Hide and Seek

Psalm 10:1–18 ESV

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”? But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

INTRO

One of the most prolific themes in scripture is God’s justice. It begins in the Garden, when God declares His sentence to Adam, Eve, and the serpent for disobedience and rebellion. Then the first case of homicide occurs between the first brothers on earth and God sends Cain into exile. Fast forward roughly 1,500 years and mankind has become so corrupt that the Lord must put to death all but Noah and his immediate family. Then the Lord again must judge humanity at Babel following the flood. The incidents just keep piling up; Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues of Egypt, the various judgments against the Israelites during the desert wanderings. Over and over again, God’s justice is preeminent in the narrative of scripture.

Yet, there are many times when God’s justice seems to be nowhere in sight. We experience this in our own personal lives as well as in our families, communities, and the world at large. How do we reconcile this reality with the equally sure reality that God is just? What do we do when we see evil and wickedness prevail and God’s judgement on them appear to be non-existent? That is the subject of Psalm 10.

The wicked are arrogant in their evil deeds (v. 2)

They believe God does not exist (vv. 3, 4, 13)

They believe God’s law is not valid (vv. 5, 13)

They believe God does not see (vv. 6, 11)

The wicked prey on the weak and powerless (vv. 2, 8-9)

They rob the poor of what they already are in need of (v. 9)

They malign and oppress those who stand for righteousness. (v. 7)

They kill the innocent to obtain what they desire (vv. 8, 10)

The Lord is not dead, nor does He sleep. (v. 16)

He rises at the cry of the oppressed and needy (vv. 12, 17)

He keeps an account of every wicked deed and rebellious act (v. 14)

He comes to the aid of the helpless and crushes the power of the wicked (vv. 15, 18)

Our response to the prosperity of the wicked

Cry out to Him judge evil. It is the duty of the righteous to pray that wicked people be stopped.

Intercede for the oppressed and needy. We ought to do this as an act of prayer AND as acts of mercy individually and corporately

Trust God’s sovereign will. He will call to account every word and deed done by every person.

CONCLUSION

There are times when we feel as though the Lord is far away and either oblivious or unconcerned with our suffering. It can be especially painful when that suffering is not from the impersonal source of nature - illness, famine, earthquakes, hurricanes and the like - but instead at the hands of fellow humans, those who share in being made in the image of God. How vile it is that man should treat fellow man shamefully, as if he were a beast, or worse an item to dispose of as convenience dictates. But we may rest assured that God does not take these slights lightly. No, He will rouse Himself in defense of the oppressed and needy. His love for His creation will not tolerate the abuse of His servants. Let us therefore trust that when we cry out, He hears. He will defend us and raise His mighty banner against all who seek to harm us.