God Promises Rewrd

Psalm 57:10-11 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
 
VERSE 10 draws a difficult picture. A righteous army is one that goes to war for God’s purposes. In their victory over a wicked enemy, they are glad to bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. Is it good for God’s people to be glad they so completely destroyed their enemy?
   It is good to be glad because the enemy wants to completely destroy God’s people. The only way to stop the enemy’s assault is to completely destroy him.   
   We know how real this is as we watch current events unfold in Israel. Its army is on the Gaza Strip border, preparing to avenge Hamas’ murderous incursion into Israel. The enemy has been allowed to exist for years. Even more nations and opposition groups threaten Israel’s existence. The enemy numbers are overwhelming against a small nation.  
   But let’s step back from this war of ideas and ideals to examine the war against the spiritual Israel – God’s church. The Old Testament is the story of where and when that war began, and the ways God fought those wars. For God’s own reasons he did not completely destroy the enemy Satan and his demons, but allowed them to remain in the world. This created an ongoing battle between the righteous and the wicked. Sometimes we see this on a broad scale in the Old Testament. For example, God battles Egypt with the 10 plagues. And the LORD completely destroys Egypt’s army in the Red Sea. Do you think Israel was glad the army that threatened them had perished? Of course they were.
   And there is the complete destruction of the Assyrian army, poised to attack Jerusalem (Isaiah 36-37). God’s angels totally annihilated 185,000 men! Do you think Jerusalem was glad this threat ws completely gone? Do  you think Israel would be glad if all terrorists today were dead, so they could no longer threaten Israel’s safety?
   As the church of Jesus Christ, will you be glad one day when God completely destroys the enemies of your faith? One day the righteous will be free to rejoice because the wicked will be gone.
   We can look at many prophecies of God’s victory at the end of the age. But one clear victory truth is Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  The wicked reap death. The righteous reap life. God sent Jesus to make this promise become your eternal truth. 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
   Be glad the enemy is defeated. Rejoice the LORD God has called you into his victory.