NOTES for Psa 75:9-10

God is stronger than all, His judgment is awesome, He is fearsome to kings. But His judgment is in defense of the oppressed; it is not an earthly tribunal that acts arbitrarily. His judgment cannot be bribed; it is guided by truth and mercy.

Severity breathes from the image of the Almighty as the psalmist portrays Him. Yes, the Lord more than once gave people the opportunity to be filled with trembling before His might; people are ready to perceive His fearsome manifestations. But suddenly quite different outlines begin to show through the verbal portrait. We begin to see the One who eradicates every violence, who forces deadly weapons to become motionless and subdues human anger. And once more we understand: His wrath is not our wrath, destructive and unable to create justice. In His wrath the Lord sweeps away evil and wickedness so that peace may triumph both in our hearts and in the world around us.