Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end.
The self-destroying power of wickedness
The accents require Psalms 7:9 to be rendered, “Let wickedness make an end of the wicked,” but that introduces an irrelevant thought of the suicidal nature of evil. It may be significant that the Psalmist’s prayer is not for the destruction of the wicked, but of their wickedness. Such annihilation of evil is the great end of God’s judgment, and its consequence will be the establishment of the righteous. Again, the prayer strengthens itself by the thought of God as righteous, and as trying the hearts and reins (the seat of feeling). In the presence of rampant, and all but triumphant evil, a man needs to feed hopes of its overthrow, that would else seem vainest dreams, by gazing on the righteousness and searching power of God The last section is a vision of the judgment prayed for, and may be supposed to be addressed to the enemy. If so, the hunted man towers above them, and becomes a rebuker. The character of God underlies the fact of judgment, as it had encouraged the prayer for it. What he had said to himself when his head drooped he now, as a prophet, peals out to men as making retribution sure: “God is a righteous judge, yea, a God that hath indignation every day.” The absence of an object specified for the indignation makes its inevitable flow wherever there is evil the more vividly certain. If He is such, then of course follows the destruction of everyone who turns not. Retribution is set forth with solemn vigour under four figures.
1. God is as an armed enemy sharpening His sword in preparation for action, a work of time which in the Hebrew is represented as in process, and bending His bow, which is represented as a completed act. Another second and the arrow will whiz. So the stern picture is drawn of God as in the moment before the outburst of His punitive energy--the sword sharpened, the bow bent, the arrows fitted, the burning stuff being smeared on their tips. What will happen when all this preparation blazes into action?
2. Verse 14: A figure of the automatic action of evil in bringing punishment. It is the Old Testament version of “Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.” The evil-doer is boldly represented as “travailing with iniquity,” and that metaphor is broken up into two parts, “He hath conceived mischief,” and “He hath brought forth falsehood.” The “falsehood,” which is the thing actually produced, is so called, not because it deceives others, but because it mocks its producer with false hopes, and never fulfils his purposes. This is but the highly metaphorical way of saying that a sinner never does what he means to do, but that the end of all his plans is disappointment. The law of the universe condemns him to feed on ashes, and to make and trust in lies.
3. The idea in “falsehood,” namely, the failure of evil to accomplish its doer’s purpose. Crafty attempts to trap others have an ugly habit of snaring the contriver. The irony of fortune tumbles the hunter into the pitfall dug by him for his prey.
4. Verse 16: The incidence of his evil on the evil-doer as being certain as the fall of a stone thrown straight up, which will infallibly come back in the line of its ascent. Retribution is as sure as gravitation, especially if there is an Unseen Hand above, which adds impetus and direction to the falling weight. All these metaphors, dealing with the “natural” consequences of evil, are adduced as guarantees of God’s judgment, whence it is clear both that the Psalmist is thinking not of some final future judgment, but of the continuous one of daily providence, and that he made no sharp line of demarcation between the supernatural and the natural. The qualities of things and the play of natural events are God’s working. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
A prayer for the ending of wickedness
I. The wickedness of the wicked.
1. It is the genuine fruit of a depraved nature.
2. It displays itself in various forms.
3. It presses into its service the whole man.
4. It has abounded in all ages of the world.
II. When may this wickedness come to an end? The end of a thing is its termination.
1. It comes to an end partially in the individual conversion of sinners to God.
2. It will come to an end generally by the conversion of the world to God.
III. This is a most desirable object.
1. On God’s account.
2. On our own account.
3. On account of those who are the immediate subjects of this wickedness.
IV. What means can be adopted to put an end to it?
1. Give no countenance to wickedness.
2. Warn the wicked of their danger.
3. Pray that their wickedness may come to an end. Wrestle with God in their behalf. (Sketches of Four Hundred Sermons.)
Prayer for the termination of sin
Our text is a prayer, and teaches us--
1. To pray against all sin; to pray it, if possible, out of the world.
2. To pray for all saints, for all good people. If we would be on the Lord’s side in the day of inquiry, we must by our prayers act in concert with the just.
I. What we are to desire and pray for.
1. That wickedness may come to an end. That wicked principles may be exploded and abandoned. That wicked practices may be prevented and restrained; that though Balsam be still the same, yet he may not be suffered to curse Israel; though Sennacherib has still an inveterate rage against God, yet he may be made to feel that God has a hook in his nose and a bridle in his jaws. Thus let wickedness be ashamed and hide itself, and that it may not be propagated and spread so as to infect others.
2. That God would establish the just in their integrity and retain them in it, is their comfort and hope. In their undertaking against wickedness: that they may not be shaken by any discouragements they meet with.
II. Why this is and ought to be the desire of all good people. Because--
1. Such have concern for the honour of God; and
2. They have tender love to the souls of men.
3. They have great value for the grace of God, for what it has done and is promised to do; and
4. They are hearty well-wishers to their native land.
III. For application of what has been said.
1. Let us address ourselves to God in prayer that He would further the reformation of manners in our land. Let ministers thus pray, and those who are engaged in the societies for reformation support their undertakings by their prayers.
2. And let us follow prayer with endeavour. You who are rich and of station in the world be favoured to appear in person to uphold this work. Your influence is a talent you must account for. Assure yourselves that the cause of religion and piety is the cause of God and must prevail. (Matthew Henry.)
For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
The searching Divine test
The one thought of God’s judgment seems to run through the Psalm. To understand the Psalm aright we must refer it altogether to the assurance that God will ultimately clear those who are falsely accused of anything in this world, which they feel and know that they have never committed. Often evil does seem to prevail over good. In the end God will justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. This assurance may uphold faithful men in all times of difficulty, trial, and persecution. Oftentimes God brings it to pass upon wicked men that they perish by the very way and means they designed for the destruction of the righteous. It is not merely that God knows every way of all men; it is not merely that His eye readeth, as it does, the very thoughts and intents of every heart amongst us: it is that He trieth each separate thought and intent of that heart, He weighs every word; He marks every little variation and complexion of man’s thoughts, and words, and works, and intents. He registers it all, because He will one day “judge the world in righteousness.” To say to ourselves, “The righteous God trieth the very heart and reins,” will make us think more of what we call “little” sins, and it will make us value more and more every greater or less opportunity of receiving grace or of doing good. It will make us also watch more carefully the springs and intents of our hearts. (W. J. Stracey, M. A.)