Psalm 9 (New Living Translation) I will praise you, L ORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvellous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared. For you have judged in my favour; from your throne you have judged with fairness. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have erased their names forever. The enemy is finished, in endless ruins; the cities you uprooted are now forgotten. But the L ORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. The L ORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O L ORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

Sing praises to the L ORD who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer. L ORD, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death. Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me. The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. The L ORD is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God. But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed. Arise, O L ORD ! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Judge the nations! Make them tremble in fear, O L ORD.

DIVINE JUSTICE is God’s righteousness, exercised in His moral government of the universe Ps. 33:4 “The Lord loves justice” Psalm 97:2 “righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne”

“I feel that if God should smite me now, without hope or offer of mercy, to the lowest hell, I should only have what I justly deserve; and I feel that if I be not punished for my sins, or if there be not some plan found by which my sin can be punished in another, I cannot understand how God can be just at all: how shall He be Judge of all the earth, if He suffer offenses to go unpunished?”

1. An explanation of God’s Justice Verses 7-8 “The L ORD reigns forever, executing judgment from His throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness” ll. God’s justice is pure God does not “delight in the death of the wicked” lll. God’s justice is personal Sin is an act of defiance against God (1 John 3:4) God rightly judges our wilful breaking of His law Sin not only dishonours God - it does harm to others

God is never obligated to be merciful Were God never to have offered salvation to anyone, His love would remain unblemished “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Rom 9:14-15)

2. Some expressions of God’s Justice

ll. God in His justice saves Verses 9 and 12 “The L ORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. For He who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer” Ps 35:10 “You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them” Ps 103:6 “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry”

Some expressions of God’s Justice