The Day the Earth Stands Still

Psalms 76:1-12
To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

1 In Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.

2 In Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle.

Selah

4 You are more glorious and excellent
Than the mountains of prey.

5 The stouthearted were plundered;
They have sunk into their sleep;
And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.

6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

7 You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?

8 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth.

Selah

10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.

11 Make vows to the LORD your God, and pay them;
Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.

12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
He is awesome to the kings of the earth.

The Majesty of God’s Justice in judgment was told to be seen when the earth stood still to observe.  God’s name is great among all His people in whom He dwells among and within, in the tabernacle of wood and stone and in hearts of stone made flesh.  The battles are His, and we fight them in His strength alone for success.  Think about that for a moment or two.  The God who formed the grand towering mountains is far more glorious and excellent than they are, no matter how awe inspiring they may be to us.  This sovereign King subdues armies set against His people by a mere word, just as the horse and rider were cast into the Red Sea as He delivered them from bondage, a symbolic salvation from sin’s hold enslaving all Adam’s sons and daughters.  The fear of God is realizing that nobody can stand in His holy and almighty presence, especially in the light of knowing His wrath on all sin.  He judges from Heaven and all can hear the thunder of His voice.  When this happened, the earth stood still in fear as in Revelation 8:1 as a prelude to His mighty judgment.  In this judgment, however, there will be those delivered from sin’s presence and penalty of punishment forevermore, the ones oppressed and called out to Himself from the world.  Think about the magnificence of that judgment and stand still to reflect with all the earth in awe.  God will be glorified in the wrath of man as well, having chosen some for destruction as part of that purpose, a truth we would like to deny or explain away.  We therefore make vows to follow the Lord and honor Him with the gift of our lives in living sacrifices.  He will cut off the mighty and demonstrate His power and glory to all in the final judgment where divine justice and mercy meet at last.  That day the earth will stand still as well in fear and awesome wonder at His grace given in Christ.  This is a foretaste of God’s final judgment to come.