“Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high.” -Psalm 7:6–7
The tenor of this passage is one of universal justice. And, a careful reading of David’s repetitive calls for his enemies to be destroyed throughout the Psalms will reveal that he doesn’t have a vindictive spirit as some naysayers have claimed, but he has a deep desire for divine justice in the world and believes that God has no less zeal and power to preserve and protect the righteous than the evil-doers have the inclination to destroy us.
David prays for the Lord to act—“Arise…lift yourself up…awake for me”—on behalf of the righteous. The language here shows off God’s exalted state as the ultimate lawgiver, judge, and victor over evil. And, when this is accomplished, the peoples (nations?) will be gathered in unity around the court of God to seek justice where it is really and truly given. The last clause is difficult to render, but the sense is that once God has condescended to man to mete out justice, He will return to His exalted position on high where he reigns eternally.
Social justice warriors in the modern world would benefit to take heed. A secularized, vigilante approach is no way to secure justice and certainly no way to cultivate unity. Both are a result of proper worship, joining the assembly of the peoples who submit themselves to the truly righteous judge of the cosmos, Christ, who condescended to man, secured his righteousness on Calvary and has been exalted to the right hand of the Father where he actively reigns and governs.