Psalm 10, pt 2
The Evil of the Wicked
Having made his case concerning the wicked, David turned his heart toward God. It truly seems that he was in a place from which he could not deliver himself, a place where he was in a low place without much influence or power.
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
This is another of those places where David asked for something by asking not to have the opposite. He longed for God to remember him in this trouble
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
It is another way of saying “there is no fear of God before his eyes.” The disbelief in the certain judgment of God is self serving. He lies to himself to keep from facing reality. He has “spurned God” (NAS) in profound disrespect of His Power and His Justice.
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
David was certain that God had not missed anything. Indeed every thought and every deed is written in His books. And He has done it with Judgment in mind. Man’s grief is almost always the fact that God’s schedule of meeting out penalties for evil deeds seems slow or even non-existent. It is none of our business but God has postponed Hid condemnation of some wicked men until the Great Judgment. Our hope is always that He will move swiftly so that we may be relieved of suffering.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
David may have literally been praying for God to break someone’s arms but we are left to petition that God would take away their ability to harm us. And, David wanted a thorough job done by God’s Justice, “seek out his wickedness until thou find none.” Or, examine and find all of the wickedness in him and chastise him thoroughly for it.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
He envisioned that time when all wickedness has indeed be judged, when the only inhabitants of the Kingdom of God. He could not have had anything else in mind than the Eternal Kingdom.
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. KJV
17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
The NAS reads “thou wilt strengthen their heart,” and that seems to make sense. God hears His people, specifically the humble. Their prayers will not go unanswered.
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
“The fatherless and the oppressed were ever on David’s mind as well as the Lord Jesus. It is a sort of euphemism for the people of God. He prayed for and was certain that God would defend them and ultimately rid them of all oppression.
— April 13, 2020