The church we are attending has a Scripture reading each Sunday. We are currently reading through the Psalms: the reader will read a verse, the congregation reads the next and so on through the selected portion. The pastor must have decided to limit the readings to ten or eleven verses or else that is what will fit in the bulletin because that is about the length of each reading. The only downside to this is many Psalms have to be divided, even a short psalm like Psalm 10. So we read the first eleven verses and have to wait until next week for the rest of the story.
Psalm 10 opens with a bang, Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? And the next ten verses present a lament, a complaint even. In the second half of the Psalm David finds comfort in the Lord, but we didn’t see that! I was struck by that and commented on the first verse and then mentioned the resolution in the last few verses as I began my sermon. Let’s take a quick look at the whole Psalm and see the challenge and the comfort.
Challenge to faith 1-11
1 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
This is a haunting verse. And if we’re honest, we have uttered this question. Spurgeon commented, “It is not the trouble, but the hiding of our Father's face, which cuts us to the quick."
Then, in verses 2-11, he describes the wicked man and it is enlightening to see what God highlights as wickedness. “There is not, in my judgment, a Psalm which describes the mind, the manners, the works, the words, the feelings, and the fate of the ungodly with so much propriety, fulness, and light, as this Psalm.” (Luther)
2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
What are the sins of the wicked? Pride. Persecuting and oppressing the poor. Boasting. Blessing the covetous. (And notice, the Lord abhors the covetous.) He does not seek God or think about Him. Cursing, deceit, fraud, mischief, and vanity. God is not in his thoughts, but when he does think of God he says, God hath forgotten; he will never see it.
There are times when men like this prevail and oppress the poor and innocent. The righteous cry and nothing happens. No wonder David asks, Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
The comfort of faith 12-18
12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
Here is the prayer of the righteous, "Arise and forget not."
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? Contemn is an old word, it means to scorn or despise. The wicked do not think about God often, yet when they do it is to despise and scorn him, he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. "I can do what I want, He won’t do a thing about it."
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
But the righteous knows in his heart, God has seen it and will take up the cause of the poor and defenseless. Break the arm of the wicked. Break his strength and power; bring an end to his oppression.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
Amen! The Lord is King for ever. I may not see his outstretched arm right now, the wicked may say, God has forgotten, but it is not true. He is King. He is Lord. He is God. He sits on the throne. The end of the wicked is sure. The King has heard the desire of the humble, he will judge the fatherless and the oppressed.
David began with the heavy notes of despair and ends with joyful confidence in the Lord who is King for ever. My King hath not forgotten! He will hear our prayer! He will rescue us! Justice and righteousness will be seen on the earth.
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