Psalm 10 (part 1, verses 1-9)
1Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,
those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
4In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, ‘God will not seek it out’;
all their thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’
5Their ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of their sight;
as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6They think in their heart, ‘We shall not be moved;
throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.’
7Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
8They sit in ambush in the villages;
in hiding-places they murder the innocent.
Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.
Where is the certainty that God is listening? Where is the certainty that God is with us? Psalm 10 begins with a pretty accurate description of the world for many people: Those who are prosperous have done so without God. While this is highly debatable, it does have a hinge of truth to it. We look at some of the wealth that has been accumulated and it seems that it is done despicably. When people are cheated out of savings, when those who already may find themselves voiceless and helpless are further oppressed, when hard working families are swindled by con-artists, we wonder why? The psalmist says it plainly: "All their thoughts are, 'There is no God.' (verse 4)"
Yet as people of faith, we know that those who have cursing and deceit in their mouths do not have the last word. For God's judgments, even though they may seem far away, will not remain hidden for ever.
There is a temptation to read psalms like this one and say that we are not like the evil people in this psalm. If we are honest, however, there is a portion of ourselves in the evil mentioned in this psalm. We may not always feel like the persecuted, does that mean that we are the wicked? I am not saying that we are, but if call ourselves Christians, we should be working towards bettering our relationship with God. When you read the Psalm again, do it twice. Once as the voice of the persecuted. The second time, imagine that you are the wicked. Thank God for God's blessing and ask God for forgiveness for the things done wrong.
Pray Psalm 10:1-9.
G. Thomas Martin
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