THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: Living By Faith In God

CXIX. The Vast Value Of God’s Word

J. Handling Fraudulent Perversions Of Justice

(Psalm 119:73-80 [Yodh])

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

Many people face fraudulent perversions of justice:

(1) It occurs at the national level: (a) “The regulatory state is a $2 trillion tax on the American economy . . . (I)n too many cases the costs far outweigh the societal benefits.” (Stephen Moore, “10 ideas to make the economy great again in 2025,” Republican-American, December 28, 2024, p. 6A) Indeed, “Wall Street Journalist Mary O’Grady writes that” Argentina’s “deregulation czar has ‘discovered . . . (w)here deregulation happens, prices decline in the range of 30%. He has seen it in textiles, logistics, and some agricultural products.’ Thirty percent!” (Veronique De Rugy, “Regulations’ enormous costs and DOGE’s enormous upside,” Ibid., December 21, 2024, p. 6A) (b) “The Committee to Unleash Prosperity estimates that $1 trillion to $2 trillion could be reduced from health care costs, with no reduction in the quality of care, by allowing consumers to shop around on the internet for the best price – just as we do when we buy groceries, a home or a car.” (Ibid., Moore) (c) “American participation in globalist treaties . . . hurt America most,” including “the Paris Climate Accords” that “places huge burdens on American companies and workers.” (Ibid.) (d) “(T)hree of the five wealthiest counties in America are in or around Washington, D. C. Washington is getting rich at the expense of the rest of us . . . (F)ederal workers (of which there are more than 2 million) . . . often get paid $150,000 or more a year.” (Ibid.)

(2) It occurs at the state level: (a) “Recent investigations by the state auditors have found gross overpayment to employees in the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Correction Department, and especially in higher education, where many perfectly authorized salaries are wildly excessive anyway.” (Chris Powell, “If new oversight committee is serious, where to begin?” (Ibid., December 19, 2024, p. 8A) (b) The criminal-justice system’s coddling of repeat offenders and its dismissal of most gun law violations deserve detailed examination to make clear how public safety is betrayed and how advocacy of more gun control by legislators is so phony.” (Ibid.) (c) “(T)he Hartford school system” this year graduated “a student who in September confessed to being illiterate . . . (S)ome educators acknowledge that graduation of illiterates is common in the state despite ever-increasing appropriations in the name of education” (Ibid.) while “(a) child can get a better education at HALF the cost in the Catholic school system and in many charters.” (Ibid., Moore)

(3) It occurs at the personal level: Annie Lane’s “Dear Annie” column (Ibid., December 31, 2024, p. 9B) posted a letter by “Numb and Lost” who wrote, “(A)s I was growing up, I was so mistreated that I . . . had to suppress everything I was feeling . . . to survive . . . This has led to relationship failures, lost jobs and more . . . I have been through five therapists and as many psychiatrists. No one has been able to diagnose or help in any way . . .”

Need: So, we ask, “How does God direct that we handle fraudulent perversions of justice?”

I. In Psalm 119:78, the psalmist revealed that he faced a fraudulent perversion of justice by arrogant men:

A. The KJV at verse 78b claims the psalmist faced proud parties who “dealt perversely with me without a cause,” a phrase that renders the verb ‘awat, “make crooked, subvert, deprive of justice” (B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 736) and the noun sheqed, “fraud, wrong” (Ibid., p. 1054).

B. Thus, the psalmist faced proud wrongdoers who fraudulently twisted or perverted justice to his harm.

II. However, the psalmist realized that God had allowed him to face this trial to mature him (Psalm 119:75), so he decided to respond to the trial in a way that would increase his faith in God, Psalm 119:73, 76-77:

A. The psalmist recalled that God knew how much wrong he could handle since God had created him and knew of his human limitations (Psalm 119:73), a similar concept stated in 1 Peter 4:19 of the New Testament.

B. Thus, the psalmist relied on God’s grace to fulfill His promises to the psalmist regarding the trial, Psa. 119:76.

C. The psalmist looked for God to express His compassion to him so he could withstand this trial, Psalm 119:77.

III. In contrast to those who fraudulently perverted justice against him, the psalmist decided to use God’s Word to avoid being shamed as events unfolded in the crisis he faced, Psalm 119:80.

IV. The psalmist’s spiritual victory in this trial is described in Psalm 119:74, 78-79:

A. As the psalmist trusted and meditated on God’s Word (verse 78b), God fulfilled His promises, putting the ungodly wrongdoers to shame (Psalm 119:78a).

B. Other godly people rejoiced to see the psalmist believe God’s Word (Psalm 119:74), and they supported the psalmist when God revealed the truth about the psalmist’s mistreatment by the ungodly, Psalm 119:79.

Lesson: In facing a fraudulent perversion of justice by proud wrongdoers, the psalmist realized that God had let this trial occur to mature him, so he chose to use the trial to increase his faith in God by relying on God’s promises to vindicate and encourage him. The Lord then fulfilled His promises in shaming the wrongdoers while also causing other godly believers to see the psalmist’s innocence and support him as God revealed the truth about him.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) If facing a fraudulent perversion of justice by proud wrongdoers, may we realize that God has let it occur to mature us so that we might rely on God’s promises of help and see Him discipline the wrongdoers and vindicate us before others and give us support from godly people.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message and/or provide additional guidance . . .)

We view Scripture for the promises God has for us on the issues of concern expressed in our introduction:

(1) On the fraudulent perversion of justice regarding our finances due to the regulatory state that increases our costs by 30%, due to high health care costs caused by a lack of free market competition in the health care industry, the high costs we face due to the nation’s involvement in the Paris Climate Accord and Connecticut state overpayments of state officials, (a) Psalm 119:73, 75-77 reveals that God has let these financial trials occur to mature our faith in Him! To that end, (b) Matthew 6:31-32 calls us not to fret over our livelihood needs like the world does. God knows what we need, so (c) we should seek as our priority the advance of God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and He will meet all of our livelihood needs, Matthew 6:33. Thus, (d) we should focus on what we currently need as each day has enough trials of its own for us to face, Matthew 6:34. (e) The balance of this advice is that we should still plan for the future, what takes budgeting, investing, etc. (Luke 14:28-30), but that we not fret over our future financial wellbeing!

(2) On the state’s criminal-justice system’s coddling of repeat offenders and its abuse of the gun control issue, (a) God has let us face these wrongs to mature us by influencing us to trust Him to handle them for us (Psalm 119:73, 75-77). (b) To that end, we note how Jesus in Matthew 26:52 NIV said that “all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” One may need to have a lethal weapon for self-defense in certain circumstances, but we should tend to try to avoid using such weapons. (c) Also, 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV, Paul cites a line from a Greek play by Menander as true, the line being, “Bad company corrupts good character.” (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to 1 Cor. 15:33). If we associate with quality people and be careful where we go and when, we can avoid a lot of exposure to crime.

(3) On the misuse of public funds in public education where the educational process breaks down, leading to illiteracy even among high school graduates, (a) Psalm 119:73, 75-77 reveals that God has allowed this trial to face us to direct us to trust Him regarding the solution. (b) Meanwhile, we should view our education as our responsibility – parents overseeing the education of their children, university students overseeing over their own education – and make it our practice to be life-long students about life as Proverbs 1:5 directs. (c) We also need to realize that our own understanding is limited, that we must trust the Lord above our knowledge for His help, Proverbs 3:5-6.

(4) On the effects of a background where one has been so badly abused that he has suppressed his emotions or disconnected from them to survive, leading to relationship failures, lost jobs, lost relationships, etc., (a) as Psalm 119:73, 75-77 implies, God has let such a trial arise to lead the afflicted one to trust Him for what he, therapists and psychiatrists cannot handle in regard to the afflicted one’s bad background! (b) Thus, if we have trusted in Christ for salvation, we have become permanently indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit to keep our soul saved unto eternity (Romans 8:9b; Ephesians 1:13-14). (c) If we rely upon the Holy Spirit, He will produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in our behavior, Galatians 5:16, 22-23 ESV. Otherwise, we are left to function in our old sinful nature with productions like enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, etc., Galatians 5:19-21 ESV. (d) Lest this solution seems too trite for those who have been badly abused, consider that the Holy Spirit Who indwells us and produces the edifying characteristics of Galatians 5:22-23 is Almighty God (Acts 5:3-4), by Whose power God created the universe (cf. Genesis 1:2b, 3-31) and will resurrect or change our mortal body into the likeness of Christ’s heavenly body (Romans 8:11)! We need to trust the power of Almighty God the Holy Spirit Who indwells us as believers to give us the victory over our past!

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we handle facing a fraudulent perversion of justice by realizing God has let it occur to mature our faith in Him, that we then rely on the Biblical promises of God to help us deal with this humanly insurmountable matter.