Christian Fellowship Devotionals - 2005-05-28

2005-05-28 - Abide

The wicked may not abide in the presence of God, but God's true children may abide:
Obviously the conditions of the day burden the heart of the author. Dealing with the issue of sin, he starts first from the negative position. Wickedness abounds, and so his prayer reflects the reality that God will not accept unrighteousness. He will not accept the wicked before Him. Now understand that the wicked are all who have rejected the way of the Lord. Wickedness is not synonymous with a lifestyle that would cause society to put the individual away. Instead it reflects a rejection of God.
First, the psalmist notes that God hates all forms of unrighteousness and second, that He will destroy the wicked. There may also be a prophetic aspect to this, looking toward the day when God will finally bring down judgment on all unrighteousness. It is this truth that allows Paul to instruct the Romans; "Hate what is evil!" (Romans 12:9) The whole thrust is the truth that God's very nature cannot accept unrighteousness. Leupold notes that at this point in the psalm, the author is simply expressing his confidence in the righteousness of God.⁵
⁵ Leupold, H. C., Exposition of Psalms, Baker Book House, 1969, p. 78.

To be continued.

Comments or Questions?
Geoff