Working Through Doubts And Trusting In The Justice Of The Lord (Psalm 10)
We know that God is righteous and just. We know that God is our defender and that His character is such that He will bring justice upon the wicked. But then we look around and doubts fill our hearts as we see wicked people and nations bringing us harm. That is where David is in this moment and where we find ourselves at times.
In many ways Psalm 10 is a continuation of Psalm 9, that’s why I believe David is the writer even though the author is not listed. They are written as an acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet and Psalm 10 picks up where Psalm 9 leaves off. The topic of concern for the Psalm is very similar to that of Psalm 9, yet there is a good bit of difference in the two.
As Christians we work through our doubts and trust in the justice of the Lord.
We Know God’s Character But Wonder Why He Waits (Psalm 10:1)
I know that I have gone through this in my own life. Hard times tend to cause this line of thinking. And the reason for that is very clear. We know God’s character and the current situation does not seem to cohere with what we know about God. And so, we wonder why He does not bring justice upon the wicked right now.
God is holy, He is righteous, He is completely and totally just. Why then are the wicked getting away with all their wickedness right now?
We do not know the situation that led David to this point. But we do know that He knew that God was of such a character that He would take care of the situation. And we need to be at least in the same place. We need to study and know the character of God in order to come out of these doubts with an increased measure of faith. And the trouble that David felt, when we know the character of God, will at some point be felt by us as well.
God is holy, righteous, and just. And we know this. Yet, His timing is often so different from our own that we struggle to see and understand what is going on in the moment. And this causes all sorts of doubts and fears. The simple fact is that we do not know what is going on in these bad situations.
The worst wrong in human history was the death of Christ. We don’t often look at it that way because we understand that it was part of God’s plan to bring salvation to mankind but when we look at it from a simply human perspective it is terribly evil. The one man who committed no sin was sentenced to the cruelest sort of death known to people at that time. But God was doing something tremendous in that moment. God did not stop the evil acts of wicked people in that moment because it was necessary for the salvation of sinners.
Our lives will be filled with questions. And if we are being completely honest we will not have the answers to those questions. But we do trust that God’s Word is true and that God really is who He has told us He is in His Word. It is okay to wrestle with tough questions in this life. But we do so with faith and we do it within the community of believers. And in the end we find true and helpful answers that strengthen our faith in the Lord and in His Word.
Those Practicing Evil Feel Safe While God Waits (Psalm 10:2-11)
The picture that David paints here is bleak. He is now going to describe the horrible wickedness of those who are oppressing the poor and needy. This is why David is so distraught at the beginning of Psalm 10.
Those who practice the evil and wickedness that David describes here are growing in their wickedness because they feel safe. They are growing in the arrogance and pride, therefore they are growing in their evil.
David begins by saying that the wicked are arrogant and that they “hotly pursue the poor” (Psalm 10:2). They are seeking to oppress the poor and they are doing so with great vigor. And so, David prays that they would be caught in their schemes. And this is a good summary of David’s desire before the Lord. And this desire is one that we should share with David for it is good and right.
David does not end with this statement. He goes on to describe the wickedness of these people in great detail. They lust and covet greedily as they “hotly pursue the poor” and they boast about these wicked desires. And as they do so they curse “and renounce the Lord” (Psalm 10:3). As is often the case the wickedness of the wicked not only is worked out with their hands but flows from their mouths like a blasphemous fountain.
And the simple truth is that they do not seek the Lord (Psalm 10:4). And David lets us know that this is because of their pride. It is pride and arrogance that keeps them from seeking God. They see no reason to seek God. And this is likely because they are prospering so well while rebelling against Him (Psalm 10:5).
It is good to notice though that David introduces the thought of God judging in the moment thought the wicked do not yet see it. “your judgments are on high, out of his sight;” (Psalm 10:5 ESV) So, it is not that God is not going to do anything that has the wicked acting rebelliously. It is that they do not see what God is doing in the moment or what He is going to do in the future that has them resting so easy in their wickedness. So, the wicked prospers for the moment and scoffingly huffs at anyone who sets their self against him (Psalm 10:5). This lack of seeing what God is doing in the moment has also led the wicked to become stubbornly set in his ways and believe that he will never meet adversity (Psalm 10:6). So the oppressor continues in his wicked ways, “cursing and deceit and oppression” fill his mouth and they are the tools of his oppression (Psalm 10:7).
All of this leads David to say that the oppressors are lying in wait like a highway robber waiting to beat someone to death and steal from them on the road (Psalm 10:8). And he seeks out the weak like a lion lying in wait to pick off the easy prey in the herd (Psalm 10:9). And the oppressor crushes his prey and cheerfully says within himself that God has not and will not see the evil that he has done (Psalm 10:10-11).
God’s patience is given to the lost in order to lead them to repentance, but rather than repent the wicked harden their hearts toward the Lord and grow in their wickedness. And because of this they are storing up wrath for themselves on the Day of Judgment.
“Do you suppose, O man–you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself–that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:3-5 ESV)
If you are breathing today then the fact that God has not wiped you off the face of the Earth is a kindness that He has given to you that He in no way owes to you. And if you have not trusted in Christ then repent of your sin and trust in the Lord. Otherwise, you are presuming upon the kindness of the Lord and storing up more judgment for yourself on the Day of Wrath.
As I think about the country I live in, the wicked seem to prosper and grow in their sinfulness. In this time when God is not actively bringing judgment upon them, though it could be argued that He is judging through abandonment to their own devices right now to live in horror and will later pour out His judgment upon them, the wicked are storing up wrath for themselves on the Day of Judgment. As was noted above in Psalm 10:5, God is judging but currently that is out of the sight of the wicked. Sin grows where justice seems to be lacking, but God sees what is going on and will one day make all things right.
To those living in sin, you need to know that Christ is a gracious Savior. God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a perfect life and accomplished salvation for us. The wrath and punishment that we owed was poured out upon Him. And all those who trust in Him have their sins paid for in Christ. He is such a gracious Savior. But if you reject the kindness of God and chose to live in sin, you will one day find that He is a perfect judge that will make sure that you pay for your sins. He has not sit idly by. He knows what you have done.
As evil grows in our society, let it remind us that there is still time for the wicked to repent. I am glad that God did not wipe me off the face of the Earth before I had time to come to Him. I had done plenty to deserve His wrath and justice and because of His forbearance I am His. And so, let us be a church that offers up the good news of what Christ has done to the world. But we also hold on to the understanding that God is completely holy and righteous and will make all things right. I can hold on to these two ideas at the same time. And I can pray for people to come to faith in Christ and also pray for God to bring justice to the oppressor.
Pour Out Your Desires To God In Prayer (Psalm 10:12-15)
Prayer is pouring out our desires to God, according to the will of God, in Christ. We ask God for those things that are according to His will in the name of Jesus. How do we know if a prayer for justice is according to God’s will? Well, if it truly is a matter of justice then it is God’s will, for we know that God is holy, righteous, and just. We have read it in His Word. And we can come to God in prayer because of what Christ has done to enable us to go to God in prayer. Christ made a way for us to be able to pray through His perfect life, death, and resurrection on our behalf. And so, we pray for the deliverance of the oppressed and for justice to be poured out upon the wicked. This is a prayer that will be answered positively, but maybe not in the timing that we wish it to be answered in. God will, at some point, make all things right.
David cries out for God to “Arise” (Psalm 10:12). He is now pouring out his desires to the Lord and it is for God to come and rescue the afflicted who are being crushed by the oppressor (Psalm 10:11-12). In this moment, the wicked do not believe that they will ever be called to account, but David is praying that God would bring them to justice. They act as if there is no God and no one to see what is happening, therefore David pleads with God to bring justice for God’s own honor and glory (Psalm 10:13)
God does see what is happening. God knows everything that has happened and will deal with it (Psalm 10:14). To me, this feels like a major turning point in the Psalm. It really feels like suddenly David is fully aware that everything is going to be okay. He seems to suddenly remember the nature and character of God and understand that He sees all, knows all, and will make all things right. God has over and over been a helper to those in need, therefore they have committed themselves to Him and will continue to do so. Therefore David prays for God to act as judge and destroy the power of the wicked (Psalm 10:15).
It is good and right for us to go to God in prayer. We see this with David here as he pours out his desire for God to rescue and to bring justice upon those who cause so much trouble. And this is a good and right thing for us to do as well.
When we are oppressed or we see someone else being oppressed it is good and right that we should desire for God to do justice and pray for that to occur. It is also good for us to pray for God to bring justice upon those who are oppressors so that their power is broken and they are unable to bring more harm to people.
We can look around our country today and see many things that we should pray for in this manner. We should pray for an end to the abortion industry in the United States. In 2019 there were 889,000 abortions in the United States alone. Oh, that God would break the power of the abortion industry in the United States.
It is estimated that that 1 in every 7 children that are reported as runaways is a victim of human trafficking. And we pray that God would destroy the wicked that do such evils to other human beings.
We pray for God to break the power of evil and oppressive countries so that their oppression would cease.
And there are likely so many other things that we could think of right now, but we pray for the oppression of the poor, the weak, the needy to cease. We pray for God to bring justice upon the Earth and free them of their oppression. This is even in the prayer that Jesus taught us. “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” That is a request that God would bring the day when justice is complete and the Earth is filled with righteousness.
Jesus made a way for us to be brought into fellowship with God and has purchased for us the right to go to God in prayer. And when we see these things and are burdened with the incredible evil that is found all over the face of the Earth, we cry out for God to intervene. We go to God who can and will one day bring justice.
We Can Have Confidence That God Will Do What Is right (Psalm 10:16-18)
As is often the case with the Psalms, this one ends with a wonderful confidence in the Lord. David here expresses that God will bring justice upon evil individuals and upon evil nations. David has come full circle here. He has gone from having a lot of questions to understanding that God will one day make all things right. Though it seemed as if God did not hear the cries of those who were being oppressed, He has and He will avenge their wrongs. And one day, God will bring safety from the wicked (Psalm 10:18).
It does us good to know that the oppressor’s reign of terror will not last forever. Though we do not have all the answers, we can trust that God will bring judgment upon them. God will bring judgment to those who have causes so much pain and trouble in this world. And one day, all things will be made right when Christ returns to bring complete justice upon the Earth and avenge the pain of the poor and needy that was brought upon them by the oppressor.
Conclusion
I have gone through many periods of questioning in my life. And, I am sure that more situations will come that will lead me to that place once again. It happened to David as well and I am sure that you will go through the same thought process at some point in your life too. Life is hard. Incredibly difficult situations arise because we live in a fallen world with fallen creatures who oftentimes hurt one another. But we walk through these doubts and fears in faith, knowing the nature and the character of the Lord and trusting that He will bring about justice.
Even though the questions arise, we know who God is and what He will do in the end. And so, we trust Him to do so and pray that He would break the power of the oppressor and bring justice to the Earth.
R. Dwain Minor