Post by arete on Sept 8, 2014 21:41:38 GMT
Introduction:
“Why” is a typical and normal response to hardship. We have all asked “Why?” C.S. Lewis once remarked, “The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.” It is good to turn to God with our “Why’s” not because we are guaranteed an explanation, but because when we focus on the person of God and our relationship with him, the “why” is eclipsed by the “Who”. When we worship God for who he is and trust him with every circumstance, we will not be captive to the tyranny of “why”, but rest securely in the grace of the great I am. We will find this morning that our psalmist starts with “why” and ends up trusting the God who is…
Context:
Psalm 10 is a lament psalm or a psalm that expresses grief over a condition. Laments include the lament or specifics of the grief, a statement of trust in God’s person, and an affirmation of praise directed toward God knowing that he will respond to the lament in all holiness and righteousness. The lament in Psalm 10 is directed toward the problem of evil – specifically why evil goes unpunished. In Psalm 9, we saw that allowing evil to flourish is a punishment as evil men sin more and reap death and destruction more. We turn now to this morning’s psalm and share in the psalmists concern and his praise and trust in the Most High…
Body – Psalm 10:1-18 – ESV
Why Do You Hide Yourself?
1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16 The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
17 O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Examining his Concern vv. 1-4 (Lament part 1)
The psalmist responds in his grief with “Why?” (v. 1). As I have mentioned, this is a normal response. And God is the most reasonable person to ask, “Why” as long as we are not demanding “Why!” He is not obligated to satisfy our every curiosity. We are obligated to have faith and trust in him. While God may seem far away, the problem is our perception and not his proximity. When we feel distant from God, he hasn’t moved. It is good and right to pray that he help us perceive his presence and even to move us closer if we have strayed.
The “why” revolves around all the examples of evil the psalmist sees in the world (vv. 2-4).
1. The wicked victimize the poor (v. 2). The wicked seem predisposed to prey upon the weak and needy. The psalmist prays according to Psalm 9, that wicked men get trapped in their own schemes
2. The wicked are boastful and greedy (v. 3). This boasting is literally anti-praise. They make themselves large in their own eyes while belittling God and others. The greed is a term that means they get their gain not from God’s grace but from violence. The wicked man is not content until he curses God and spurns God and all godliness.
3. The wicked live as if there is no God (v. 4). They refuse to bow to their Creator and Lord. They refuse to consider the judgment of their souls.
Illustration:
“I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ (Lamentations 3:55-57 ESV)
Application:
Wickedness can make us feel distant from God. This feeling of distance can be from our own evil. Again, he doesn’t move, but we feel removed from him if we pursue evil. This distance can also be felt when we see evil flourish expecting God to judge and condemn evil in our timing and not his. Remember, God has not moved. Any felt distance is our problem, but the cure for such a problem is to turn to God in prayer as the psalmist does. Confess the felt distance and grief. Repent when repentance is needed. Trust in God to answer evil in perfect holiness and in perfect timing. Know that evil is judged with the pursuit of more evil. When the evil flourish they only add to their guilt and fate.
Examples of Evil vv. 5-11 (Lament part 2)
The psalmist holds up a theoretical wicked man to emphasize his examples of evil (vv. 5-11). He personifies the wicked man for us so we can witness his evil from the safety of this Psalm.
1. The wicked man appears to prosper while God’s judgments seem far off (v. 5). The judgments of God are still there, but not always easy to see. Even when the wicked man prospers, he is only adding to his guilt
2. The wicked man boasts that he will not be punished (v.6). The perceived absence of God’s judgment convinces the wicked man he is getting away with his evil. This pride and continued sin is the judgment.
3. The wicked man speaks his evil (v. 7). The way a person speaks says a lot about the condition of their heart. The cursing, lies and oppression are the sins of the heart overflowing the mouth
4. The wicked man abuses the innocent, the helpless, and the poor (vv. 8-10). These are classes of people God shepherds and protects. The desire to lash out at the helpless is anti-God. The wicked man is living a graceless life as he sins against God and his fellow man.
5. The wicked man boasts that he will never answer to God (v. 11). This is a repeat of verse 6. Evil men must convince themselves that there is no God to whom they must answer. Either he does not exist or he is powerless. They malign and curse God’s name and character.
Illustration:
The story is told of a farmer in a Midwestern state who had a strong disdain for “religious” things. As he plowed his field on Sunday morning, he would shake his fist at the church people who passed by on their way to worship. October came and the farmer had his finest crop ever—the best in the entire county. When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local paper which belittled the Christians for their faith in God. Near the end of his diatribe he wrote, “Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.” The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite. In the next edition of the town paper, a small ad appeared. It read simply, “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.”
Application:
Wicked men will not escape God. We will see evil and we will it seem to prosper. Will a day, a year, or a life of sin be any comfort to any soul in the hour it stands before God to be judged for all eternity? Instead of being perplexed by God’s longsuffering and patient nature, be thankful for it. Be exceedingly glad that he did not judge you fully for your first sin against him. Be overjoyed that by grace you will not receive your just due, but are instead a child of God bound for heaven’s joy. Be prayerful that wicked men will repent and receive grace because of God’s patience. Trust fully that God will judge and end evil not only in individuals but for all time as the end draws near.
Extreme Imprecatory vv. 12-15 (Statement of Trust)
The psalmist cries out to God to act according to his nature (v. 12). He speaks a type of command. We have seen this in the psalms. He is so certain of God’s character and of God’s past actions, God will rise up and lift his had to help every person afflicted by evil men.
The psalmist cries out again with “Why?” (v. 13). Why do evil men renounce God and reject the truth that God will judge sin? They do so because they love evil and darkness and make any and every excuse to continue in evil and not fear God. They are ignorant on purpose because they love evil.
The psalmist contrasts the pride of the wicked man with God’s character (v. 14). While the wicked man claims God does not see or call any to account, God does see. God does note every evil. God will answer each sin fully. God will come to the aid of the afflicted.
This section concludes with an imprecation (v. 15). This is one of the ideas in the Bible that can be uncomfortable. The psalmist asks God to break the arm of the evildoer. He asks God to take holy vengeance and destroy the power of evil men to work evil and to judge it fully until all evil is ended. This is not wrong and turns to God to judge all things rightly and in accord with his nature.
Illustration:
If you want a significant [life], with absolutes, morality, and meaning, then you must have what the Bible insists upon -- that God will judge men justly, and they will not be able to raise their [objections] because of the base upon which He judges them. Francis Schaeffer
Application:
Good men should desire and pray for God’s justice. God is just. God alone can be trusted to exact perfect justice unlike men. Pray for God’s aid in affliction and for his justice. Be prepared to rejoice if he extends grace to a wicked man and saves him by Christ’s blood for God’s glory.
Excellent Praise vv. 16-18 (Affirmation of Praise)
The psalmist declares truths about God’s nature as proof that the wicked man will be answered. This is the affirmation of praise of this lament – that the truth of God is proof against evil.
God is forever; nations and men are temporary (v. 16). Wicked men and nations may think they are powerful and above justice, but God alone is forever and he rules as King and Judge over all men.
God does hear the cries of everyone afflicted my wicked men (v. 17a). God’s hearing also indicates God’s action. He hears their desire to be delivered from wickedness.
1. God will strengthen the heart of the oppressed (v. 17b). God empowers our love and faith in him to answer the evil in the world around us. Even when we don’t understand, we can trust in him to do what is just and right and holy.
2. God will hand down justice (v. 18a). All will stand before God and be judged. Those who have trusted in Christ alone will be judged according to Christ’s righteousness. All others will be judged by their own righteousness which is filthy rags of sin.
3. God will end the reign of the wicked (v. 18b). Evil men oppress the innocent only for a time. One day each wicked person will be judged eternally by God. One day all evil will be ended forever when Christ returns and the end of days is fulfilled
Illustration:
Afflictions are light when compared with what we really deserve. They are light when compared with the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. But perhaps their real lightness is best seen by comparing them with the weight of glory which is awaiting us. —Arthur W. Pink
Application:
God’s nature requires a final answer to the problem of evil. That final answer is perfect judgment and eternity in hell for all who have rebelled against God and rejected the Savior. One day evil will be ended forever and God’s people will enjoy the presence of God and absolute absence of evil forever.
So What?
Take your “Why’s” to God. Don’t demand an answer, but expect one. He may very well help you understand the why. His answer may simply be that you trust in him to do what is right. God giving himself to you is always a perfect answer to “Why?”
Trust in God to answer evil in perfect holiness. God cannot permit evil forever. He is holy and no evil can exist in his presence. He will answer evil. He will either extend grace to evil men delivering them from sin or he will punish. Remember too, that evil is its own punishment. When evil men are left in their wickedness they only add to the death, destruction and misery that awaits them
Turn to God in praise that evil is as good as vanquished. God has said that he will exact justice for every evil. When God says it, it is done. Turn to him in prayer and ask him to deliver the afflicted and to break the power of evil men.
Like the psalmist, when turning to God with a “why” and a hope to understand, do not forget to focus on God’s person and character. Even if evil is allowed to flourish today, know that God’s timing is perfect and in the end evil will be punished and God’s children will saved from the presence of evil in the presence of God forever.
Benediction
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments for that is the duty of man. For every deed will be brought into judgment including every hidden thing whether it be good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
“Why” is a typical and normal response to hardship. We have all asked “Why?” C.S. Lewis once remarked, “The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.” It is good to turn to God with our “Why’s” not because we are guaranteed an explanation, but because when we focus on the person of God and our relationship with him, the “why” is eclipsed by the “Who”. When we worship God for who he is and trust him with every circumstance, we will not be captive to the tyranny of “why”, but rest securely in the grace of the great I am. We will find this morning that our psalmist starts with “why” and ends up trusting the God who is…
Context:
Psalm 10 is a lament psalm or a psalm that expresses grief over a condition. Laments include the lament or specifics of the grief, a statement of trust in God’s person, and an affirmation of praise directed toward God knowing that he will respond to the lament in all holiness and righteousness. The lament in Psalm 10 is directed toward the problem of evil – specifically why evil goes unpunished. In Psalm 9, we saw that allowing evil to flourish is a punishment as evil men sin more and reap death and destruction more. We turn now to this morning’s psalm and share in the psalmists concern and his praise and trust in the Most High…
Body – Psalm 10:1-18 – ESV
Why Do You Hide Yourself?
1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16 The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
17 O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Examining his Concern vv. 1-4 (Lament part 1)
The psalmist responds in his grief with “Why?” (v. 1). As I have mentioned, this is a normal response. And God is the most reasonable person to ask, “Why” as long as we are not demanding “Why!” He is not obligated to satisfy our every curiosity. We are obligated to have faith and trust in him. While God may seem far away, the problem is our perception and not his proximity. When we feel distant from God, he hasn’t moved. It is good and right to pray that he help us perceive his presence and even to move us closer if we have strayed.
The “why” revolves around all the examples of evil the psalmist sees in the world (vv. 2-4).
1. The wicked victimize the poor (v. 2). The wicked seem predisposed to prey upon the weak and needy. The psalmist prays according to Psalm 9, that wicked men get trapped in their own schemes
2. The wicked are boastful and greedy (v. 3). This boasting is literally anti-praise. They make themselves large in their own eyes while belittling God and others. The greed is a term that means they get their gain not from God’s grace but from violence. The wicked man is not content until he curses God and spurns God and all godliness.
3. The wicked live as if there is no God (v. 4). They refuse to bow to their Creator and Lord. They refuse to consider the judgment of their souls.
Illustration:
“I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ (Lamentations 3:55-57 ESV)
Application:
Wickedness can make us feel distant from God. This feeling of distance can be from our own evil. Again, he doesn’t move, but we feel removed from him if we pursue evil. This distance can also be felt when we see evil flourish expecting God to judge and condemn evil in our timing and not his. Remember, God has not moved. Any felt distance is our problem, but the cure for such a problem is to turn to God in prayer as the psalmist does. Confess the felt distance and grief. Repent when repentance is needed. Trust in God to answer evil in perfect holiness and in perfect timing. Know that evil is judged with the pursuit of more evil. When the evil flourish they only add to their guilt and fate.
Examples of Evil vv. 5-11 (Lament part 2)
The psalmist holds up a theoretical wicked man to emphasize his examples of evil (vv. 5-11). He personifies the wicked man for us so we can witness his evil from the safety of this Psalm.
1. The wicked man appears to prosper while God’s judgments seem far off (v. 5). The judgments of God are still there, but not always easy to see. Even when the wicked man prospers, he is only adding to his guilt
2. The wicked man boasts that he will not be punished (v.6). The perceived absence of God’s judgment convinces the wicked man he is getting away with his evil. This pride and continued sin is the judgment.
3. The wicked man speaks his evil (v. 7). The way a person speaks says a lot about the condition of their heart. The cursing, lies and oppression are the sins of the heart overflowing the mouth
4. The wicked man abuses the innocent, the helpless, and the poor (vv. 8-10). These are classes of people God shepherds and protects. The desire to lash out at the helpless is anti-God. The wicked man is living a graceless life as he sins against God and his fellow man.
5. The wicked man boasts that he will never answer to God (v. 11). This is a repeat of verse 6. Evil men must convince themselves that there is no God to whom they must answer. Either he does not exist or he is powerless. They malign and curse God’s name and character.
Illustration:
The story is told of a farmer in a Midwestern state who had a strong disdain for “religious” things. As he plowed his field on Sunday morning, he would shake his fist at the church people who passed by on their way to worship. October came and the farmer had his finest crop ever—the best in the entire county. When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local paper which belittled the Christians for their faith in God. Near the end of his diatribe he wrote, “Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.” The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite. In the next edition of the town paper, a small ad appeared. It read simply, “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.”
Application:
Wicked men will not escape God. We will see evil and we will it seem to prosper. Will a day, a year, or a life of sin be any comfort to any soul in the hour it stands before God to be judged for all eternity? Instead of being perplexed by God’s longsuffering and patient nature, be thankful for it. Be exceedingly glad that he did not judge you fully for your first sin against him. Be overjoyed that by grace you will not receive your just due, but are instead a child of God bound for heaven’s joy. Be prayerful that wicked men will repent and receive grace because of God’s patience. Trust fully that God will judge and end evil not only in individuals but for all time as the end draws near.
Extreme Imprecatory vv. 12-15 (Statement of Trust)
The psalmist cries out to God to act according to his nature (v. 12). He speaks a type of command. We have seen this in the psalms. He is so certain of God’s character and of God’s past actions, God will rise up and lift his had to help every person afflicted by evil men.
The psalmist cries out again with “Why?” (v. 13). Why do evil men renounce God and reject the truth that God will judge sin? They do so because they love evil and darkness and make any and every excuse to continue in evil and not fear God. They are ignorant on purpose because they love evil.
The psalmist contrasts the pride of the wicked man with God’s character (v. 14). While the wicked man claims God does not see or call any to account, God does see. God does note every evil. God will answer each sin fully. God will come to the aid of the afflicted.
This section concludes with an imprecation (v. 15). This is one of the ideas in the Bible that can be uncomfortable. The psalmist asks God to break the arm of the evildoer. He asks God to take holy vengeance and destroy the power of evil men to work evil and to judge it fully until all evil is ended. This is not wrong and turns to God to judge all things rightly and in accord with his nature.
Illustration:
If you want a significant [life], with absolutes, morality, and meaning, then you must have what the Bible insists upon -- that God will judge men justly, and they will not be able to raise their [objections] because of the base upon which He judges them. Francis Schaeffer
Application:
Good men should desire and pray for God’s justice. God is just. God alone can be trusted to exact perfect justice unlike men. Pray for God’s aid in affliction and for his justice. Be prepared to rejoice if he extends grace to a wicked man and saves him by Christ’s blood for God’s glory.
Excellent Praise vv. 16-18 (Affirmation of Praise)
The psalmist declares truths about God’s nature as proof that the wicked man will be answered. This is the affirmation of praise of this lament – that the truth of God is proof against evil.
God is forever; nations and men are temporary (v. 16). Wicked men and nations may think they are powerful and above justice, but God alone is forever and he rules as King and Judge over all men.
God does hear the cries of everyone afflicted my wicked men (v. 17a). God’s hearing also indicates God’s action. He hears their desire to be delivered from wickedness.
1. God will strengthen the heart of the oppressed (v. 17b). God empowers our love and faith in him to answer the evil in the world around us. Even when we don’t understand, we can trust in him to do what is just and right and holy.
2. God will hand down justice (v. 18a). All will stand before God and be judged. Those who have trusted in Christ alone will be judged according to Christ’s righteousness. All others will be judged by their own righteousness which is filthy rags of sin.
3. God will end the reign of the wicked (v. 18b). Evil men oppress the innocent only for a time. One day each wicked person will be judged eternally by God. One day all evil will be ended forever when Christ returns and the end of days is fulfilled
Illustration:
Afflictions are light when compared with what we really deserve. They are light when compared with the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. But perhaps their real lightness is best seen by comparing them with the weight of glory which is awaiting us. —Arthur W. Pink
Application:
God’s nature requires a final answer to the problem of evil. That final answer is perfect judgment and eternity in hell for all who have rebelled against God and rejected the Savior. One day evil will be ended forever and God’s people will enjoy the presence of God and absolute absence of evil forever.
So What?
Take your “Why’s” to God. Don’t demand an answer, but expect one. He may very well help you understand the why. His answer may simply be that you trust in him to do what is right. God giving himself to you is always a perfect answer to “Why?”
Trust in God to answer evil in perfect holiness. God cannot permit evil forever. He is holy and no evil can exist in his presence. He will answer evil. He will either extend grace to evil men delivering them from sin or he will punish. Remember too, that evil is its own punishment. When evil men are left in their wickedness they only add to the death, destruction and misery that awaits them
Turn to God in praise that evil is as good as vanquished. God has said that he will exact justice for every evil. When God says it, it is done. Turn to him in prayer and ask him to deliver the afflicted and to break the power of evil men.
Like the psalmist, when turning to God with a “why” and a hope to understand, do not forget to focus on God’s person and character. Even if evil is allowed to flourish today, know that God’s timing is perfect and in the end evil will be punished and God’s children will saved from the presence of evil in the presence of God forever.
Benediction
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments for that is the duty of man. For every deed will be brought into judgment including every hidden thing whether it be good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14