Read Psalm 10
1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
7 His mouth is full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.
Go Deeper
One of the beautiful things about the psalms is the honesty and the vulnerability with which they are written. Psalm 10 is another example of that as David writes from a place a lot of us can resonate with: frustration with the world around us. The psalm, which some scholars consider to be a continuation of Psalm 9, starts off with David looking at the wickedness all around him and wondering aloud why God isn’t striking the evildoers around him down. It’s a question that we, if we’re honest, have likely asked God before too. Why does it seem like evil people prosper? Why does God let that happen? What about those of us doing our best to be faithful?
It isn’t hard to look around us and see evil. We know that the enemy is real and at work in the world. Wicked people live as if there is no God, amassing empires, mistreating those around them, and living as if this life is the ultimate. It shouldn’t surprise us—it’s their worldview. David is frustrated by this and begs and pleads with God to intervene. It’s a good reminder for us. Even when we feel discouraged by the brokenness surrounding us, we can pause and plead with God to restore the world, all while knowing that there will always be brokenness on this side of eternity.
David closes out this psalm by doing something that was common practice in the lives of all Old Testament saints when faced with trials: He praises God, listing off attributes of God. He knows that God hears the afflicted and he finds comfort in that. This psalm that began with frustration ends with hopeful faith. God wins! At the end of the day, when we lay our heads on our pillows, we can find comfort in the fact that God will hold everyone accountable for their lives lived here on earth. The wicked will be punished. The faithful will be rewarded. God is on His throne. And that is where our hope lies.
Questions
- What do you notice about the tone of this psalm? Have you ever felt the way David felt?
- What brokenness in the world are you asking God to restore today?
- Notice the hopeful turn this psalm takes towards the end. How can you live with the same hopeful attitude that David has? How does the fact that God will win in the end give you comfort and strength today?
Pray this
As you go about your day today, pray this common prayer:
Father, we know that you hear our cries. As we look at the world around us, it’s frustrating to see the brokenness, but we know it breaks your heart even more than it does ours. Today, we’re asking you to use us to further your Kingdom. To be lights in dark places. To help restore what is broken. To be faithful witnesses in a world that needs them. To be ministers of reconciliation everywhere we go. Amen.
5 responses to “Psalm 10”
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;
That’s a very specific punishment for evil doers! I wonder why it was this and not something more permanent like “kill them” or “banish them”. Is David feeling some mercy towards his enemies, but still wanting them to bear some consequences?
This Psalm recounts the goodness of God in the midst of a fractured world. No matter our painful situation, he is greater. Maybe today we need to focus more on our Savior than the problem we face.It’s not ignoring our condition but informing our minds/hearts that God sees, listens, responds, helps, encourages, defends, and is King forever and ever.
Looking into Psalm 9 and 10 as an acrostic it was commented on that the early scribes did this a helpful tool for memorization. Psalm 119 is also an acrostic.
Random information: The Christian tradition has a famous acrostic for “Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior.” The first letters of these words in Greek spell ICHTHYS, meaning “fish.” Hence the fish fetish in jewelry, backs of cars and church banners. It’s not just a trendy pop symbol– it’s been around awhile!
Wow just read that this is an illustration of God’s senses. He sees us, He hears us, He understands and He will act.
The beauty of this psalm is that it illustrates God’s attentiveness to our cries. It describes, in detail, the fullness of all His senses.
The Eyes – Psalms 10:14 GNB But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering and are always ready to help. The helpless commit themselves to you; you have always helped the needy.
The Mind – Psalms 10:12 GNB O LORD, punish those wicked people! Remember those who are suffering!
The Physical Body – Psalms 10:15 NASB Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
The Ears – Psalms 10:17 NASB O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
We often feel forgotten by people and God. God is unchanging in His nature and justice. God never changes it is us that do. Have you ever felt in such a place that no one understands the weight or the worry. So lonely BUT GOD.
Proverbs 4:23 advises: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” The heart is the center of who we are, and its state affects how we see ourselves, the world, and how we live in it.
God thank You for today. Thank You for the minutes of this day that my senses are full of You. God help me to continue to see You, hear You and mentally give You all of me. God I know that I know deep in my knower that Your word is where all information to life and godliness is found .I will searching Your word for truth and endeavoring to rightly divide it and make it my own. Give me eyes to see and a discerning spirit of understanding. God let my words be truth and edify and glorify You in speaking, hearing and doing Your will. God thank you for this day and these minutes in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God’s see’s, loves and care for those orphaned in this world…
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless. Psalm 10:14
“…defending the fatherless and the oppressed,…”
Psalm 10:18
Psalm 10 emphasizes God’s sovereignty, reminding us that He is in control.
“The LORD is King forever and ever” vs16.
This truth provides peace and assurance, knowing that no matter the chaos around us, God’s sovereign hand guides the course of history.
I choose to live with the same hopeful attitude as David, trusting in God.