Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Even the Wrath of Man Shall Praise Thee

Even the wrath of man shall praise thee” (Cantus Christi version of Psalm 76:10a), that’s an interesting phrase – what are we singing?

Matthew Henry tells us that these are words of comfort to the believer, He writes, We live in a very angry provoking world; we often feel much, and are apt to fear more, from the wrath of man, which seems boundless. But this is verse is a great comfort to us, for as far as God permits the wrath of man to break forth at any time he will make it turn to his praise, will bring honour to himself and serve his own purposes by it: Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, not only by the checks given to it, when it shall be forced to confess its own impotency, but even by the liberty given to it for a time. The hardships which God’s people suffer by the wrath of their enemies are made to redound to the glory of God and his grace; and the more the heathen rage and plot against the Lord and his anointed the more will God be praised for setting his King upon his holy hill of Zion in spite of them, Ps. 2:1, 6…

He continues - Men must never permit sin, because they cannot check it when they will; but God can. He can set bounds to the wrath of man, as he does to the raging sea. Hitherto it shall come and no further; here shall its proud waves be stayed. God restrained the remainder of Sennacherib’s rage, for he put a hook in his nose and a bridle in his jaws (Isa. 37:29).

We live in a world full of sin, full of terror and terrible events. But even this wrath of man shall praise God and so we gather to sing His praise. We often do not know how such vile events and catastrophes will turn out for good – what we do know because we are promised is that they will.

We must believe this and worship accordingly – and we must worship that we might believe this at ever deepening levels. God is God and that means He is God over this sorry world – controlling the affairs of every nation and every household. More wonderful, God knows every storm, every trial, every test in your life right this minute – and He has a hook in its nose – it will go no further than where He says, “stay – here – and no further” And then, He will manifest His praise in and through it as He vindicates you, relieves you, renews with you, and even when He raises you up at the last day.

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