Personal judgment in the Psalms

Abstract

It was seen that the psalmist viewed Yahweh's judicial scrutiny upon themselves, as individuals, in a positive manner. This apprehension is considered anomalous to the thought of many today. Consequently, it was suggested that the Psalter may inform believers today of a forgotten but profitable experiential dimension. While no studies were found which directly addressed personal judgement in the Psalms, there have been a number of alliedd themes developed. Particularly helpful were the insights of Brueggemann and Westermann, highlighthing relational dynamics and the three-dimensional nature of man. The psalmists were members of a covenant community. This community was a creation of Yaweh which he led and regulated through Torah. Therefore the life-world of the psalmists promised order, peace, security, and meaningful socialization. This positive perspective of meaning, order, and harmonious fellowship was often challenged in the real life of Israel, however. The Psalter particularly names false accusation as the threatening element. False accusation functions as a separating agent. The "enemy" or accuser effectively stands between the victim and significant others, cutting offf most of all human support. Actively, slander breed suspicion and alienates. While such malicious accusation was essentially a social phenomenon, reflecting upon the faithful's societal standing, it had repercussions upon the psalmist's whole being. His relation to God was questioned, his community relations were largely poisoned and his respect was jeopardized. These relations--to God, others, and self-- were reciprocal because of their interrelatedness within an integrated three-dimensional person. Therefore there was a compounding effect as the total relational anture of the psalmist's holistic being was confronted through false accusation. The reaction of the psalmists was not to deny the existence of the unjust situation or to merely seek refuge in the knowledge of a God-person relationship. The psalmist sought relational restoration through another social event, the occasion of judgement. He pled for Yaweh to "examine," to investigate his case. This searching, judicial scrutiny by an omniscent being would lead to the vindication of the innocent. Significant others would see the "honor" of the faithful and the "shame" of the false accuser. Judgement would lead to a re-ordering of the covenant community with a restoration of relationships. The Protestants of Innocence (e.g., Ps 7, 17, 26, 35), with their judicial language and pleas, particularly reflect the psalmists' desire of a hering. It was suggested that the "sacred trial" was a literal reality in Israel. However, the reference to it by the psalmist could have been either literal or figurative. Nonetheless, behind either literal or figurative notions there was eschatological anticipation, for the sacral trial prefigured the final judgement. There are many instances in the Psalter where the thought of the psalmist shows an easy transition between individual and universal judgements. This correlation between the personal and the universal judgements suggests, therefore, that what is found on one level may be found on the other level. The psalmist's quest for personal judicial investigation before Yahweh at least illustrates the assurance modern believers shoud have about personal judgement. More pertinently, it shows the positive effects for the believer in the face of this or her judgement by God. It is an occasion to clear one's name before significant but misled others. Judgement is an event to restore relationships, and a time to have the great God of the universe declare valid one's personal relation to him.