Where Are You God?
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Introduction
Introduction
This Psalm is the first in a while without a title in the original Hebrew (Psalm 1 and Psalm 2). This could be because it was considered one Psalm together with Psalm 9. We however are taking it as it is as a separate Psalm. Like Psalm 9 this Psalm is about God’s justice however there is a different focus. Psalm 9 celebrates God’s justice and Psalm 10 is the recognized need for God’s justice. The idea of praise for righteous vindication from Psalm 9 is less pronounced.
Psalm 10 is a prayer for God’s help in a time where life gets real. In it there is a sense that God is absent in world seeping with wickedness. This overwhelming awareness of the wickedness and the evil and its apparent triumph leads the psalmist to a desperate prayer of faith for deliverance and the need for ultimate justice. When the injustice of the world and evil seems overwhelming the only hope we have is in God, and His place on the ultimate throne - who calls wickedness to account and gives help and healing to those in a position of dire helplessness.
1 Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble? 2 In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings; the one who is greedy curses and despises the Lord. 4 In all his scheming, the wicked person arrogantly thinks, “There’s no accountability, since there’s no God.” 5 His ways are always secure; your lofty judgments have no effect on him; he scoffs at all his adversaries.
6 He says to himself, “I will never be moved— from generation to generation I will be without calamity.” 7 Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue. 8 He waits in ambush near settlements; he kills the innocent in secret places. His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless;
9 he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket. He lurks in order to seize a victim; he seizes a victim and drags him in his net. 10 So he is oppressed and beaten down; helpless people fall because of the wicked one’s strength. 11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he hides his face and will never see.”
12 Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand. Do not forget the oppressed. 13 Why has the wicked person despised God? He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.” 14 But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked, evil person, until you look for his wickedness, but it can’t be found. 16 The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.
17 Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, 18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.
Honest Protest
Honest Protest
1 Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble? 2 In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
Life hits us relentlessly and sometimes with much intensity and ferocity. If we are honest there are times where the troubles of life and the wickedness surrounding us can overwhelm us. In that sense of overwhelming trouble and trial we may feel like God is absent, hiding, or has simply turned away from us. Usually this comes when we are suffering greatly and those who are wicked and do not belong to God continue in life unhindered and unburdened. The fact that the wicked may triumph or seem to triumph brings pause and questions. Lord why do you stand so far away? Why are you hiding in times of trouble. Why does the Lord remain silent while innocent suffer and wicked go unchallenged? The Bible doesnt ignore the problem of evil in the world, it identifies it as SIN and it identifies men as sinful. The Bible also details the remedy of SIN and evil in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the promise of the eradication of SIN and evil in His Second Coming.
Many who have walked away from faith point to the prevalence of evil as the number one reason why. We need to come to a point where we can deal with these questions honestly. We are not the first ones to ask them. In times like these it feels as though God stands afar off. This question in verse has the interpretation that God has abandoned or turned away from us. That He is aloof and without care for what is happening and what we are going through.
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning?
The psalmists has asked it and this Psalm also points to the time when Jesus is on the cross and Jesus speaks these words.
21 Lord, do not abandon me; my God, do not be far from me.
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and you do not save? 3 Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
4 This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.
The Psalmist then asks the question why do you hide in times of trouble. Why are you absent from the troublesome times. You are gone in times of calamity - this has the sense of a drought.
24 Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy?
14 Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me?
A drought is a sign of judgment and the Psalmist is expressing that it is as though he is being punished and under the judgment of God who has hidden His face from Him.
C.S. Lewis wrote this quote after his wife was taken by cancer, “Meanwhile where is God? This is one of the most disquieting symptoms. When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him…you will be – or so it feels – welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become.”
The concern and anxiety over what amounts to the inactivity of God. To hide in times of trouble - times of trouble is a rare word in the Hebrew used only here and Psalm 9:9 and it means “cutting off of hope for deliverance” The notion of distress intensifying to despair.
“The presence of God is the joy of his people, but any suspicion of his absence is distracting beyond measure… It is not the trouble, but the hiding of our Father’s face, which cuts us to the quick.” Spurgeon.
In arrogance and pride the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims - let them be caught Lord. We must learn to walk by faith and not by feelings and live according to what God has spoken through His Word and not according to what our circumstances are screaming in our ears.
Prevalent Problem
Prevalent Problem
3 For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings; the one who is greedy curses and despises the Lord. 4 In all his scheming, the wicked person arrogantly thinks, “There’s no accountability, since there’s no God.” 5 His ways are always secure; your lofty judgments have no effect on him; he scoffs at all his adversaries.
6 He says to himself, “I will never be moved— from generation to generation I will be without calamity.” 7 Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue. 8 He waits in ambush near settlements; he kills the innocent in secret places. His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless;
9 he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket. He lurks in order to seize a victim; he seizes a victim and drags him in his net. 10 So he is oppressed and beaten down; helpless people fall because of the wicked one’s strength. 11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he hides his face and will never see.”
The Psalmist after stating his protest goes on to describe the wicked people and the prevalent problem of wickedness. We see the thoughts of the wicked, the speech of the wicked, and finally the actions of the wicked.
The thoughts of the wicked are these:
What I Wants
What I Wants
The wicked one boasts about his own cravings. He praises, shows off verbally about his own cravings or His own desires and inclinations. The one who is greedy curses and despises the Lord. Greedy is specifically one who seeks to gain wealth or possessions by means of violence. This one blesses the greedy and despises or renounces the Lord. He discards the Lord, the Lords commands, the Lords desires - it is only his desires that matter to him. Greed motivates the pursuit of the poor.
There is no God
There is no God
The wicked does not consider accountability in his scheming and planning he arrogantly thinks that there is no God. His thinking never factors God into any of it. Literally God is in none of his thoughts. God doesnt even enter into his mind.
I am prosperous
I am prosperous
His ways prosper and thrive and therefore he is secure and safe in what he is doing. The thought of coming judgment is far from him as he is enjoying prosperity of the moment.
I will never be moved
I will never be moved
I will never be shaken nor made to stagger or stumble. Wont be shifted to change position. My ways will not be changed for they bless me. I will never be moved from where I am and I will be without calamity.
In a move against the Mafia’s control of the Fulton Fish Market in New York City, the case was broken open when investigators discovered that the mob boss had transferred $168,000 from a high interest fund to a low interest bank account so that he could get free bonus TVs. Why would a man who was squeezing millions in cash payoffs from the fish market bother with free TVs? The answer is greed—and his greed trapped him.
The Psalmist moves from what the wicked think to what they speak. Cursing, deceit and violence fill his mouth and trouble and malice are under his tongue. Evil shows itself most often in verbal violence. The tongue is fire a world of unrighteousness.
6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
But naturally from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Thoughts fill our hearts and then our mouth speak forth from the treasure of our heart as Jesus said.
45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
The actions of the wicked follow naturally waits in ambush, kills the innocent and always lookout out for the helpless - their next victim. The wicked lurk in order to pounce and take their prey.
Why this prevalent evil? Why do those who desire and seek evil rise to power? The wicked has said to himself - another way of seeing this - the wicked has said in his heart God has forgotten, He hides His face and will never see.
Denial of deity leads to a denial of humanity - Preacher’s Commentary
Absolute Dependence
Absolute Dependence
12 Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand. Do not forget the oppressed. 13 Why has the wicked person despised God? He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”
14 But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked, evil person, until you look for his wickedness, but it can’t be found.
After stating the protest in light of the prevalent problem the Psalmist then moves on to declare absolute dependence upon God, by praying for His action. Notice that the Psalmist doesnt say I will take care of it since you arent doing anything. No the Psalmist calls on God to act for God is the only one who can. Like the Psalmist we must realize that we must pray for His deliverance and justice to prevail.
For the forth time in ten Psalms we see the call for God to rise up and act to defeat His foes. Though the wicked think they are and seem to be getting away with it - the Psalmist declares You do see trouble and grief and have observed it - taking note of it. God’s delay of judgment is not approval for the wickedness or inability to do anything
God takes the matter of the oppressed and the helpless into His own hand
13 The Lord looks down from heaven; he observes everyone. 14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from his dwelling place. 15 He forms the hearts of them all; he considers all their works.
5 God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
9 The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Psalmist prays for God to break the arm of the wicked evil person. This on the surface looks like a prayer for violence and pain but it relates not to physically breaking the arm of the wicked but to remove their power. When we feel powerless to the wicked here on earth we must remember that God is not powerless and we must depend upon Him and His power over all.
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.
29 He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall,
31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.
Prevail in Faith
Prevail in Faith
16 The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17 Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, 18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.
The Psalmist concludes with the declaration of the reign and supremacy of the Lord. Declaring Him King forever and ever - eternally - meaning now and forever. Many times we look to those in charge to intervene on our behalf and save us. Bosses, politicians, etc. Our hope pinned on those people being right and being in place as we need them. Our hope and our victory has been assured and the one who has assured it is on the throne now and in power now. We must follow the example of the Psalmist. Our hope is not in our circumstances but our hope is on the one who is sovereign over circumstances - our hope and victory is in God.
Faith that prevails says Lord You HAVE heard, You WILL strengthen, and You WILL listen doing justice.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Where is God when times are bad?
He has never left and will never forsake us
6 Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”
5 Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. 6 Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Why does it seem the wicked get away with it?
17 until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny.
7 By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
12 “Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work.
For God will arise.
God will lift His hand.
God will not forget the afflicted.
The Lord is king forever and ever!