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"God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great...There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war\u201d (Psalm 76:1,3).

Christians continually return to the psalms to help us express both our praise and our anxiety. Through these songs, we give voice to our joy and our pain.

Yet the psalms have a larger purpose then helping us shape our response to God. He uses them to shape us, especially our understanding of the world and history. John Calvin once wrote that we find the entire gospel in the psalms. Psalm 76 shapes our understanding of the gospel in the age of Pentecost, that is, the age of the Holy Spirit between Christ\u2019s ascension and his return.

Set in the context of Israelite worship, this Psalm speaks about God going out from Israel as a conquering warrior. As Christians, we generally understand ourselves as the new Israel, the people of God today. So, wherever the church is, God goes out in judgement.

But what does that mean? Should we use this violent language in our worship today? Let us consider several things.

First, this is poetic language that describes the violent evil of our world. It may be difficult for us, 'civilized' citizens of the western world to understand this. But go to the war-torn places of the world and see the results of evil acts: millions of people huddled in refugee camps, thousands of hectares of crops burned, villages looted and destroyed, old men and boys killed, youth recruited as labourers and soldiers, women and girls raped.

Spend a month with a single mother, with two children in a single bedroom basement apartment, trying to hold down a minimum wage job, keep food on the table, her children in school and adequately clothed for a Canadian winter.

Suddenly, a God who comes roaring in judgement and restoration sounds like a very welcome sound.

Second, these psalms are part of communal worship. In that holy place, God dwells with His people and purges away our alien loyalties and our despair. Such worship is meant to be intense and cathartic so that we see reality more clearly. We see God in judgement of the persecutors and exalting the persecuted to a new, glorious existence. Everything is turned into praise.

Thirdly, the reality of divine judgement invites the worshippers to commit themselves to a counterculture world view. Since we believe that God will come to set right the horrible evils of human existence, we commit ourselves to live in righteousness today.

Even while all around us, people pursue a life of self interest, stepping on others to get ahead, worshippers of God seek to live justly, to do good to our enemies, overing evil with good (Romans 12:21), to have mercy on each neighbour God sends our way (Luke 10:37).

The age of Pentecost, between Jesus Ascension and His return in glory, is an age of warfare. As Paul says, Christ must reign until all His enemies are a footstool under his feet. That is the age we live in. Psalm 76 is a poetic expression of this age, which we read through the lens of Ephesians 6: \u201cFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms\u201d (12).

And there is also this, \u201cThe Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance\u201d (2 Peter 3:9).