⁷ But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another. ⁸ For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. (Psalm 75:7–8)

Most would acknowledge this characteristic of God as Judge. We have an innate sense of justice, that in the end God will impartially and fairly evaluate all that happens on earth. We yearn for the day when abuse, evil and wickedness of every kind will be dealt with finally and completely, especially those violations against us. We are not wanting this so much for our own transgressions; we hope the Lord will concur with our own biased self-justification. But for God to truly be Judge He must be Judge of all—and that is what we fear, or at least, what we should fear. He is not to be trifled with and cannot be fooled. He will not be fooled! “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal 6:7).

While the Old Testament does not give the clarity of imagery of the Great White Throne of God concerning the final judgment over all (Rev 20:11), we do see throne room imagery in the Old Testament where God’s judgment is evident (see for example, Is 6:1-7). Certainly, the view of God as Judge is clear in our passage today. He “puts down one and exalts another.”

The next metaphor fascinates the student of God’s Word. God’s judgmental anger is pictured as a cup of wine, foaming and poured out, complete with the “dregs” or settlement of leftover solids from the grapes. Job speaks of the man who sins against God, “Let God repay him so that he may know it. Let his own eyes see his decay, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty” (Job 21:19-20). David writes, “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup” (Ps 11:6). Jeremiah is most pointed:

For thus the Lord … says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.” Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it … (Jer 25:15–17)

Could this be what Jesus had in mind when He prayed three times, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me …” (Matt 26:39)? On the cross He was about to take on God’s wrath because of our sin.

Lord, I humbly bow in awe before You for taking on the judgment and wrath of God that was due me.