Intro:
1.The word “wicked” is used 5 times in Psalm 10, it means “Morally wrong, bad, wicked, guilty, oppressor, apostate. It is an objective fact rather than a subjective phenomenon, point to the attitudes and intentions of people. Raw-shaw connotes turbulence, restlessness, what is disjointed and poorly regulated. People with this characteristic are guilty of violating the social rights of others through oppression, greed, exploitation, murder, dishonesty in business, and twisting justice. It refers to an entire category of people who have done wrong, who are still living in sin, and who intend to continue with it. Even though the inner lives of the sinners are haughty, treacherous, vile, unstable, and polluted, they sometimes come out on top temporarily. However, God will judge them severely.” [Zodhiates]
2. We live in a very wicked world which will soon be united under the Wicked One, who will foolishly oppose God and thus meet his doom, along with all who follow him.
3.The Wicked Wicked.
Trans: Psa. 10
I…FIRST, WE HAVE THE PROTEST. 1
Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble? – sometimes it seems as if God doesn’t care that the wicked are having their way! But God cares!
We have all felt like C S Lewis, who wrote, after his wife was taken by cancer:
“Meanwhile where is God? This is one of the most disquieting symptoms. When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him…you will be – or so it feels – welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolding and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become.”
This is why we must learn to walk by sheer faith not by shaky feelings. We need to live by what God has said to us in His Word not by what circumstances are screaming in our ears.
Why? It is a question we all have to deal with, but the truth is God rarely explains the why – He simple directs us to Who is working it all out based on His wisdom, love, and power.
“God Rarely Explains: a long quote.
Usually when we are being trained by someone in a skill, such as in athletics or music, our teacher or coach will explain to us the purpose of the particular drills he is putting us through.129 Though these drills may at times be tedious and even painful, we can endure them because we know their purpose and the intended end result. But God never explains to us what He is doing, or why. There is no indication that God ever explained to Job the reasons for all of his terrible sufferings. As readers, we are taken behind the scenes to observe the spiritual warfare between God and Satan, but as far as we can tell from Scripture, God never told Job about that. The fact is, God has not really told us, even in Scripture, why He allowed Satan to so afflict Job as he did. On the basis of the truth of Romans 8:28 (which was just as valid for Job as it is for us), we must conclude that God had a much higher purpose in allowing Satan's onslaughts against Job than merely using Job as a pawn in a "wager" between Himself and Satan. Satan's part in the drama seems to slip into oblivion. He is never again mentioned after his two challenges of God in Job 1-2. The story does not conclude with a conversation between God and Satan in which God claims "victory" over Satan.
Rather, the story concludes with a conversation between God and Job in which Job acknowledges that through his trials he has come into a new and deeper relationship with God. He said, "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you" (Job 42:5). We may conclude that this deeper relationship was one (but probably not all) of the results God had in mind all along.
Sometimes afterward we can see some of the beneficial results of adversity in our lives, but we seldom can see it during the time of the adversity. Joseph could surely see after he had become prime minister of Egypt some of the results of the affliction God had allowed in his life, but he certainly could not see it while going through it. To him the whole painful process must have seemed devoid of any meaning and very contrary to his130 expectations of the future, as given to him through his dreams.
But whether we see beneficial results in this life or not, we are still called upon to trust God that in His love He wills what is best for us and in His wisdom He knows how to bring it about. I think of a dear friend who for more than thirty years has passed through one adversity after another—incredible physical problems in the family, numerous financial difficulties, and family heartaches. As far as I can tell, no apparent "good" has come out of any of these adversities. There has been no happy ending as in the case of Joseph or Job. Yet, in a letter received from her while this chapter was being written, this friend said, "I know God makes no mistakes: 'As for God, His way is perfect.'"
So we should never ask why in the sense of demanding that God explain or justify His actions or what He permits in our lives. Margaret Clarkson said, "We may not demand of a sovereign Creator that He explain Himself to His creatures.... God had good and sufficient reasons for His actions; we trust His sovereign wisdom and love."
When I say we should never ask why, I am not talking about the reactive and spontaneous cry of anguish when calamity first befalls us or one we love. Rather, I am speaking of the persistent and demanding why that has an accusatory tone toward God in it. The former is a natural human reaction; the latter is a sinful human reaction. Three of the psalms begin with why: "Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?" "Why have you forsaken me?" "Why have you rejected us forever?" (Psalms 10; 22; 74). But each of those psalms ends on a note of trust in God. The psalm writers did not allow their whys to drag on. They did not allow them to take root and grow into accusations against God. Their whys were really cries of anguish, a natural reaction to pain.
By contrast, there are sixteen whys in the book of Job, according to author Don Baker. Don Baker, Pain's Hidden Purpose (Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1984), 103. Sixteen times Job asked God131 why. He is persistent and petulant. He is accusatory toward God. And, as has been observed by many, God never answered Job's why. Instead He answered who.
Pastor Baker, in his book on Job, says, "I have long since quit seeking the answer to that question [why?] in my own life.... God owes me no explanation. He has the right to do what He wants, when He wants, and how He wants. Why? Because He's God.... Job didn't need to know why these things happened as they did—he just needed to know Who was responsible and Who was in control. He just needed to know God." Baker, 103.
In using Job as an example of asking why in a bad or sinful sense, I do not mean to denigrate Job. I know that I have asked that question many times under obviously far less trying circumstances than the calamities that overcame Job. God Himself commended Job's righteousness to us. But God was not only dealing with Job; He recorded those dealings for our benefit that we might learn from them. And it seems clear that one of the lessons God wants us to learn from Job's experience is the lesson Pastor Baker learned: to stop asking why.
Just as God has used David's prayer of confession and repentance of his adultery in Psalm 51 to minister to His people down through the centuries, so God has used Job's struggles with doubt about the goodness of God to minister to His people. I still recall my first conscious struggle with the goodness of God some thirty-four years prior to writing this book. It was a passage from the book of Job, where God through Elihu confronts Job with his audacity, that met my need at the time, causing me to realize and repent of my own accusations against God. Though we don't want to be critical of Job, we do want to learn from him about the sinfulness of asking a demanding why of God.
But though we should never ask a demanding why, we may132 and should ask God to enable us to understand what He may be teaching us through a particular experience. But even here we must be careful that we are not seeking to satisfy our souls by finding some spiritual "good" in the adversity. Rather we must trust God that He is working in the experience for our good, even when we see no beneficial results. We must learn to trust God when He doesn't tell us why, when we don't understand what He is doing.” [Trusting God]
II. FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE THE LOWEST. 10:2-11
1. The wicked in their Arrogance.
Pride – “the self-exalting attitude which seeks to dislodge God as the center of all things and deny Him the glory that is due Him. Pride stand behind the fall of Satan. Pride involves trusting in oneself and exalting oneself God.
5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
2. The wicked love Violence.
persecute the poor- means “to hotly pursue.”
dālaq: A verb indicating to burn, to pursue hotly. It means to set on fire (Obad. 1:18), to kindle a fire (Ezek. 24:10). It depicts fiery weapons, such as arrows (Ps. 7:13[14]), or other kinds of dangers, such as burning lips that tell tales (Prov. 26:23). It indicates literal physical pursuit (Gen. 31:36; 1 Sam. 17:53). It is used of the wicked pursuing the righteous (Ps. 10:2), sometimes in judgment from God (Lam. 4:19). It also describes those who are addicted to wine (Isa. 5:11) pursuing it early in the morning.
[AMG's Complete Word Study Dictionaries - The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament]
“In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak…”
Psalm 10:2 (NIV)
“Full of hot air, the wicked are hot on the trail of the poor…” Psalm 10:2 (MSG)
3. The wicked have their Abundance.
Boasts of their hearts desire…blesses the greedy – this seem to be materially prosperous.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. 7 Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. 8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them. 11 And they say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?" 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.
Psalm 73:2-12 (NKJV)
Brook Benton had a song, "I Got What I Wanted"
I went searching
Not knowing what I'd find
I looked for something when I had it all the time
I got what I wanted
But I lost what I had
Velvet-voiced Brook Benton, had dozens of hits and a dozen-and-a-half gold records, during his remarkable career spanning the late fifties, until his death in the late eighties. From delivering milk as a boy in Camden, South Carolina, to singing in a gospel choir and later to a job as a truck driver, Brook Benton always wanted to be a singer. After being part of several groups, including an R&B group, the Sandmen, he signed to an RCA subsidiary, Vik, and had his first taste of success with "A Million Miles from Nowhere." However, his biggest successes would come after he joined Mercury Records in 1959.
Also a successful songwriter, he wrote "The Stroll" for the Diamonds as well as hits for Clyde McPhatter and Nat King Cole. Some of his other songs include "Hotel Happiness," "Mother Nature, Father Time," "So Many Ways," "Rainy Night in Georgia," and "Shadrack." His trademark voice had a satin quality that added warmth and intimacy to his style. Accompanied by violin-rich arrangements, he found success on both the pop and R&B charts.
"I Got What I Wanted" made the Top 30 in 1963.
Benton describes the attitude that makes temptation succeed—the "Greener grass mentality." You might have a great life, a good home, rewarding relationships—but then the tempter whispers that you need something more. You devalue what you have and overvalue what's out there. So you go looking for a better job, a better church, better friends, or a better way of life—giving up the good things you've "had all the time."
Isn't that how the first temptation succeeded? Adam and Eve had a pretty good life in the Garden, but the tempter whispered that they could be like God. So they made a disastrous deal, trading it all for an empty promise. Those temptations still circulate around us. How many times a day are you tempted to be unhappy with your current life and to crave some new product or service? A hundred times? More? Every TV show, billboard, and Internet pop-up seems to promise something better than what you have.
Don't buy it. "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you," the266 apostle John warned, "for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you" (1 John 2:15). In the sturdy King James Version phrasing, John's warning of what the world offers included "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16, kjv). It's the lust of the eyes that we're talking about here, the longing you feel for the images you see. In conclusion John wrote, "This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever" (1 John 2:17). What you have is better than what the tempter promises.”
[Complete Book of Pop Music…]
D. The wicked know Irreverence.
renounces God – means to “revile, scorn, despise, reject and distain.” The wicked do not seek or even think about God (Rom. 1:18-22). They have no regard for His judgments or standards.
E. The wicked Confidence. 6
I shall not be moved – their false boast!
môṭ: A verb indicating to be moved, removed, to fall. It is used of a wavering, wobbling action, response, or condition in various situations: it is used of the wavering or shaking of even mountains, an unheard of event (Isa. 54:10); Mount Zion was considered unshakable or unmovable (Ps. 125:1); the earth under God's fierce judgments could move violently (Isa. 24:19). It is used of the pressure or shaking of the wicked against the psalmist (Ps. 55:3[4]; 22[23]). It has the sense of fire flaming out (Ps. 140:10[11]). It describes the instability of kingdoms (Ps. 46:6[7]). It is used figuratively of a foot slipping; it indicates the failure of God's people (Deut. 32:35). It is found in the idiom, a hand wavers, that is, the person becomes weak economically (Lev. 25:35). It is used figuratively of the person who is sound, safe, secure, and will not be moved (Ps. 10:6), a claim made by the wicked but realized in the righteous (Prov. 10:30; 12:3).
“This arrogant attitude comes from an ignorance of the laws of God, because unconverted people have no understanding of the Word of God or the ways of God (1 Cor. 2:10-16). Because God is longsuffering, they think they're getting away with their sins (Eccl. 8:11). Peace and prosperity give them a false sense of security that will end very suddenly. See Luke 12:13-21 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.”
The Statler Brothers had a song, “Flowers on the Wall.”
Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'til dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do
Only two of the four original Statler Brothers are, in fact, brothers... and their name isn't even Statler. That name came from a box of tissues.
Originally a gospel group (then known as the Four Star Quartet) and a backup group for Johnny Cash, the Statler Brothers' patented harmonies paved the way for acceptance of groups in country music. Their distinctive vocal technique is based on traditional gospel-quartet styling.
In 1965, they scored big with a number 2 country hit (and number 4 on the pop charts) with "Flowers on the Wall."
This song is a study in denial and self-delusion. The singer, a forsaken lover, is trying to convince us that he's just fine. Apparently he's also trying to convince himself.
We see him wallowing in worthless pursuits—playing a game of solitaire he can't win. Don't try to point out the aimlessness of his life; he's desperately trying to avoid facing reality. But true healing can't start until the denial ends.
Some people spend their lives in a spiritual denial. Maybe they have a vague sense that God is out there somewhere and that they need him sometimes, but they keep pushing that out of their minds. The psalmist described some people like this: "The wicked... seem to think that God is dead.... They think, 'Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!'" (10:4, 6).
The Bible issues stern warnings to those who ignore God. That spiritual denial may be harmless in the short term, but ultimately, God will show up and expect answers.
Discussing the return of Jesus, Paul wrote, "When people are saying, 'Everything is peaceful and secure,' then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin. And there will be no escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Denial of a broken romance will probably fade with time, but be careful not to get stuck in spiritual denial. Those consequences could be eternal.
[Complete book of Pop Music…]
1. The wicked Utterance. 7
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity – sometimes word studies can be fun and enlightening.
Mouth - peh commonly refers to the phenomenon of human speech in phrases such as "out of one's mouth..." (cf. Exod. 23:13; Num. 30:2; Josh. 6:10; 1 Kgs. 22:13). Also Judg. 11:36; Job 3:1. In relation to the theme of acceptable worship to Yahweh, the psalmist often refers to people's "mouths" in this context (cf. Pss. 8:2; 17:3; 34:1; 89:5; 119:13). In contrast, there are also references to cursing God, and to false worship coming from the mouths of people (cf. Pss. 10:7; 17:10; Isa. 29:13). Godly parental instruction is also noted as coming from the mouth of one's mother and father (cf. Prov. 4:5; 5:7; 7:24).
Cursing - ʾālāh also designates cursing in a "non-technical" sense, distinct from the covenant context, when referring to swearing or bad language in general (cf. Pss. 10:7; 59:12).
Oppression - tōk̠, תּוֹךְ tôk̠: A masculine noun meaning oppression. It refers to pressure, anxiety, feeling weighed down, something that the mouth of the evil person delights in (Ps. 10:7); it stalks those in the city (Ps. 55:11[12]). A righteous king will remove oppression (Ps. 72:14); and the Lord puts hope into the life of the oppressed person (Prov. 29:13).
tongue - lāshôn likewise indicates human speech, or language in general. Examples of this usage are found in Exod. 4:10; Josh. 10:21; Ps. 45:1. In particular, lāshôn refers to divine judgment against "perverse speech" (Prov. 10:31), and also against false prophecy (Jer. 23:31). lāshôn also refers to flattery (cf. Pss. 5:9; 12:3); speaking evil (cf. Ps. 10:7; Isa. 39:3); slander (cf. Ps. 15:3); deceit (cf. Ps. 52:4; Zeph. 3:13); and lying (cf. Ps. 78:36; Mic. 6:12). In much more positive contexts, lāshôn refers to praising God (cf. Pss. 51:14; 119:172); and kind speech (cf. Prov. 31:26). In addition, lāshôn refers to prophecy, namely language or speech prompted by Yahweh, through the "tongue" of his servant (cf. 2 Sam. 23:2).
Iniquity - ʾāwen: A masculine noun meaning nothingness, trouble, sorrow, evil, or mischief. The primary meaning is that of emptiness and vanity. It is used to signify empty or futile pursuits (Prov. 22:8; Isa. 41:29); nothingness, in the sense of utter destruction (Amos 5:5); an empty word, implying falsehood or deceit (Ps. 10:7; Prov. 17:4; Zech. 10:2); wickedness or one who commits iniquity (Num. 23:21; Job 22:15; Ps. 14:4[5]; 36:4; 101:8; Isa. 58:9; Mic. 2:1); evil or calamity (Job 5:6; Prov. 12:21; Jer. 4:15); and great sorrow (Deut. 26:14; Ps. 90:10; Hos. 9:4). In a metaphorical sense, the word is used once to signify an idol, strongly conveying the futility of worshiping an idol, which is, in fact, "nothing" (Isa. 66:3).
2. The wicked secret Place. 8-10
“He describes him in a threefold way. He is a Bandit, that depicts his Cruelty, “8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. He is a Lion that depicts his Confidence, “He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den.”
He is a Hunter, that depicts his Cunning, “He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. 10 So he crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength.” [Philips]
F. The wicked Ignorance. 11
Trans: That’s the Lowest – living in Arrogance, Violence, Abundance, Irreverence, Confidence, Utterance, and hiding in their secret Place.
Stowell, “America has drastically changed. In the early seventies Francis Schaeffer predicted that this “post-Christian era” would mature into a movement that would become increasingly hostile to believers. In a cover story in Newsweek an article called “The advancing gay and lesbian rights movement” spoke of those speaking against the movement a slur against civil rights and a phobia…In a Supreme Court ruling regarding the Christmas manger scene on city hall lawns, the majority represented by Justice Blackmun, concurred that America is to be ruled as a secular state. And now everything is fair game in our educational system. Our children are exposed to Satanism, and health classes endorse “alternative sexual life-styles,” yet God and biblical values are at best ignored and at worst banned from the classroom…The slaughter of [the unborn] continues with legal protection. In most states a teenage girl must still get parental permission for an aspirin from the school nurse, yet she can get an abortion on the advice of a school’s health center without her parent’s knowledge. The legalization of drugs is seriously discussed as a valid option by politicians, leading influence peddlers, and educators. A new day is dawning. But it is the dawning of night! That which was right is wrong, and that which is wrong is now right.”
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21
III. THIRDLY, WE HAVE THE REQUEST. 12-15
12 O Lord, arise! O God, crush them! Don’t forget the poor or anyone else in need. 13 Why do you let the wicked get away with this contempt for God? For they think that God will never call them to account. 14 Lord, you see what they are doing. You have noted each evil act. You know what trouble and grief they have caused. Now punish them. O Lord, the poor man trusts himself to you; you are known as the helper of the helpless. 15 Break the arms of these wicked men. Go after them until the last of them is destroyed. Psalm 10:12-15 (TLB)
Trans: Simple put, it is an appeal for Divine intervention. Today the plea seems to be, even by Christians, for Government intervention. Our hope has been pinned on putting the right man in the White House!
Let’s get our hope back on God! That will cause us to share the gospel; aggressively fall on our knees in prayer; and look once again for the Blessed Hope – the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet His church in the air.
Adoniram Judson, a missionary who served in Burma was arrested, falsely accused and imprisoned in a tiny cell. He was forced to stand so others could lie down and sleep. The sun was unbearable hot, not being allowed to bath the stench was horrible. One day they took him and lifted him up into the air by his thumbs – pain shot through every fiber of his body. His precious wife would sneak in after dark, outside his cell, and whisper to him, “Hand on, Adoniram, God will give us the victory!” Week after week of torture and week after week of God encouraging through his wife. He did not know it but his wife was dying. One day she simple could not come anymore. Months later he was released and searched for her. A little girl approached him so covered with filth that he failed to recognize that it was his own daughter. She took him into a tent and there his wife lay, a bundle of bones and rags lying on a cot to weak even to get up. He began to week and his dear wife struggled with her last breath before departing to glory with those familiar words, “Hang on, Adoniram, God will give us the victory.”
And in reality He already has…1 Cor. 15:57
IV. FINALLY, WE HAVE THE CONQUEST. 16-18
16 GOD's grace and order wins; godlessness loses. 17 The victim's faint pulse picks up; the hearts of the hopeless pump red blood as you put your ear to their lips. 18 Orphans get parents, the homeless get homes. The reign of terror is over, the rule of the gang lords is ended. Psalm 10:16-18 (MSG)
Trans: We have the assurance that God will remove the wicked and remember the oppressed. That’s called hope – Rom. 8:18-25. Look up Psa. 42:5; 71:5; 131:3; 146:5/ Jer.14:22
Con:
1. So we have the Protest, the Lowest, the Request, and the Conquest.
2. The Wickedness of the Wicked.
3. Imagine what it would be like to live life in a wicked world without the Presence and Promises of God! No matter how hard we try we cannot beat back the wicked and the Satanic power behind them in our own strength. But the day is coming when God will overthrow this entire wicked system and set up His Kingdom.
During the French Revolution a man stormed the Bastille. He had scaled the Cathedral of Norte Dame, torn down the cross from the spire and threw it down to the pavement below. He said to a peasant, “We are going to pull down all that reminds you of God!” To which came the calm reply, “Then pull down the stars!”
Johnny A Palmer Jr.
