October 29, 2006 | Author: Angela Brenton  

Cry Out for Justice

“Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry;

Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.” 

Psalm 17:1

Study Overview

Just like small children we long at times to wail, “It’s just not fair!”  We are falsely accused or judged when we are not at fault.  Or we see sinful individuals prosper while we struggle.  It is sometimes a challenge to our faith when “bad things happen to good people” while the wicked seem to flourish.  Is God active in the world?  If so, why does he allow this injustice to continue?  At times it is comforting and faith-building to re-visit the Psalms.  David pours out his heart to God, including his cries for justice, yet in the end puts his faith in God’s ultimate plans, even when he cannot understand.

Background

David experienced times of oppression and betrayal that few of us will ever face.  As he served Saul as harp player, arms bearer and military commander, David was a faithful subject and servant of the king, and even became the best friend of his son and husband of his daughter.  Yet Saul became jealous of David’s favor with the Lord and military success and sought to kill David.  He made accusations against David, which David tried again and again to prove false, even by sparing Saul’s life when he could have killed him. David was forced to flee from Saul and for years hide in caves and strongholds to avoid Saul’s wrath.  (I Samuel 18-30).  David probably wrote Psalm 17 during this time period.

At times during his kingship, David was betrayed by those he trusted.  None was more devastating than the attempted overthrow of David’s kingdom by his own son Absalom and trusted aide Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15 – 18).  David was forced to flee Jerusalem for his life.  It is ironic that after David has pled with God for revenge on his enemies that God satisfies that request with the death of David’s son Absalom.

Psalm 73, our second featured psalm in this lesson, is credited to Asaph.  Asaph was probably a choral director who closely collaborated with David.  Some commentators state that David wrote many of the Psalms and gave them to Asaph to perform, while others feel that Asaph actually wrote psalms or collaborated with David on them.

Even though Psalm 73 seems bi-polar in its laments against the prosperity of the wicked, followed by a profession of faith and trust in God, it is consistent with David’s trust in God, expressed in Psalm 37: “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Read Psalm 73

Have two class members read Psalm 73 aloud to juxtapose the conflicting emotions expressed by the author – almost as doubt waging against faith.

The reader representing “faith” should read verse 1

The reader representing “doubt” should read verses 2-14, with an attitude of fist raised.

The reader representing “faith” should read verses 15 – 28.

Read Psalm 17

Read Psalm 17 aloud.  As it is read, think of a time when you have been unjustly accused of something you did not do.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does David (or Asaph) come to the point of trusting God even when he observes and experiences injustice in the world?  How can we come to a place where we trust God even when things do not seem fair?
2. David in Psalm 17 invites God to “probe his heart and examine him at night” to support that he is innocent in heart and in action.  Are we willing to invite God to make this level of scrutiny of our hearts?
3. Do we turn to God for our vindication when we feel unjustly treated, as David did (Psalm 17:2), or are we more concerned about what others think of us than about God’s judgment?
4. How important is it that we pour out our hearts to God with all its positive and negative contents?  Do we express our doubts and questions to God as well as our praise and requests?  Why or why not?
5. Are we often more concerned with small matters of justice such as whether we got the promotion we deserved or whether our child made the athletic team, and less concerned about larger issues of social justice like poverty and racism?  How does God see justice?

Assignment:

Pray a prayer to God this week in which you lay before him any resentment in your heart about things that are not “fair” in your life, or any concerns about justice in the world.  Try to be specific.  At the end of the prayer, pray the words from Psalm 73: 16-28.

Class Wrap-Up

End with a time of expression of trust in God either in song or prayer.  Invite God to search our hearts and to conform our lives to his will.