Psalm
10
As we read Psalm 10, we observe obvious things. David faced
wicked people and wanted God to avenge him. Another thing we notice is David’s
questioning the nearness of God. After seeing these obvious parts of the psalm,
if we want to learn more, we must dissect the psalm. We should recognize that
often humankind, when in crisis, questions God’s presence, even when they realize
He is not absent. God allows us to express our feelings and leads us to recall
that He was with us all the time. We will see this as we go through the Psalm
10.
Beginning with the format of the psalm, we find four
parts. They are 1) the opening question, 2) the situation and plea, 3) description
of the wicked, and 4) description of God. David’s opening question is like that
of Psalms 13, 22, and 55. He asked why God was not near and was hiding Himself.
Each of us can relate to David’s feeling alone and without God. We understand
what that feels like – fear, desperation, searching, wondering.
David expressed his circumstance with much emphasis. The
wicked “hotly pursued the afflicted.” Notice David does not speak solely of
himself, but of all the weak. He used many adjectives to express the persecuted
people. He called them the afflicted, unfortunate, innocent, orphan, humble,
and oppressed. The Hebrew words David used regarding these people mean the
clean, guiltless, poor and unfortunate, needy, weak, orphaned, humble, crushed,
and oppressed. David pleaded with God to let the wicked catch themselves in
their own plots and traps, which they laid for the afflicted.
David expressed for nine verses who the wicked were and
what they do. Verses 3-11 reveal to us the character and actions of the wicked.
The wicked were prideful, covetous, greedy, self-centered, merciless, and snide,
as well as, despising and abhorrent of God and others, gave no thought to God,
derided enemies, considered self greater than others. These are characteristics
coming from a person’s attitude. David also told God about the actions of the
wicked. They were intentional in their evil, deceitful, oppressive, treacherous,
predatory, strong in strength and numbers, troublers, as well as, they cursed
God and people, plotted, and murdered. We perceive from this list that David meant
that these wicked were intentional in their evil; they planned it in their minds
and hearts. They were evil in their actions, too. They laid in wait to steal and
murder people. David showed God and us, the later readers, that the wicked are
wicked in every part of themselves – heart, mind, and body. Their evil was mental
and physical affected the wicked as such. Evil affected their whole self. They
were complete evil. (As Christians, we can understand why God says we are to
love Him with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, so that evil could not have
any part of us.[Luke 10:27])
Let us break this down by verse.
Vs.
3. “The wicked boasts (praises himself for) of his heart’s (soul’s) desire and
the greedy (covetous gain by violence) man curses and spurns (despises, condemns,
and abhors) the LORD (Yahweh).”
The
actual Hebrew says of the last part of this verse that the wicked praises and
blesses the greedy man. This puts a better understanding of the wicked into the
reader’s mind.
Vs.
4. “The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance does not seek (enquire of
and require) Him (God). All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’.”
This
haughtiness of countenance means he is exalting himself. In addition, the
Hebrew word for “thought” in this verse is the same word used to mean “plots.”
Vs
5. “His ways prosper at all times. Your (God) judgments (justice and judgments)
are on high (from a lofty and noble place), out of his (the wicked’s) sight. As
for all his (the wicked’s) adversaries (those who have what he wants and whom
he distresses), he snorts at them.”
Note
that the word “prosper” in this verse is the Hebrew word meaning “strong.” It
is used in this way is Psalm 52:7 too. Thus, the wicked’s ways are strong.
Notice, too, that this verse compares a man’s strength with God’s and
recognizes that God’s judgment comes from a higher place than that in which man
exists. Yet, the wicked man snorts as if he is greater than everyone.
Vs.
6. “He (the wicked) says to himself, ‘I will not be moved (shaken or
overthrown); throughout all generations I will not be in adversity’.”
This
man thinks himself so great that nothing and no one can overthrow him, just as
Psalm 49:11 says, too. He forgets he is a man, not God, and so is not
invincible. Through John, in Revelation 18:7, the Lord says the person who
lived this way and caused torment and mourning will receive this in the same quantity
as judgment.
Vs.
7. “His mouth is full of curses (oath or curse), deceit (deceit and treachery),
and oppression (injury, fraud, deceit); under his tongue is mischief (trouble)
and wickedness (trouble, wickedness, and sorrow).”
This
verse uses a very interesting idiom, “under his tongue.” The literal translation
means he hides his mischief and wickedness, but them spews forth venom as a
viper (see Psalm 140:3). This idiom means he burdens and oppresses. David put
forth that God and others could recognize these people because they were full
of curses, deceits, treachery, oppression, and fraud. The wicked are tricky.
They bring burden, oppression, trouble, sorrow, and evil.
Vs.
8. “He sits in the lurking places (a hunter’s blind; lying-in-wait, an ambush
spot) of the villages; in the hiding places (for protection or perpetration of
a crime), he kills the innocent. His eyes (used figuratively to mean mental
qualities of lying-in-wait) stealthily watch (lie-in-wait) for the unfortunate (hapless,
poor and unfortunate person).”
The
wicked person lies in wait in a hidden place to ambush the innocent. David
repeats this sentiment within the verse and says the wicked, with his mental
quality of deception and wickedness, lays waiting for the poor, hapless, and
unfortunate person. This verse shows the intentionality of the wicked.
Vs.
9. “He lurks in hiding places as a lion in his lair. He lurks to catch the
afflicted. He catches the afflicted (poor, humble, needy, weak) when he draws (intentionally
sets a trail to lead) him into his net (a trap).”
David
repeated, the wicked laid waiting in a hiding place just as a mighty lion in
his lair, his hiding place, waiting to catch his prey. Just as predators go after
the weakest, the wicked sought to snare the afflicted, poor, humble, needy, and
weak with his treachery, deception, oppression, and wickedness. The wicked actively
enticed them into his net. He lay in wait and lured them. He intended to do harm.
The wicked planned, was intentional, in trapping the weak, and that was not
just for food, as the lion stalks his prey.
Vs.
10. “He (the afflicted) crouches (dakah
– is crushed, broken, made contrite), he bows down (is bowed, crouched,
humbled) and the unfortunate fall (by attack) by his mighty ones (great in
number and strength).”
The wicked
crushed, broke, and humbled the unfortunate by their strength and numbers.
Vs.
11. “He (the wicked) says to himself, ‘God has forgotten (forgot and ignored);
He has hidden His face. He will never see (regard, and consider) it (the wicked’s
treachery)’.”
David
repeated verse 4. He began with the wicked’s mindset and repeated as a reminder
and to add emphasis. In verse 4, the wicked said there is no God. By verse 11,
he said God forgot, hid his face, and would not see it. The wicked deluded themselves
concerning the ever-presence of God, His power, and that He never overlooks or
forgets anything. God saw everything in the past and will see all the wicked
does now and in the future. The wicked got away with so much in the past, he
felt God was powerless and only a manmade god. God does not ignore what
happens. God deals with all and judge them, if not while they are on earth,
then at the judgment seat when Christ returns.
The final section of this
psalm encompasses verses 12-18. These verses show how David perceived and knew
God. David recognized God’s greatness and goodness, the two categories of God’s
characteristics. He acknowledged God’s greatness by stating God sees all
(omnipresence), is all-powerful (omnipotent), and knows everything that happens
(omniscient). God is righteous, eternal, infinite, and King of all. David
expressed God’s goodness by acknowledging that He listens to the humble, helps
the weak, gives strength, is just and avenges the weak, and pursues the wicked.
These show God’s greatness and goodness to humankind over all time and we see
them throughout Bible times and later.
Vs. 12. “Arise, O Lord; O, God, life Your hand. Do not forget
the afflicted.”
This
is a plea and a command from David. He knew God is powerful. David cried out to
God to remember His children and the weak. He asked God to show Himself to the
wicked.
Vs.
13. “Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, ‘You will not require
it’.”
David
asked a rhetorical question, which he answered. The wicked spurned (abhorred, detested,
snubbed) God because he did not believe God required his obeisance and honor.
He did not believe in God. He did not recognize with awe that God is real and
powerful.
Vs.
14. “You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You. You have been the helper of the orphan.”
David
brought to God’s attention that he knew God saw what the wicked did. He called on
God to be the God he knew Him to be and who he knew God had been for His
people. He held God accountable, in essence. David recalled how God rescued the
unfortunate and orphan before and called Him to do it again. David was being
bold.
Vs.
15. “Break (violently rend, shatter, crush) the arm of the wicked (those hostile to God) and the evildoer (one who is evil, malignant, unkind, hurtful, and adversarial). Seek out his wickedness until You find none."
This
phrase is use in Job and Ezekiel, as well as Psalms 37:17 and 140:11. David
asked God to crush the might and strength of the adversary. He pointed out this
one was wicked and evil. Wicked is rasha and
means hostile to God. It is a mental thing. The evildoer is an active adversary
who is hurtful, malignant, and unkind. This covers both of the areas of the
wicked in this chapter, mental and physical (actions). David then asked God to
not just crush these wicked ones, but find all wicked and crush them so they
are no more.
David
acknowledged that the LORD (Yahweh) is the eternal King who annihilated whole
nations. God is great and good.
Vs. 17. “O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble.
You will strengthen their heart. You will incline Your ear”
David
acknowledged that God hears His people. God hears the humbled and afflicted. He
acknowledged that God gives strength to their souls because He listens to them.
God actively relates with His children. He loves them and gives them strength,
which gives them hope. This recalls and reinforces who He is in their hearts
and minds. God is good as well as great.
Vs.
18. “To vindicate (judge and punish for the orphan and oppressed) the orphan
and the oppressed (crushed), so that man who is of the earth will no longer
cause terror (dread, fear, oppress, prevail, and break).”
God
vindicates for the humbled, weak, and oppressed. Humankind knows from God’s actions
that He is powerful, merciful, and just. David, in his psalm to God, reached
the point in His writing where he remembered God’s immortality and man’s
mortality. This verse, when it speaks of God, implies man as contrasted to God.
The verse juxtaposes God and man, the infinite and all-powerful contrasted with
the finite and limited. When the weak and oppressed remember this fact, the
wicked should not cause fear in them because they remember God is greater. Our
end on earth is not our ultimate end if we are God’s children. Isaiah 29:20 says,
“For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished. Indeed all
who are intent on doing evil will be cut off.”
Verses
17-18 show a progression. God is kind and merciful; He hears and strengthens
us. Since He is these, His mercy extends to finding, judging, and punishing
those who have hurt/terrorized His loved ones. The progression is that we will understand
He loves and hears the afflicted because He vindicates the weak against the
evil. These two verses tie into verses 1 and 5. Because God is not “afar off,”
but near and kind, He shows the wicked there is a God and He is Him. His mercy
to the weak comes as vindication on the wicked. The wicked will understand they
cannot prevail because God is not out of sight. God sees all and is more
powerful than mere mortal, wicked people.
David
answers his question of why God feels “afar off” in the end. God appears far
off, so the wicked can experience His reality and power. The wicked will fear
Him, because His mercy to the weak requires His judgment and punishing of the
wicked. The David reminded the weak, the people of God, and himself that God is
not “afar off.” He told this to the wicked, too. Psalm 10 helped to stir the faith
of the weak and oppressed, as well.
God recognized
David was wrestling. He discerned what David needed to know. God realized David
needed to express his fear, so He let him. Expressing one’s self is
therapeutic. It allows a person to acknowledge out loud what is bothering a
person. It gives a person a voice. God did this for David. He let David voice
his fear so that he could recognize it. When a person voices a fear that bothering
him or her, he or she acknowledges its presence in his or her life. When he or
she acknowledges the problem, then work can begin on recognizing solutions for
it. God allowed David to voice and recognize his fear so that he could recognize
God as the solution. Once David voiced and discerned (often we have to speak about
our problems before we know the problem) the problem, he discerned and remembered
God is immortal and all-powerful. He understood and believed God rescues the
weak and His children. David believed God heard him, loved him, would avenge
him, and is capable to capture, judge, and punish the wicked. This is what we
need to remember, too.
God
loves each of us so much, He often will wait until we discern and voice our
problem so that we recognize that He is the answer to the problem. When we
discern the problem, then we can realize God is greater. We can then extinguish
the terror that grows within us due to the problem because we discern and believe
God is greater than the problem and merciful to the weak and to His children. This
is what is most important about this psalm. God allowed David to figure out
what was wrong so that he perceived what the solution was. Until we recognize
the limits of the problem, we often do not recognize that God in His
unlimited-ness can be the answer. God handles what is affecting us mentally and
physically. He heals the whole person, heart, soul, mind, and strength. God was
not “afar off.” God was there with David helping him to figure out the problem
and its limitations and His own abilities as the unlimited, eternal, and
infinite God who loves us.
What
is creating fear and worry in your life? What is creating problems for you? Recognize
that these issues are limited. Realize that God is not far off and can vanquish
them. Recognize God, His love, mercy, power, and justice. He is there for each
of us. He is there for you. Will you tell Him what is making you afraid and
allow Him to work in your life. Try it. You will lose nothing by asking Him to
help. In doing so and believing, you can gain a Savior whose love for you is so
great He died for you. Go ahead. Ask Him to help you.
