the average salary is $1.25 a day. When people go to market, there is much fresh produce and meat to buy, and yet many cannot afford it. So they buy mud cakes to eat: dirt mixed with water, salt and butter. This is not God's intention for the creation. But when the mud cakes are replaced by the enriched rice and soybean meals, there is a great change in the health of the children. That is God's intention for creation. The Psalm points forward to a king who will rule in righteousness so that all will know the blessings and provision of the Lord.

            The final characteristic of this King is that during his rule the nations will come and bow before him. In verse 8 it speaks of his rule from sea to sea and from the river, which would be the Euphrates, to the ends of the earth. Kings would come from Tarshish, or Spain; and also Sheba, or Southern Arabia. The whole known world would recognize the quality of this king's rule. This draws us back to Genesis 12, when God promised to Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him.

            Who is the righteous king and judge, whose description does not seem to fit any known king in the ancient world? Only Jesus is both King and Judge in righteousness. The Messiah is the Judge who spoke forgiveness to sinners in his ministry. The Messiah is Jesus who sought out lost sheep and restored them when other rulers and leaders saw them as burdens, as impediments to the coming of the kingdom.  We see him as king on the cross. We also see his judgment of grace upon the cross, where he says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." It is at the cross that we encounter the Judge who saves us from our sin.

            Are you inviting Christ to be the Judge of your life? Are you asking him to do justice in your heart? He is the only one who is able to forgive you, and for that forgiveness to have power, even power over your own thoughts of self-condemnation. Jesus, who died for your sins, will forgive your sin and cleanses you from all unrighteousness.

            Jesus is the judge who shares his righteousness and justice with you. We often think of the judgment of Jesus in our lives as punishment. Jesus does bring discipline to our lives. But discipline is never solely punishment; it is always a call to learn by imitation and practice. Just as those who played in the string group today, learned to play only through many hours of discipline, finding where the fingers must rest on the strings for each note and applying just the right amount of pressure with the bow; so Jesus says, "Learn of me." There is a life in Christ to be practiced. There is a need for imitation or learning from the one who can shape our hearts. Is Christ truly the Judge of your life?

            Are you praying for Christ the Judge to bring Shalom to you? Sometimes that prayer can be distorted by those who teach health and wealth. But Jesus truly does want to restore wholeness and balance to your life, a prosperity that is not measured in dollars, but in the healing of a soul. This Advent, invite Jesus the Judge to fill you with His Shalom.

            Finally, are you living in the hope of the Kingdom of God? There will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We have entered into that hope in small ways these days; by packing meals at "Feed My Starving Children," by giving to Covenant World Relief, by praying together with other churches at the "Prayer for the Persecuted Church" gathering. These events help us to talk about the world from a different perspective than we may find on the evening news. They help us to pray and live towards the Kingdom and look with hope for the Day when Christ will return in glory.

            Jesus is the King who is the Judge.

            Advent is the season of receiving Christ by faith.

            Amen.