Psalm 7
It is amazing how such a small tongue can cause so much heart ache. God warns us against slander such as in Psalm 101:5 “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.”
Or, 1 Peter 2:1 “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”
In Psalm 7, it seems like David was being slandered, accused of wrongdoing by a guy named Cush, a Benjamite. Cush, along with others, did not want David to be king. We see hints of this in 1 Samuel 24:9, “He said to Saul, ‘Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’?” David was not bent on harming King Saul. David literally had 2 chances to kill King Saul, but he did not. The slander and lies were not based on fact.
So what does David do? He cries out to the Lord, “Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.” Being slandered hurts. On these charges, David knows he is innocent.
These days, people are accusing others of being racist. When we judge people based on skin color, without knowing a person’s heart or motive, we are slandering. I know feelings run high, but we need to be careful. And as Christians, we are to stop it. Instead, we can help each other. Encourage each other to speak the truth in love.
Why do people slander others? Pride. By tearing down others, we feel on top. This is wrong.
But what do we do? We do what David does. David appeals to the righteous God…
“Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. “ Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.”
Can we trust God to vindicate us? He is our shield. “My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.” Often times, we struggle with His timing. We want things to happen faster than it does. But God is at work. His timing is perfect. And there are times we won’t see the final result. It doesn’t mean He isn’t true to His Word. So trust in the Lord. That is why David ends with,
“I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.” (verse 17)
Instead of slandering, let’s pray, give thanks, trust, and Praise the Lord.
(the above is a summary of the message shared by Richard Nakamura during our zoom worship time on May 23, 2021)
Japanese Congregational Church 