Psalms

Have you ever felt like the unrighteous and ungodly people of the world are prospering?  Does it feel like those seeking after God and walking with Him are oppressed and afflicted while the ungodly cruise through life?  It seems that way at times.  Is God paying attention?  These are the concerns of the Psalmist in this Psalm.  He urgently brings his case before the Lord in song.

God the Refuge of the Righteous

¹ O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs-
O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
The Psalmist is off to a good start.  He recognizes that vengeance belongs to the Lord.  Many times, when we feel the Lord is not paying enough attention we assume this role.  When we do this, we assume we know more than God about when vengeance is due and to whom it is due.  This gives new meaning and thrust to waiting on the Lord.  Are we willing?

² Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
Render punishment to the proud.
³ LORD, how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked triumph?
We know the Lord opposes the wicked and the proud.  We know that He is the judge of all nations and all men.  How long?  We don't know.  Is it wrong to ask?  I suppose that depends on why you ask.  It may depend on who asks.  Asking for the wrong reason could be sinful and wicked and the very judgment we seek against others may fall on us.

Are the wicked really triumphing?  Yes, they may have money, fame, popularity and many other things in this world.  But in the end, will they win?  If we, as Christians, determine this to be triumph, then do we not have our eyes on the wrong thing?  Are not to have a light grasp on the things of the world?  We were once the wicked and proud.  Our triumph is the patience of God.  In that time we came to the Lord and were saved.

Now we have triumph over sin and death and will spend eternity in paradise. 

⁴ They utter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.
⁵ They break in pieces Your people, O LORD,
And afflict Your heritage.
⁶ They slay the widow and the stranger,
And murder the fatherless.
⁷ Yet they say, "The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob understand."
Are any of these things outside God's ability to deal with?  Of course they aren't.  God is not surprised at any of this.  Yet, once again it is worth noting that these people who speak insolent things, who babble about the worthless things of the world were once us.  God has a heart for the widow, the stranger and the fatherless.  The wicked can't change that.  Their prosperity doesn't harm God's compassion in any way.  While they go about their wickedness thinking God doesn't exist, doesn't see them and won't punish them, all the while He is allowing them time to repent.  How long?  We don't know, but praise God that His timing is perfect.

⁸ Understand, you senseless among the people;
And you fools, when will you be wise?

These senseless people have shown up in other Psalms (49:10, 92:6).  The King James translates this to 'brutish'.  It's defined as stupid people, barbaric ones who live and act like animals instead of those created in God's image. 

⁹ He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
¹⁰ He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct,
He who teaches man knowledge?
¹¹ The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are futile.
Even the little child seems to be able to grasp this concept that God can see us and knows our heart.  Yet, these godless men live as though there were no God.  To do so they must ignore the creation, ignore the call to eternal things, ignore their conscience and they must live completely for today and deny that some day their life will end.  When they come face to face with their mortality, they will get a glimpse at eternal things.  Only then will they wonder about what's next.  Their lives are lived in pursuit of their natural lusts.

The 'thoughts' in verse 11 includes plans, schemes and inventions of men.  Paul quoted verse 11 in 1 Corinthians 3:20 when he was warning the Corinthians to avoid the deception of the wisdom of this world. 

¹² Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD,
And teach out of Your law,
What does this man learn?  Does he come to the knowledge of a higher authority than himself?  He comes to the understanding that this didn't all happen by accident.  He knows that the creator and judge will judge us some day.  What is the criteria for judgment?  Perfection, holiness, righteousness as defined by an awesome God.

¹³ That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.
Our rest is found in Jesus Christ.  The Christian will face adversity.  How will we deal with it?  We rest in the Lord, knowing we are saved from this world and from the bondage of sin.  All this world can do is harm our body but our soul is saved for eternity in the Lord.

¹⁴ For the LORD will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
¹⁵ But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.
We are secure in the Lord.  Part of that security is knowing that God has all this figured out.  We don't have to understand when the unrighteous will get theirs.  We shouldn't dwell on that.  We should dwell on the blessed assurance and seeking after God.  We should seek to show the unrighteous that there is a righteous God.  We were once the unrighteous and disobedient.

¹⁶ Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
¹⁷ Unless the LORD had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
¹⁸ If I say, "My foot slips,"
Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.
¹⁹ In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.
The Lord will fight your battles, whether this is a battle against persecution or a battle against cancer growing in your body.  It doesn't matter if we battle against an unseen evil that is the result of a fallen world or a very real worker of iniquity.  The Lord is our help.  Many times it seems we are on the precipice......about the fall (or be pushed) to our death.  We often wonder, God, are you there?  Are you with me?  If my foot slips, it's over.    If God knows the hairs on your head, he also knows your every footfall and the grain of sand that could either give and cause you slip, or sink in to give you traction.  All these things cause a multitude of anxieties.  We would worry our self to death given enough knowledge and time because the threats are endless.  But the Lord, He is God over that multitude of anxieties.

²⁰ Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You?
No, but should God wipe them out?  Was he not patient with us?

²¹ They gather together against the life of the righteous,
And condemn innocent blood.
Yes, the world, the throne of iniquity, war against God.  They condemn innocent blood.  That's what they did to Jesus.  But it's by that innocent blood we are saved.

²² But the LORD has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
²³ He has brought on them their own iniquity,
And shall cut them off in their own wickedness;
The LORD our God shall cut them off.

Our sovereign and holy God has it all figured out.  He alone has the perfect balance of judgment and long suffering.  The human response is to identify the enemy and destroy.  God's response is to identify and rescue.  He wants to call as many people out of their sin as will come.  He wants to rescue us from our shame and forgive us and grant us a new life.  In that new life we stand behind God.  He is our defense and he is our Rock of refuge.  Nothing can get to us that has not been allowed by the Lord.  When he chooses to the deal with the wicked, He will cut them off.  God has never suffered a surprise attack.  Not one of his saints has been harmed that He didn't know about before hand.  Whether we understand or not, He is perfect in His plan.