This is a psalm of praise to God. But how did you feel about verses 6–11? Can we praise God for the judgement of the wicked (see v 7)? 

Our perspective gets skewed because we have a deep-seated presumption that people are good. Or not bad, at least. Yet there is no wickedness in God (v 15). Not even a hint of darkness. He is pure love and perfect faithfulness (v 2). God’s holiness gets presumed to be a ‘holier than thou’ sort of thing. But God’s holiness is his purity. His holiness is his love. He is upright (v 15); it is humans who are the crooked ones. That’s why he can’t be close to us. That’s why evil must be destroyed, scattered, routed (vs 7–11). It has no place in the world that belongs to the God who is love.

Yet we praise him because he welcomes all who turn from wickedness to his love and lordship. Because of his great deeds of redemption, all who were once under judgement can be brought into his joy (v 4). Today, he invites us to praise him for his love and his faithfulness (vs 1–4). We are not to despair at the flourishing of the wicked (v 7), but to rejoice as we live our lives in his presence (vs 12–14), built on the solid ground of his goodness (v 15).

Be reassured by God’s victory: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.’¹ 

This psalm provides a good way of responding to our readings in Hebrews. In both we meet a God who is active on behalf of his people, who has won the victory. The psalmist has known God’s love (v 2). He has experienced deliverance from his enemies, who are also God’s enemies (vs 9–11). He has been given new status by God (v 10). He has discovered what it means to flourish (vs 12,13). He has known God’s protection. He has reflected on the character of God, faithful (v 2), powerfully creative (vs 4,5), profound (v 5), holy and righteous, stable (v 15). It is hardly surprising that he wants to celebrate. Music (v 1) can express our deepest feelings and stir our spirits. 

In the light of the psalmist’s experience, which to some extent we share, and the ‘so great a salvation’² which we have encountered in our Hebrews readings, how do we respond? How do we show our appreciation of God and all that he has done? We are righteous and can therefore flourish, not because of anything we have done, but because God has declared us righteous on the basis of what he has done in Jesus. Today is a day to be glad, to sing for joy to express our appreciation of God in exuberant worship. Take some time to reflect on the wonder of all that God has done in Jesus. Meditate on the love which he has shown. Praise him for the victory over sin and death. Rejoice in the hope which you have in heaven. On your own or in company with others as you worship together, find ways that are right for you to express your appreciation of God.

The psalm encourages us to see the apparent success of the wicked in a broader perspective (vs 6,7). How might that help to make sense of our world?

¹ Rev 11:15  ² Heb 2:3