Psalm 10 The Wicked Play and the Righteous Pray when God's on Vacation

©2019 WF Cobb Truthbase.net    DailyTruthbase.blogspot

I. Context: 9:4 You maintained my right-cause; throne judging in righteousness 5 rebuked nations, destroyed wicked; blotted out their name forever and ever

7 LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. 8 He shall judge the world in righteousness 9 will be a refuge for the oppressed, in times of trouble. 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You

12b He does not forget the cry of the humble. 15 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.16 The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

17 The wicked... hell, all the nations that forget God. 18 the needy shall not always be forgotten;  The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

19 Arise, Don't let man prevail; nations be judged in Your sight. 20 Put them in fear, O LORD that the nations may know themselves to be but men.

II. Is God on Vacation? Why Does He Let the Wicked Oppress? 10:1 Why do You stand afar off, LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?

1Kg 8:30 hear..forgive 32 hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him acc to his righteousness. 33 defeated because sin...return..confess..pray..forgive...return go land

III. Righteous (know) do what is right in God's sight and trust Him   Heb 13:21what is well pleasing in His sight, thru Jesus Christ

1Jn 3:22  ask...receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight

IV. Wicked ppl do what is pleasing in their own sight and trust themselves cf Ps 50:  law on lips..cast requirements behind their back 

Judges 21:25 those days there was no king/restraint in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 

A. Wicked ppl praise themselves and value the wrong things 2 The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. 3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD. 

Rm 1:21 knew God, did not glorify Him 25 exchanged the truth of God for a lie 28 as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge

B. Wicked ppl don't study nor seek God 4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

Habakkuk 1:2  O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" and You will not save.

4 law is powerless, justice never prevails. wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice is perverted 5 Look at the nations..amazed

Jer 29:11 thots of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Anything less =not loving God=sin

C. Wicked ppl don't see God's laws nor their own inevitable reality 5 His ways are always prospering;Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. 6 He has said in his heart "I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity"

D. Wicked ppl self-centeredly and deceitfully oppress vs bless 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity. 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.9 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. 10 So he crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength.

E. Wicked ppl have an ignorant view of God 11 He has said in his heart, "God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see."

III. The Righteous never fail to trust and call upon their just God for help, despite trials and tribulation (esp from the wicked)

12 Arise, O LORD!  O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. [Experience God; Establish heart; Express faith; Expect deliverance]

A. The Righteous know that the God who sees all will justly judge and pay back what each deserves acc to their deeds and thots.

13  Why do the wicked renounce God?  He has said in his heart, "You will not require an account."  Rm 2:6  acc deeds; 14:12 give acct

14 But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,  To repay it by Your hand.  Isa 41:10 payback time!  They reject-He repays

B. The Righteous commit themselves and their future to the God who helps those who are faithful to Him and destroys the wicked

14b The helpless commits (leave/let go/abandon)  himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Cf 1Pt 5:7

15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

C. The Righteous have confidence in the revealed character, past actions and plans of God and persevere in their trust in Him. 

Basis of confidence (see Ps 9) 16 The LORD is King forever and ever;  The nations have perished out of His land.

Confidence 17 LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will establish their heart You will cause Your ear to hear,

Plan of God 18  To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Do most of your difficulties in life come from: external evils, “evil” ppl, or unbiblical expectations/values/action (self-inflicted)?

2. Why does God allow evil to flourish? Why does He put us in the fire of affliction/refinement? (See Ps 11; 1Pt 1)

3. What's the relationship between seeking-knowing God and confident peace in the midst of trials? Why do we lose sight of God's purposes?  

4. What faith would you need to “cope” with someone you deeply love being unjustly tortured and killed for following/serving God?