4. The Response of God’s Righteous Saints Psalm 58:10-11

Text: “The righteous shall rejoice when he/she seeth the vengeance: he/she shall wash his feet in the blood of the blood of the wicked."

Psalm 58:10.

Good morning, God-made-righteous Christian!  Once you and I were lost, now we are found by Christ and saved.  Once we were Spiritually blind, now we have Spiritual eyes to see and adore Jesus.  Once we were numbered among ‘the wicked’, but now have been redeemed from the world by the precious sinless Blood of God the Son, Christ Jesus.  Can we not now shout a loud ‘Hallelujah!’ to the Lord God, for saving our never-dying souls?

“For (a conclusion) He (God the Father) hath made Him (God the Son) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin: that we (God’s chosen elect souls) might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This wonderful verse of God-breathed Scripture from our KJV Bibles teaches us about Christ’s Substitutionary sin-bearing, suffering, death, and resurrection for all those of us whom God the Father willed would be Eternally saved and given the full righteousness of His darling Son, Jesus Christ.  We theologians call this the doctrine of Substitution.

“Substitution:  a change of places, by Christ, as God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) 

“Surely He (Christ Jesus) hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows...He was wounded (or tormented) for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed...the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquities of us all (i.e. all born again believers!).”  (Isaiah 53:4-5) (Genesis 3:15)

Definition of the term:  The doctrine of Substitution concerns the penal sufferings (i.e. punishment required by Law) of Christ Jesus, in the place of His people, by which everyone born again of Him are SAVED.

God’s righteous penalties for sin had to be met, and God had to be satisfied by an acceptable Sacrifice.  Christ’s SINLESSNESS and perfect conformity to all God’s holy laws, was the only sacrifice the Father could accept - to pay the Price of our vile sins, “...the just for the unjust...”  (2 Corinthians 5:21) (John 1:29)

Christ’s holiness and righteousness was the only thing pleasing to a thrice holy God.  (Hebrews 4:14-15) (Matthew 3:13-17)

Thus, the satisfaction offered by Christ was not on His own behalf, but to bear the sins of  “...His people...”, and to suffer the required penalty of God’s wrath (literally) “...in our place...”. What a Saviour!  Amen. (Matthew 1:21) (Luke 19:10) (John 3:16)

Substitution:  Substitution reveals the highest exhibition of God’s grace and mercy towards Hell-deserving sinners such as we.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)

It is, of course, the very essence of the Gospel message of Salvation in Christ ALONE.    None other Sacrifice could Atone for the sins of the Elect Body of believers, the true Church of Christ!  (Psalm 118:1) (1 Corinthians 1:12-27) (John 3:3-8) (Romans 5:1)

Substitution:  Substitution manifests the Father’s love for sinners in sending His only begotten Lamb to suffer in our place upon the Cross at Calvary.  The Father’s grief must have been INFINITE indeed!  Some reflection of God the Father’s sufferings is revealed in type, as King David mourns the death of his beloved son Absalom upon a much earlier tree than Christ’s Cross. (2 Samuel 18:33) (Acts 2:22-26)

Substitution:  Substitution manifests God the Son’s love for His people, as He suffers INFINITE sufferings upon that Calvary Tree - the Almighty Bridegroom in place of His weak Bride, the Church.  (1 John 4:10) (John 10:11)

Christ took upon Himself our grave-clothes of sins that we, by His grace, might be ROBED in the Robe of His righteousness!  Oh, the love of a risen Christ Jesus!  Hallelujah!  Thank you, beloved Lord God!  (Isaiah 61:10)  (1 Peter 1:16-19)

Substitution:  Substitution is portrayed wonderfully well in the Gospels as Barabbas, the guilty, rebellious murderer is set free; and Christ, the faultless One, goes to the cruel Cross in his place.  Instead of the guilty sinner being made to suffer the legal penalty for sin; the guiltless, sinless, Saviour, Jesus Christ, suffers as his substitute!  (Luke 23:18-25)

Substitution:  The doctrine of Substitution helps us to comprehend, to some degree, how God can remain a HOLY and JUST God of immutable wrath against sin; while at the same time be a God of infinite LOVE and pardoning mercy towards the sinner, who has by faith, received Christ Jesus as their SIN-BEARER, and Saviour; their blessed and gracious Substitute.

Christ, therefore, suffered as a substitute for His elect people.  All others who refuse His Substitutionary Sacrifice must suffer for themselves in Hell’s fires forever!  There can be no ‘double jeopardy’ in the matter.”  (Dr C.K. McClinton, Basic Christian Doctrines Button on our website/Blog (www.ulsterchristians.org )

Having more closely defined exactly who ‘the righteous saints’ are in the title of today’s Bible Lesson – we can now clearly gauge our response to Almighty God’s dealing and treatment of those He calls ‘the wicked’ in Psalm 58.

Verse 10. “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance. We shall at the last say ‘Amen’ to the condemnation of the wicked and feel no disposition to question the ways of God with the impenitent.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 261)

Rejoicing shall be the only response of God’s saved people when we see God’s wrath being poured out upon the wicked, who have tortured the saints of God since the Fall of man into sin. “No doubt, at the sight of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim destroyed, angels saw cause to rejoice and sing, ‘Hallelujah’ Wickedness was swept away.” ...the Lord Jesus Himself, and each one of His members shall cry, ‘Hallelujah’, over Antichrist’s ruined hosts.” (Andrew A. Bonar 1859)

Thought: “...There is a reward for the righteous: verily He is a God that judgeth in the earth.”  Psalm 58 reveals the reality of God’s Holiness, and His judgement to come upon ‘the wicked’, who would not obey Almighty God, and hated His elect people.