Have you ever wondered why God is frequently referred to as a judge in the Scriptures? Maybe for you, the thought of God being a judge is not a comfort. The idea of standing before a judge sounds horrible. After all, if you stand before a judge, it probably means you’ve broken the law, or someone else has horribly wronged you. Yet When David is feeling oppressed and attacked, he cries out “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.”¹ For a man like David, the thought of God as a judge is an immense solace and comfort in his time of need.

The biblical concept of judge is a lot bigger than what we are used to in our modern situation. In our context, a judge interprets the law and applies it to specific situations, rendering judgments on legal cases. However, in the Bible, a judge delivers his people, defends his people, arbitrates for his people, and brings his people back to God. Think about all the men in the book of Judges who act on behalf of the people. One of the reasons we find the concept of God as judge unhelpful is that we have a very narrow definition of a judge.

It is with this wider imagery that the Bible is filled with depictions of the Lord as a righteous judge. Not just one who makes righteous judgments, but one who righteously defends His people. For any of you who have suffered pain and injustice at the hands of sinners, this is a blessed hope to rest in.

There is a judge in heaven who feels indignation. Though no one else understands or knows of the injustice you have suffered, the pain you have endured, the shame you have carried, yet there is a righteous judge who sees, knows, and acts. It is tempting to believe that no one else understands, no one else cares, and yet Psalm 7:11 makes it clear there is one who hates what is happening. This is a blessed comfort to the believer when he suffers injustices. God is indignated when his children are oppressed by the wicked.

Not only is the Lord upset, like a powerless child because a playground bully has stolen his lunch, but the Lord is also the divine judge with all the power to help those in need. There is none who can turn back his hand. Who can say, “Stop, and no further” to the Lord? When the Lord renders judgment, it is full and final. Along with that, his judgments are perfect. When God renders judgment, there is no injustice ever perpetrated. We can find great peace in his rule.

Wait upon the Lord, oh my soul, wait upon the Lord. Why? Because a day of justice is coming, a day when the judge of all the earth will do what is right.

1. Psalm 7:11 ↩︎