A Description Of The Wicked Series

TITLE: A DESCRIPTION OF THE WICKED

TEXT: PSALM 10:1-11

INTRODUCTION:

- We’re continuing our study through the book of Psalms.

- Last time, we saw in chapter 9 that David wrote the chapter as a triumphant song of thanksgiving for God’s vindication.

- God showed how great He was by judging the wicked nations.

- He also showed that He is a true and eternal judge in whom we may trust.

- He also praised God because he knew God could and would remove his affliction when it was God’s timing.

- Chapter 10 shifts over to a complaint and prayer over godless men in the nation.

- David is praying for God not to delay His help for the afflicted.

- So today, we’re going to look at the first part of chapter 10 which gives us a description of these wicked men.

- When I was a kid, I loved to watch the show “Cops” with my father.

- It was a show full of action and I always looked forward to seeing the new episodes with my dad.

- One of the things I remember from the show was when an officer would get a call to respond over the radio, the dispatcher would usually give them a description of what the suspect looked like.

- Something like “5’10” male white suspect, shoulder length blonde hair…wearing a hat on backwards with blue jeans and a yellow tank top shirt.”

- Sometimes the descriptions were more detailed, and sometimes they were less, but the police officer would use the description to find the person they were looking for.

- It always fascinated me how good the police officers were at finding the right suspects, even if they had to search for them.

- So, when it came to giving descriptions of the suspect, the dispatchers always provided as much information as possible, so the search would be easier for the officer.

- Here in the first part of Psalm 10, we see David giving a description of the wicked.

- Obviously, God already knows who they are and what they’ve done, but I think it helps build David’s faith by calling out to God, telling Him what these people had done, and trusting that God will take care of it.

- So, let’s look at David’s description of these wicked people.

FIRST POINT: THEY ARE GODLESS- VS 1-4

- David starts out by asking God “why” two times.

- Why do you stand far off and why do you hide in times of trouble?

- To David, in the thick of a struggle, surrounded by his enemies, it seemed like God was far off and hiding.

- I like what Charles Spurgeon says about this.

- “The presence of God is the joy of his people, but any suspicion of his absence is distracting beyond measure… It is not the trouble, but the hiding of our Father’s face, which cuts us to the quick.”

- Looking a little deeper, at the Hebrew word for “trouble”, we find that this is a rare use of the word.

- It means a cutting off, i.e., of hope of deliverance. The notion of distress intensified to despair is conveyed.

- Before you go giving David a hard time, think back to times when you were feeling distressed and were full of despair, as you were facing a trial.

- It wasn’t easy to go through, was it?

- You wished that God would act on your behalf instantly, didn’t you?

- It seemed like God was hiding or didn’t care, didn’t it?

- But remember, one day, in His timing, He came and took care of whatever the problem was.

- That’s because He’s not distant and He’s not hiding…He is there, and it’s okay in our flesh to cry out to Him and tell Him how we’re feeling.

- Remember when the Disciples were out on the boat in the middle of the Lake, and Jesus was not with them…

- When the wind began to blow, and the waves began to crash against their boat, they were scared, and they thought Jesus had abandoned them and was going to let them die.

- And yet when they cried out, there He was…as a matter of fact, many commentators believe that the spot where he was on top of the mountain was a spot where He had them in His sights the entire time, looking down at them from afar…

- Then, instantly, He was there with them and He calmed the storm.

- He’s with us as well.

- In vs 2, David explains that the wicked are full of pride and are persecuting the poor.

- So, he’s describing the wicked as evil, tyrannical persecutors, unjustly persecuting the poor.