End + Establish
This will be a short and simple post.
A few weeks ago I was preaching a sermon at my home church on How to Pray for Justice based on Psalm 7.
As I was preaching there was a phrase that really impacted me as I read it aloud. The phrase was this:
“Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous.”
Maybe it was the simple alliteration of the the words ‘EVIL’ and ‘END’ followed in quick succession by the word ‘ESTABLISH’ that got my attention (I am a sucker for alliteration!) Or maybe it was the red light language of ending wickedness contrasted with the green light language of establishing the righteous. I honestly don’t know. All I know is that since it struck me I have found myself praying that God would ‘end wickedness and establish the righteous’ on a more-than-daily basis.
It is a great thing to pray when confronted by injustice, unrighteousness and the horrors of trafficking and modern day slavery. But it’s also a really positive thing to not only pray that God would end something evil and destructive, but that he would also bless the antithesis of such wickedness – righteousness! Or more specifically – the righteous. In other words: “God, defeat slavers and traffickers but bless your church and those who are seeking first your kingdom and your righteousness”
Furthermore, I am struck how compellingly the concept of ending wickedness and establishing the righteous captures the ministry of Jesus on the cross.
This verse has given language to help me pray for gospel-centred justice. I hope it helps you too!