July 19, 2025 -- Psalm 105:4-5 -- Remember the judgments He uttered. Curious? Read on.

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Seek the LORD and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
Psalm 105:4-5 ESV

Why should the people of God, who have sought Him and His strength and His presence, remember the judgments He uttered? The Psalm spends much time expounding that very theme. The canvas is the judgment of the LORD against Egypt. God made a covenant with Abraham, that one day his descendants would possess the land. Abraham never saw that promised fulfilled in his life-time. The LORD however, Who is from everlasting to everlasting, never forgets His promises. As the people of God remember God's judgments and the ways in which He fulfills everyone of them, they are brought to their knees in worship.

The LORD rendered judgment against the brothers of Joseph for selling him into slavery. Yet God also showed mercy to the whole house of Israel. What the brothered intended for evil, God intended for good. The brothers were culpable for their wickedness in selling Joseph into slavery, but Joseph saw the hand of God in all the events that happened. In a very dramatic, beautiful scene of reconciliation, Joseph forgave his brothers.

The LORD judged Egypt for her sins. The plagues are referenced, each one was an opportunity for the people of Egypt (from Pharaoh to down to the serving girl) to repent of their sins and set Israel free. Stubbornly Pharaoh led his people to refuse the command of God until the LORD ravaged the land because of the hardness of their hearts. Still, the LORD brought His people out with joy (verse 43a). There is an additional line, a parallelism which highlights the greater mercy of God, “His chosen ones with singing” (verse 43b). There were many Egyptians who left Egypt with the Israelites, placing their trust in the Living God. They were chosen by God and so were brought into the covenant community. What a surprise. Oppressors, the former slave-owning Egyptians, becoming humble servants of the LORD along with the Israelites. (Imagine the fireworks resulting from God's gracious saving acts as these formerly disparate people are suddenly formed into one new whole!)

The greatest act of judgment, that reverberates through-out history is the judgment of God against Jesus. Though Jesus was sinless, God poured out His full wrath upon the Christ, crushing Him for the iniquities of us all. It is the judgment of God that causes believers to pause, in awe, and then praise God. For the cross is also the place where God judged every sin of every believer, and having punished His beloved Son in their place, God judged believers to be righteous, having the imputed righteousness of Jesus granted to them.

When believers contemplate the judgments He uttered, humility becomes the governing disposition in the life of believers. When believers recognize the cost of God’s glorious and righteous judgments, then they heartily and without reservation welcome other sinner-saints, who are now qualified to share in the inheritance of light in the kingdom of the Son the Father loves. The very same judgment which simultaneously punished Jesus and set you free, has been applied to others. What glorious fellowship, what joy divine, to lean upon the everlasting arms of God’s unstoppable love.

Father in heaven, just and true are all Your ways. Thank You for the glorious salvation You have worked through Jesus Christ. Blessed Jesus, a life-time of saying and living thanks to You does not even began to convey the greatness of our debt to Your lovingkindness. Thank You. Let our lives be a song of thanks, a constant memorial to Your goodness which is demonstrated in loving welcome to all those the Father has given into Your care as part of the family of God. Blessed Spirit of the Living God, break up the hard, compacted soil of our hearts that the truth of the just and glorious judgments of God will be planted deep within us and yield a harvest of praise and worship unto God. Let the contemplation of the judgments God uttered lead us to keep the commands of God and put each one into practice as a public demonstration of our life-long thanksgiving to You. Amen.

https://youtu.be/UubIQnVC4IA?si=xR2pUm74Bt6Q_kmX Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

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