Involved....
Psalm 10:1-18 Why, O 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 of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
[4] In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
[5] His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
[6] He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble."
[7] His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
[8] He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.
[9] He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
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 has forgotten;
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, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
[15] Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.
[16] The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
[17] You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
[18] defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
I cannot deal with the concept of God being distant, of being uncaring and uninvolved. I cannot bear to think of a creator who just has no sense of ownership and responsibility for that which he has made. I think that is why the image of God as Father is so central to my faith. Because Dads, good Dads, really care and are involved….
The psalmist paints a picture for us which is familiar to us – a world of have and have nots, where the poor are oppressed by those who have power, wealth and influence. There is a seeming lack of justice where the powerful act with impunity as there is no one who will bring them to account. Indeed the opening words are a plea to God: in times of trouble where are you……?
But as the song ends we begin to sense God’s heart through the the poetry. God cares for the poor and the needy, he stands up for the oppressed, he becomes a father to the fatherless. It is an appeal to the eternal. The powerful do not fear the consequences of their actions because they see only what is in this world – they do not peer into the eternal. For us our actions on this life will shape our eternal future, and this includes our sense of justice towards those who are without. The powerful may act with impunity – pray that soon they glimpse eternity.
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 of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
[4] In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
[5] His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
[6] He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble."
[7] His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
[8] He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.
[9] He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
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 has forgotten;
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, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
[15] Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.
[16] The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
[17] You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
[18] defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
I cannot deal with the concept of God being distant, of being uncaring and uninvolved. I cannot bear to think of a creator who just has no sense of ownership and responsibility for that which he has made. I think that is why the image of God as Father is so central to my faith. Because Dads, good Dads, really care and are involved….
The psalmist paints a picture for us which is familiar to us – a world of have and have nots, where the poor are oppressed by those who have power, wealth and influence. There is a seeming lack of justice where the powerful act with impunity as there is no one who will bring them to account. Indeed the opening words are a plea to God: in times of trouble where are you……?
But as the song ends we begin to sense God’s heart through the the poetry. God cares for the poor and the needy, he stands up for the oppressed, he becomes a father to the fatherless. It is an appeal to the eternal. The powerful do not fear the consequences of their actions because they see only what is in this world – they do not peer into the eternal. For us our actions on this life will shape our eternal future, and this includes our sense of justice towards those who are without. The powerful may act with impunity – pray that soon they glimpse eternity.
posted by Gordon at
9:37 am
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