Revelation and Psalm 98

The other psalm that I want to look at in regards to the background to justification in the NT, specifically Paul who articulated the doctrine more clearly than any other writer, is Psalm 98. This passage’s understanding of sdq is very influential upon Paul, particularly in Romans as we shall see momentarily. I have to thank Dr. Mark Siefrid for pointing me to this psalm in his book Christ Our Righteousness. I hope to show in this post that the righteousness language in the OT that forms a large part of the background of Paul’s framework is more complex than many in my own Reformed tradition often present it. The text reads,

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the LORD, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

The psalm is a song where the psalmist is praising I AM [= "LORD"] for the deliverance he has worked for the psalmist’s people, namely Israel. In his song of praise he commands the nations to sing with him because the whole earth is going to experience the salvation that the psalmist and his people have just experienced.

Allow me to make several observations from this text about I AM’s righteousness. For starters this righteousness of I AM is being revealed in this passage for all of the nations to behold (98:2-3). Second, in revealing this righteousness I AM works salvation for his people (98:2-3). Thirdly, this revelation of righteousness and working salvation for his people is because of his love and faithfulness to his people (98:3). Fourth, I AM’s working salvation for Israel, revealing his righteousness to the nations, I AM works salvation for himself (98:1). Fifth, it seems that the psalmist is implying Israel has been delivered from some enemy by I AM defeating that unspoken enemy (98:1-3). Sixth, I AM is to be praised for the salvation and revelation of righteousness that they have been witness to (98:4-8). Seventh, this is because I AM is coming to judge the whole earth in the same way he judged Israel, in righteousness (98:9). Eighth, this judging in righteousness parallels I AM’s revelation of his righteousness (98:1-2, 9). Ninth, this judging in righteousness is I AM fulfilling his role as king of the whole earth as well as Israel (98:3-6).

Here is what I see from this psalm. First we cannot separate God’s salvation from his judgment and furthermore we must understand that God saves his people through his judging them. Salvation is through judgment. In the circles that I run in, salvation is seen as the escape from judgment. But I don’t that’s what the psalmist thought. When God exercises his judgment that is performed in righteousness, it is an occasion to rejoice and sing and celebrate. It will be a fair judgment, a right judgment. Therefore this judgment is nothing to be feared if a person is part of God’s people. But it is judgment nonetheless. I AM reveals his righteousness to his people and the whole world by judging them.

Second, many times I have noticed that many people draw an unfortunately false dichotomy between God acting for himself and God acting for his people. They are the same thing. When God moves to work salvation for himself and get justice for himself, it benefits his people. When God moves to judge in righteousness for himself, Israel is saved. This is a ground of great joy for Israel and thought the psalmist she rejoices. The whole earth, having seen the display of righteousness, is to rejoice in knowing that this righteousness is coming to them as well. God is going to get justice for himself over his enemies in all the earth and not just Israel. In doing so the earth, the entire created order, will be saved. Thus in showing himself to be the righteous King I AM’s people stand to benefit from it and thus greatly rejoices in God.

This psalm seems to form a strong part of the background for Paul in Romans. The linguistic parallel between Romans 1:17 and Psalm 98:2 is unmistakable. Paul uses the same vocabulary as the LXX (Romans: dikaiosune gar theou en autw apokaluptetai; Psalm 98: apekalupsen ten dikaiosunen autou). In Romans 3 Paul says that God’s righteousness has been manifested (pephanerwtai) apart from the law, though witnessed by the law and prophets. Paul also says that God demonstrates (endeixin) his righteousness at the present time so that he might be seen as both the one who is just and the one who justifies the one by the faith of Jesus Christ.

But for Paul this righteousness was hidden and now made known in the person and work of Christ, both his death and resurrection. In Psalm 98 the revelation of God’s righteousness wasn’t hidden. Paul says that this righteousness is revealed from faith, the source of God’s revelation is faith. And thus the command for faith becomes apparent, and therefore Paul’s statement of God righteousness being “revealed from [ek] faith to [eis] faith.”*

As judgment was part the revealing righteousness in Psalm 98, so it is for Paul. However Paul sets up all of humanity to be the enemies of God, not just those who oppress Israel. Even Israel is counted as an enemy of God, deserving of the wrath that comes in God’s righteousness. Who will benefit with God in God getting justice for himself? Where will the praise commanded in Psalm 98 be if when God gets justice for himself he destroys all of humanity?

For Paul, the answer is Jesus Christ. In Christ’s death God demonstrates his wrath against all his enemies, including sin and death and humanity. In Christ’s resurrection God creates a new creation filled with the righteous who praise God for getting justice for himself and destroying their enemies. Faith unites a person to Christ, and that faith confesses that God’s judgment of guilty is right, that God is in the right to condemn him and then submits to that judgment in Christ. Faith unites that person to Christ, and that faith stands in the Righteous One of the new creation and through that Righteous One is free to praise God for destroying all of God’s enemies, thus delivering them from those enemies. Then at their resurrection the one who has faith is raised righteous by Christ to live in that new creation to praise their triumphant God.

*I think this is why it is so important to understand the phrase “the faith of Christ/Jesus Christ” as both Christ being the object of the faith and the one from whom faith flows, the source and goal of faith. The gospel message both commands faith and creates faith. Thus righteousness is revealed from faith and to faith.