Psalm 97

In this psalm, we find a very famous, very traditional description of God’s throne: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” (vs 2) We may hear that a lot, but what does it mean? What is righteousness? What is justice? And what does it mean to say that they are the foundation of God’s throne?

Some people have suggested that righteousness and justice are opposed to each other, that they are two different sides of the same coin. Some say God’s righteousness means saving the “good” people, while God’s justice means punishing the “bad” people. But as we look at this more closely, I think you’ll see that righteousness and justice are not opposed to each other at all; rather, they are perfectly complementary.

God is right, and He always does what is right. That’s what it means to say that God is righteous. His righteousness can be defined as the fact that He always does the right thing—no matter what. To say that God is just means that He takes things that are wrong and makes them right again. He returns good for evil. He transforms curses into blessings. He sets things right.

So, God Himself always does what’s right. And, in addition, He takes the things that have been messed up and makes them right again, too. Thus, in God, everything is always done right and set right. He is a right-i-fier! This is the foundation on which His throne, His very government, rests. He will never be deposed because everything He does is right and good.

It’s interesting, then, that the first part of the verse about God’s rightness is not sweetness and light. Did you notice the whole verse? “Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” (vs 2)

It’s a truth and an irony that, in this life, we find God (in all His righteousness) in the midst of clouds and darkness. When things look the worst, when the crisis hits, when the suffering is overwhelming, that’s when we are most able to see God in all His righteousness. It is in journeying through the dark times that we discover God is in the middle of it with us and then—and this is why I believe the psalmist puts these two ideas together—we remember that He alone has the ability to make things right again.

In her hit song, Blessings, artist Laura Story poses this very idea in a series of questions:
What if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

Laura is right. Don’t let the clouds and thick darkness discourage you. For in the midst of them is the throne of God. Built on righteousness and justice, it will never pass away.