Psalm 10

January 02, 2024

1 Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?

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.

12 Arise, O LORD: O God, lift up Thine hand: forget not the humble.

13 Wherefore doth the wicked condemn 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.

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.

The Point:

We cry out for God’s mercy and judgment when we see the humble and fatherless oppressed by the proud wicked.

How do we feel in the recitation of this psalm?

We wonder at God’s “standoffishness” while those who have committed themselves to Him are persecuted. We are also struck by the arrogance of the wicked who sin with impunity, acting as if God doesn’t care enough to intervene. Then we cry out in desperation for God’s intervention, and by the end of the psalm we can say with confidence, “the Lord has heard our prayer.”

What does this psalm teach us?

Verse 1. This psalm is written from the perspective of one who is not necessarily receiving persecution himself, but is witnessing the persecution of others. As the martyr is taken by wicked hands to the stake and as the poor are victimized by tyrants, the Psalmist wonders why God is so far away from the scene. Is He disinterested in such sights? While His people are exceedingly troubled will God hide Himself and refuse to get involved? Of course, the answer is, “no.” But such language is intended as the strongest of appeals to a heavenly Father who does care for His children.

Verses 2–11. The problem is stated simply in the second verse of the psalm. The wicked person, in his pride, persecutes the poor. Again, the contrast between the wicked and righteous is laid out as those who are proud and self–confident and those who perceive themselves as poor and helpless. The wicked are further described in the succeeding verses by a number of different traits and behaviors. For example, they reward the covetous, or those that want other people’s money and property. This is precisely what powerful governments do when they steal other people’s money through excessive taxation and redistribute to their coveting and envying friends. We call this form of government “socialism.” Moreover, the wicked man does not seek after God, nor is God in any of his thoughts. As you listen to him speak or watch the movies he produces, you get the impression that he is trying hard to pretend that God does not exist. God and His law are not even a consideration for his political decisions.

He is proud. He cannot imagine the possibility of his own demise. Assuming godhood for himself or for his civil government, he will produce great strife and war with his enemies (v. 5). This is precisely what lies at the root of the incitation of war between nations.

His mouth is filled with cursing, deceit, and fraud. Thus, by the words of his mouth he destroys relationships and violates the law of God. He devises ways to murder the innocent—especially those too weak to defend themselves (such as small babies and the elderly). He usually does this secretly and cloaks his actions in nice-sounding words and scientific language. In our world, this is the man who cloaks child-murder in words like “choice,” “every child a wanted child,” and “fetal tissue.” In all of his wickedness he assumes that God either cannot see what he is doing or doesn’t care about it.

Verses 12–14. Now the Psalmist turns back to God and appeals for His intervention. “Are You going to let these wicked men get away with what they are doing? Is it alright with You if these men despise You?” Do not take these questions as sarcastic or demeaning. These are not faithless rhetorical devices, for the Psalmist really does believe in God’s ultimate judging hand as demonstrated by the following verses. The obvious answer to such inquiries is, “Of course, God will not let them get away with their wicked impieties.”

We cry to God not merely to judge the wicked, but to help the poor and humble. These are described in verse 14 as those who have committed themselves to God. They are counting on God and truly believe that He will not let them down in the day of trouble.

Verse 15. Here is a brief imprecatory plea that God would break the arm of the wicked and evil man. It is a reference to incapacitating him from performing more evil deeds, to strip him of his power and influence to accomplish the wicked things he has planned. It is wickedness that is grieving to the saint, and his heart’s desire is an end of this wickedness.

Verses 16–18. The psalm ends fittingly with a true confession of what we believe about God and about His holy justice. Yahweh is King forever and ever! What are kings but those who have the power to establish law and then punish those who break it with impunity? Indeed, God is King and He will judge on the basis of His righteous law. The nations that reject God are as good as dead, for God will most certainly wipe them off the face of the earth.

Whereas the first verse asks God if He is hiding Himself from the troubles of His saints and the persecuting antics of the wicked, the final verses declare, with full confidence, that God has heard the heart cry of the humble and will judge their cause.

How do we apply this psalm?

1. While the wicked count on God’s non-involvement in their lives, while they hang nothing on God, the humble hang everything on God. They are counting on God to finally deliver them in the day of trouble, and they are willing to wait until the last hour for that to happen. Which side are you on? Are you the proud and rebellious one who doesn’t need God, or are you the one who knows his weakness and helplessness and your need for God’s salvation? God saves the humble.

2. We are called to believe that God is perfect in His justice and mercy. His timing is perfect. It may appear that God is hiding from us in the day of trouble as fifty years go by and the church in China continues to suffer horrendous persecution. But God is above and beyond time and sovereign over all of these things. Be assured His apparent delay does not mean that He is unaware of our trials. Faith is confident that God knows and God will act in His time to preserve the humble and destroy the proud wicked who reject Him.

How does this psalm teach us to worship God?

1. Worship includes consideration of our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. After reviewing the fierce persecution against Christians presently taking place in North Korea or Iran, it would be good to recite a psalm like this one.

2. It is legitimate to present arguments to the Lord in worship, prayer, and song. We may appeal to God’s promises and God’s character or we may appeal by taking note of the pride and gross impunity of the wicked. Our worship may involve an urgent and reverent insistence that God intervene and save the helpless from destruction.

Questions:

1. Name two Deliverance psalms.

2. How does the Psalmist describe the humble and the proud?

3. What is the situation in which we might read this psalm?

4. What is the imprecatory statement in this psalm?

5. What is the difference between the first verse of the psalm and the last two verses?

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Are we really certain that God is with us and cares about us as we go through trials?

2. When we see unrighteousness in the world around us, do we seek justice? Do we desire it? Do we cry out to God for justice? And do we trust that God will work perfect justice in His time?