Text: Psalm 18:21-26

Psalm 18:25  “...with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright…”

            DEFINITIONS

     UPRIGHT: Physically: ‘Erect; perpendicular to the plane of the horizon; as an upright tree; an upright post. Among mechanics, plumb (Genesis 37:7)’ Spiritually: ‘…Honest; just; adhering to rectitude in all social intercourse; not deviating from correct moral principles; as an upright man…Conformable to moral rectitude…Conscience rewards upright conduct with pleasure.’ (Noah Webster, 1828)

     UPRIGHTNESS: ‘Honesty; integrity in principle or practice; conformity to rectitude and justice in social dealings. The truly upright man is inflexible in his uprightness.’ (Noah Webster, 1828)

     JUST: ‘In a moral sense, upright; honest; having principles of rectitude; or conforming exactly to the laws, and to principles of rectitude in social conduct; equitable in the distribution of justice; as a just judge…In an evangelical sense, righteous…living in exact conformity to the divine will.’ (Noah Webster, 1828) Also, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary, JUST means: ‘morally upright, righteous  in the eyes of God…fitting, proper, conforming to standards…just, righteous; sincere…equitable; in accordance with law, lawful; true, proper; perfect, complete.’

Text: Psalm 18:21-26

Psalm 18:25 “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful…”

GOD’S UNIVERSAL LAW

An allegory of men’s lives on earth—“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8) Many times the LORD uses allegories to signify men and nations, their principal actions, and the results of those actions. For example God refers to the nation of Israel as a “flock” (Jeremiah 23:2; 31:10), as “sheep” (Micah 2:12), and as a “vine” (Psalm 80:8; Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 6:9). In the law of sowing and reaping God uses the allegory of a man sowing [planting] seed in a garden or a field, and reaping [gathering or receiving] the suitable crop. The law of sowing and reaping relates to the many actions of men and the inevitable results of those actions in their lives. God reacts to a man’s actions according to this law.

THE INHERITANCE OF THE SON

Psalm 2:8 “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

Ask—As the Father said to his Son, “Ask of me,” so the Son also said unto his disciples: “Ask, and it shall be given you…how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-8, 11; 21:22) God promises each and every heathen, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)

Psalm 2:6 “Yet [nevertheless; notwithstanding] have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”

The Father’s prophecy—In this verse God the Father, who “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Romans 4:17), prophesied of the glorious thousand year reign of Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:2-6) when—after his second coming back to earth to “judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11), the kingdoms of this world will become “the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15). Then Jesus will sit “upon the throne of David” (Isaiah 9:6-7) as “a great King over all the earth.” (Psalm 47:2) He “shall reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1); “he shall judge the world in righteousness, [and] he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” (Psalm 9:8; Acts 17:31; Revelation 19:11)

UNIVERSAL LAW OF GOD

The law of sowing and reaping—The word of God says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) All men—saved or lost, are subject to this law. David said, “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.” (2Samuel 22:21) David also said, “…the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.” (2Samuel 3:39). David summed up this law by saying to the LORD, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.” (Psalm 18:25-26) Obadiah prophesied and warned the heathen: “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” (Obadiah 1:15) By taking vain and foolish counsel against the LORD, the heathen demonstrate that they “know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor…[and the LORD will] execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” (Micah 4:11-13; 5:15) Habakkuk recorded his vision of the second coming of Jesus Christ, and said: “Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger…” (Habakkuk 3:12-16). The Lord Jesus said that when he comes back in glory, “then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27): “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Revelation 22:12) The apostle Paul instructed the church at Corinth that “every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” (1Corinthians 3:8)

Unattainable imagination—The heathen rage, because: “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” (Isaiah 48:22; 57:21; John 14:27) The scripture declares: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them [their conscience]; for God hath shewed it [the creation] unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:20-22). When the heathen give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, their conscience is “seared with a hot iron” (1Timothy 4:1-3)! Unto the heathen “that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” (Titus 1:15) The imagination of these raging heathen is vain, unprofitable, and unattainable. David declared that the LORD will destroy them (Psalm 21:8-10), “For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.” (Psalm 21:11-12)

The first heathen—Being the first natural born man, and being conceived after Adam and Eve had sinned, like all of Adam’s offspring, sin and death passed upon Cain (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5). Cain “knew God,” but he “glorified him not as God” (Romans 1:19-23). Cain refused to bring to God the only acceptable sin offering: the offering which God commanded. Instead he brought the work of his own hands (Genesis 4:3). By faith in the word of God (Romans 10:17), Cain’s brother “Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” (Hebrews 11:4-6) When the LORD encouraged Cain to do right, Cain continued to rebel against God. Then Cain, who “was of that wicked one…slew his brother…Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1John 3:12; Genesis 4:8) The history of “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4) abounds with similar examples.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1)

     According to the scriptures—The word “heathen” occurs 104 times in the scriptures. The heathen are also called “the people” (Psalm 2:1), “the nations” (Deuteronomy 4:27; Genesis 18:18), “the wicked” (Psalm 9:5, 15-17), and “the Gentiles” (Malachi 1:11; compare Galatians 1:6; 2:9 with Acts 26:17-18).