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The Sermon at Evensong, Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026, Wednesday after Trinity 13
Psalm 7 is a prayer for deliverance from the psalmist’s enemies, who are portrayed as fierce beasts about to attack him and tear him to pieces (Psalm 7:2). At the outset, one might ask how it is that a man has such ferocious and cruel enemies. In the psalm no reasons are given for the enemies’ cruel attack. For Christians, these enemies can be persecutors of the faith, and we can even say that these enemies are really demons, driving people to act with extreme cruelty and destructiveness. If we realize this, then the psalm has the context of spiritual warfare.
The first verse of the psalm affirms that the psalmist has put his trust in God and taken refuge in him. On the strength of this trust in God, he prays that God will save him and deliver him from all who persecute him, since otherwise, his enemies will tear him to pieces as a lion would do to its prey (v.2). Now besides his faith in God, the psalmist knows that he must have righteousness in God’s sight, since in God’s courtroom he can expect no justice if he is unrighteous. He is so sure of his righteous behavior towards his friends and enemies, that he goes so far as to invoke a curse on himself if the court finds that he has done evil to the person who treated him well, then he will let his enemy pursue and overtake him and kill him (vv.3-5).
But knowing that he has not done evil to friend or foe, the psalmist has the confidence to call on God to arise in his wrath and decree justice. In ancient courts, once all the evidence had been heard, the judge would declare mishpat, or righteousness, that is what the right course of action should have been for plaintiff and defendant. Then he would declare the verdict and pass sentence on the accused, when his guilt had been shown.
Verses 7 and 8 are a plea for God to judge the peoples and give sentence according to the psalmist’s righteousness. The psalm makes even more sense both in terms of the vicious attack of the enemies and in terms of God’s giving just judgment and judging according to the speaker’s righteousness, if we consider the psalm to be a prediction of the Lord Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, and the psalmist as the Lord Jesus Christ putting his trust in God and being sure of his innocence. The violence that he has suffered at the hands of his enemies, some of his followers, Christ’s disciples, will also suffer. But just as God raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, showing his righteousness and his power of life, so God will raise all Christians from the dead on the last day. Then the wickedness of the ungodly will at last come to an end (Psalm 7:9), but God will lead and guide the just.
In verse 10, we are reminded that God searches and tries the mind and heart (Heb.: innermost parts of a person’s being), knowing a person’s hidden motives and deepest secrets. Those whom he finds to be true of heart can expect his help (v.11). The subsequent verses (vv.10-17) remind God’s enemies of the punishment and death he has prepared for them, just as a person who sets a trap for others can expect to fall in it himself. This is also a prediction of eternal judgment on God’s enemies, and all who have caused others to go astray.
Ultimately, God shows his own righteousness by meting out judgment on all who have opposed his kingdom and his purposes on earth.
Right at the end of the psalm, the psalmist, being sure of his own righteousness in God’s sight, gives thanks to the Lord according to God’s righteousness, and he praises the Name of the Most High (v.18).
What can we learn from this psalm?
First of all, the psalm points to the Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered death on the cross. If Christ suffered thus at the hands of his enemies, at least some Christians will also suffer the attacks of enemies in various ways.
Secondly, we must remember that our enemies are not “flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12), but against demonic principalities and powers.
Thirdly, we must maintain a right relationship with God, and live a righteous life.
Fourthly, we must not be found on the side of those who oppose God and his righteous purposes, or oppose God’s people. For God will punish those who do so (vv.12-17).
Finally, we must put our trust in God to save and deliver us from our enemies, and give him thanks that he will do so and has done so.