Psalm 10 - Prayers In The Dark Series

God, Where Are You?

10: 1 : Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?

• Here, the psalmist asked a question well known to those who follow God: the concern, the anxiety, over the seeming inactivity of God. The psalmist felt that God was afar off and did even hide in times of trouble. It can feel, at times, that God is indifferent towards our troubles. That God is not FOR US.

• Quote: “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.” (Spurgeon)

• Times of trouble: According to Maclaren, this was a rare word in the ancient Hebrew vocabulary, used only here and in Psalm 9:9. “It means a cutting off, i.e., of hope of deliverance. The notion of distress intensified to despair is conveyed.”

Jeremiah 12:1 | LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?

• It is going to look like the darkness is winning; it is going to look like bad guys always get out of trouble. Thus, it is tempting to join the side that looks like its winning.

• “God is to me the Great Unknown. I believe in him, but I find him not.” (Adoniram Judson)

The Attitudes & Actions of the Wicked

10:2-11: The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD. The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.” His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity. 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 lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.”

• The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor: This explains why the psalmist was so troubled by the seeming inactivity of God. He sees the wicked, proud man who not only persecutes the poor and approves other sinners (blesses the greedy), but he also sins against God (renounces the LORD…does not seek God…God is in none of his thoughts).

• Men do not seek God; this is a great sin. Men do not think about God; this also is a great sin. ignoring God is an expression of our independence and perceived equality (or superiority) to Him.

• Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised: This was the prayer of the psalmist regarding the wicked. In other psalms this is a confident expectation (such as Psalm 9:15); here it is a heartfelt prayer.

• His ways are always prospering: Here, the psalmist protested to God; not only did the wicked man seem to enjoy constant prosperity, but he did so because God’s judgments are far above, out of his sight.

• While may sound like a complaint against God and in some sense is; yet it should more so be seen as complete confidence in God’s rule and authority. The psalmist recognized that the wicked could never prosper unless God allowed it; so he appealed to God to not allow it.

• He sneers at them…“I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity”…full of cursing and deceit and oppression: The psalmist examined and exposed the sins of the wicked man, who is not afraid of his enemies. There is pride and sin in the wicked man’s heart, in his mouth, and under his tongue. No wonder the psalmist wanted God to stop this kind of sinner!

• He sits in the lurking places of the villages: The psalmist continued his examination of the wicked man (or men) who had troubled him so. Key to the nature of this wicked man is secrecy (lurking places…secret places…eyes are secretly fixed…lies in wait secretly…he lies low).