GOD’S MIGHTY UPLIFTING HAND (2)

But GOD is the Judge: He puts down one, and EXALTS another. For in the HAND of the LORD there is a cup…” – Psalm 75: 7-8a

There’s no better direction for a Believer to humbly face than that of GOD’S MIGHTY UPLIFTING HAND: “Do not lift up your horn on high; do not speak with a stiff neck.” For EXALTATION comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But GOD is the Judge: He puts down one, and EXALTS another. For in the HAND of the LORD there is a cup…” (Psa. 75:5-8a). God is the ultimate Promoter and Lifter of Lives, but can also be the ‘Demoter’ of a Destiny! We do well to not lift up our horn in pride, but humbly lift up our eyes to the One who can promote without limits. Exaltation, Promotion, and Lifting of all sorts are possibilities that exist in God’s dealings with humanity.

Psalm 75 is a Psalm of Thanksgiving to Elohim, at the instance of His wondrous works: “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare Your name is near” (v.1). These works display His near-by Presence! The Lord promptly responded by encouraging His people that Judgement was coming at the appointed time, to deal with the terrible and wicked things that had been happening: “When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly” (v.2). God moves at His appointed Hour. He’s got it all under His control. He has the entire world in His Hand: “I will set up its pillar firmly” (v.3b). He can handle it! And will. He is the Upholder and Sustainer of the Universe – the One “by Whom all things consist” (Col.1:17). Most significantly, Psalm 75 reveals how God promotes or lifts up people!

It is within the Power of the Almighty God to lift and set on High, or to put down anyone for the sake of His agenda. “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and LIFTS UP. He raises the poor from the dust and LIFTS the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of Glory” (1Sam. 2:6-8a). Lifting is within God’s capability. When it is our divinely-ordained Season of Lifting, God orchestrates events to ensure we partake of it. However, it takes humble preparation for us to embrace our Season of Manifestation.

God abhors and speaks terribly against boastful, bragging ego-maniacs and ungodly, stubborn, rebellious, self-centred fools; those who, in arrogance, defiance, and pride, try to promote themselves: “Do not lift your horn against heaven; do not speak so defiantly” (v.5, NIV). The horn is symbolic of prideful power, forcefulness, or dominance. God is saying, “Don’t force everything for your own advantage. I am able to meet your needs, and satisfy your longings! Trust Me alone! Jesus refused to turn a stone into bread after He had fasted forty days in the wilderness! He preferred to wait on the Father for the next meal rather than to lift up His Own Horn! And the Father did provide! (Lk.4: 2-4). The Son would not get ahead of the Father. He would not promote Himself! He would not even feed Himself outside of the Father’s Will!

There is no true promotion or lifting up apart from Lord God: “For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes LIFTING UP, but it is God who exercises judgement, putting down one and LIFTING UP another” (vv.6-7, ESV). Every other factor takes a “back seat” when it comes to the Mighty Uplifting Hand of God! Only God can make absolute promises concerning exaltation, promotion, or upliftment. In this wise, God views pride most drastically! Pride is Number One among the sins God particularly hates: “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A PROUD LOOK…” (Pro.6:16-17a). Humility brings promotion. Pride brings frustration. A whole life of struggle and investment, apart from the Hand of the Lord, may be meaningless, fruitless, and empty!