Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
It's so easy when we are having trials and tragedy to ask these questions... Why are you so far away, God? Why are you hiding right when I need you? The author is angry about the wicked. How they take advantage of the poor and it seems like God doesn't do anything about it. The wicked won't submit to God's will in their decisions. He doesn't even believe God is a reality. "Those are nearest ruin who thus set it furthest from them." - Matthew Henry
People may cover their malicious designs with a pretense of humility and kindness to those they design the greatest mischief to. They are like predators, just lying in wait.
The author calls out to God to lift his hand up for the sake of the poor. To break the arm of the wicked and judge them. And to keep them from being able to oppress anyone else.
This scripture is more about the enemies of God than anything else. They will persecute (v. 2), boast in himself and the desires of his heart (v.3), they are prideful (v. 4), they don't even consider God in their thoughts (v. 4), they believe they're invincible (v. 6), they are cursers, deceitful, vain, and full of mischief (v. 7), they set their sights on weaker people (v. 8-11), they imagine that God isn't even real and doesn't see these things (v. 11), they are oppressors (v. 18).
This is scary. There are so many people out there that fit these characteristics. People in power seem to think they are not only invincible, but they give themselves all the credit for the things they have accomplished. Meanwhile, they feed out lies and they do whatever they want to "lesser" people, just so they can continue to gain things.
But the author here says, even when it seems like these people just keep moving up and up and nothing bad ever happens to them, God won't forget the humble people (v. 12). God does see everything (v. 14) and in the end he is our help (v. 14). It may seem like he is ignoring these people and letting them run the show, but God has a plan. We may not always see that plan because we're just humans - we can't see the full picture - but one thing we can have confidence in is that "The Lord is King for ever and ever" (v. 16). God will hear our desires (v. 17). One day things will be perfect, but never as long as we live on this earth as imperfect humans.
What did you think about this scripture? What did you take away from it?
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