BIG IDEA:
THE WAY OF THE WICKED IS NOT HIDDEN
FROM THE EYES OF THE LORD
KEY VERSES:
1) :11 The wicked deny that God sees
2) :14 The righteous testify that God sees
I. (:1-2) THE RIGHTEOUS WRESTLE WITH THE DELAY
IN GOD’S DELIVERANCE AND JUDGMENT
A. (:1) The Why Question
“Why dost Thou stand afar off, O Lord?
Why dost Thou hide Thyself in times of trouble?”
B. (:2a) Delay in Deliverance
“In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted”
C. (:2b) Delay in Judgment
“Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised”
II. (:3-4) THE WICKED LIVE AS IF GOD DOES NOT EXIST
A. (:3) Driven by Greed, He Rejects God
“For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire,
And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord”
B. (:4) Inflated by Pride, He Denies the Existence of God
“The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”
III. (:5-6) THE WICKED THINK THEY ARE UNTOUCHABLE
A. They Enjoy Temporary Physical Prosperity
“His ways prosper at all times”
B. They are Blind to the Spiritual Judgment that Awaits Them
“Thy judgments are on high, out of his sight”
C. They Gloat in Their Arrogance
“As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.”
D. They Deceive Themselves with a False Sense of Security
“He says to himself, ‘I shall not be moved;
Throughout all generations I shall not be in adversity.’”.
IV. (:7-11) THE WICKED LACK THE FEAR OF GOD AND PURSUE
ALL MANNER OF EVIL
A. (:7) General Description of evil conduct
1. “Cursing”
2. “Deceit”
3. “Oppression”
4. “Mischief”
5. “Wickedness”
B. (:8-10) Special Emphasis: Sneak Attacks on the Innocent
(the unfortunate, the afflicted)
(Psalmist spends most of his time discussing this tendency)
C. (:11) Basic Problem: Lives as if he is not accountable to God
“He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.’”
V. (:12-15) GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN THE PLIGHT OF THE AFFLICTED
A. (:12) Call For Action
1. Arise
“Arise, O Lord”
2. Do Something
“O God, lift up Thy hand”
3. Remember the Afflicted
“Do not forget the afflicted”
B. (:13-14a) False Presumption of the Wicked = God Won’t Hold Them Accountable
“Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, ‘Thou wilt not require it.’ Thou hast seen it, for Thou hast beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Thy hand.”
C. (:14b) Hope of the Helpless
“The unfortunate commits himself to Thee;
Thou hast been the helper of the orphan.”
D. (:15) Call for Judgment
“Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until Thou dost find none.”
VI. (:16-18) THE KING OF KINGS SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN LIGHTLY
He hears and will respond in His timing.
A. (:16) The King of Kings Reigns Over All Forever
1. His Reign is Eternal
“The Lord is King forever and ever”
2. His Reign Outlasts the Most Powerful of Nations
(Ultimately it is “HIS land”)
“Nations have perished from His land.”
B. (:17) The King of Kings Hears the Cries of the Afflicted
“O Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble;
Thou wilt strengthen their heart,
Thou wilt incline Thine ear”
C. (:18) The King of Kings Makes Things Right
1. He Vindicates the Oppressed
“To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed”
2. He Silences the Oppressors
“That man who is of the earth may cause terror no more”
* * * * * * * * * *
DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS:
1) Do we realize how Near the Lord is to us, or do we imagine that He hides afar off? Do we live with the consciousness that He sees all and will make things right in His time? There is nothing that the wicked can do in “secret” that will not ultimately be made manifest.
2) Do we set up circles of accountability with our family and friends, recognizing that we need to live with a sense of accountability?
3) In what practical ways do we remember the afflicted and the orphans and the oppressed and the unfortunate and try to help them? (Note how many words are used
throughout this psalm to describe such people.)
4) What can we learn about the strategy of the enemy from this psalm? What type of deceit and secret plotting does he employ? How can we better defend ourselves against the attacks of the enemy?
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