Psalm 10
Sunday, 16 June 2024

“Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.” –Psalm 10:12
Psalm 10 reflects the Psalmist’s expression of indignation at the wicked who seemingly get their way but looks forward in hope to God’s timely intervention. His statement towards the end of the Psalm: “The LORD is King for ever and ever!” (V.16) shows his confident trust that God has the last word in all situations!
The first part of the Psalm exposes the character of the wicked (Vs.2-:
· They are arrogant: Arrogance is the badge of the wicked! They think they can do whatever they like and get away with it. Boasting comes natural as things go well for them even though their way is wicked. They prosper despite their wickedness, at least for a time.
· They have no fear of God: A wicked man in his pride lives as if God does not see. The Psalmist describes him “… in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” (V.4) Moreover they sneer at those opposed to them.
· They are schemers: An evil person’s mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his/her tongue. Plotting evil and bringing harm to the vulnerable are the agenda of the wicked.
· They are evildoers: The wicked wait in hiding to pounce on the helpless. The defenseless are no match against the strength of the wicked—they are caught in the net of these evil doers. When they unleash their evil on the innocent, they say to themselves, ‘God is not watching...”
Every godly generation is witness to such wickedness all around them—in all forms. Wicked deeds are the norm for those under the sway of the evil one (cf.1 John 5:19). We see such wicked acts on a global scale like persecutions on believers and narrowed into individuals through schemes of personal vendetta. Sometimes we tend to get discouraged when we see them prosper in spite of their wicked lifestyles—they seem to be getting their own way and going unpunished.
We see the Psalmist pour out his heart to the Lord and plead for His intervention—this is the way out for any godly man too going through such situations. His plea is for God to arise and come to the aid of the helpless. The Psalmist voices the thoughts of a godly person who knows that only the Lord can break the power of the enemy: “Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness…”(Ps.10:15). When the victims of terrible treatment commit themselves to a just God, He listens to their cry and comes to their defense.
In the Bible we see several examples of men and women who have been unjustly treated or been victims of evil schemes, when they have cried out to the Lord, He has come to their help. One such example is of God’s people and Mordecai (in the Book of Esther) who were at the receiving end of the evil schemes of Haman (Esther 4-6). But we see them humble themselves in fasting and praying and Esther, the queen was granted favor by the king in listening to her just cause for her people and her uncle. The gallows prepared for Mordecai were reversed on Haman himself who received the just punishment for his wicked plots against God’s people (Esther 7). Only God could do it for His people who trusted Him to act on their behalf when they were totally defenseless against the onslaught of the enemy. Praise God!
Dear child of God, if you are crying out to the Lord for rescue from the enemy’s offensive, hold on… the Lord will save His people and come to their defense! There is a day the Lord will bring them to account and mete out His justice. Continue to trust Him!
Promise: When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD;
he brought me into a spacious place.
The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies. (Ps.118:5-7)
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