Day 615: Even the worst! - Psalm 76

1-2 In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. 3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah

4 Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains of prey. 5-6 The stout-hearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. 7-9 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgement; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to establish judgement, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah

10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. 11-12  Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them; let all round him  bring gifts to him who is to be feared, who cuts off the spirit of princes, who  is to be feared by the kings of the earth. Psalm 76 (English Standard Version)

I was struck by vs 10 which says: “Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.” The Good News Bible puts it as: “Human anger only results in more praise for you; those who survive the wars will keep your festivals”. A popular paraphrased Bible says: “Instead of smouldering rage - God-praise!” The general picture is that God's glory will be revealed even out of the very worst of things that people do.

The Psalm celebrates an amazing victory God had given to His people in Jerusalem. It was the sort of victory we read of in Isaiah 36 & 37. In the days when Hezekiah was ruler, King Sennacherib of Assyria sent a delegation to demand God's people to surrender. Knowing he was helpless, King Hezekiah humbled himself before God and asked for divine intervention. God sent a message through Isaiah that He would indeed save them. And, in Isaiah 37:36, we read that: “The angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and left. He returned home and lived in Nineveh.” Verses 4-6 of the Psalm would well describe the Assyrian’s defeat. So the fierce wrath of the Assyrians had resulted in great praise to God. Who are the people that ultimately experience God's mercies? (vs 7-9)

It's not those who rage in wrath – it's those who are lowly and who humbly look to God. Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

Another example of God receiving praise through the wrath of His enemies was the event of Israel's rescue out of Egypt. As Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let Israel go, God said to him through Moses: “By now I could've put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would've been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:15-16)

But surely the greatest example of God's glory shining out of the very worst that people can do is the story of Calvary. We read of that day: “When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And, at three, Jesus cried out with a loud voice 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?'” (Mark 15:33-34) A truly terrible day. But in Acts 3:13-15 Peter says to those who had executed Christ: “The God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate . . . you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you. You killed the source of life whom God raised from the dead.”

Verses 11-12 of our Psalm are good advice for all of us to follow. We must be true to God and praise Him for what He accomplishes - even through the rage of men. May Hebrews 13:5-6 be true of our life. God says: “‘I will never leave you or abandon you.’ Therefore we can boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”