Where is the Lord?
Summer of Psalms • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsWhen human-caused suffering makes us cry "where is the Lord?", Christ answers "I am here."
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<El Paso>
This Psalm is a song of lamentation. If you wonder what lamentation is, I could explain it. Or, we could just read it. You’ll understand at a deeper level than my words could ever say.
This Psalm is a song of lamentation. If you wonder what lamentation is, I could explain it. Or, we could just read it. You’ll understand at a deeper level than my words could ever say.
Story of Leticia.
This Psalm is a song of lamentation. If you wonder what lamentation is, I could explain it. Or, we could just read it. You’ll understand at a deeper level than my words could ever say.
El Paso
<story of Leticia>
Christian Standard Bible Psalm 10
1 LORD,,C why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims;
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings;
the one who is greedy curses and despises the LORD.
4 In all his scheming,
the wicked person arrogantly thinks,
“There’s no accountability,
since there’s no God.”
5 His ways are always secure;
your lofty judgments have no effect on him;
he scoffs at all his adversaries.
6 He says to himself, “I will never be moved—
from generation to generation without calamity.”
7 Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth;
trouble and malice are under his tongue.
8 He waits in ambush near settlements;
he kills the innocent in secret places.
His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless;
9 he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket.
He lurks in order to seize a victim;
he seizes a victim and drags him in his net.
10 So he is oppressed and beaten down;
helpless people fall because of the wicked one’s strength.
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
he hides his face and will never see.”
12 Rise up, LORD God! Lift up your hand.
Do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why has the wicked person despised God?
He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”
14 But you yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into your hands.
The helpless one entrusts himself to you;
you are a helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked, evil person,
until you look for his wickedness,
but it can’t be found.
16 The LORD is King forever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble;
you will strengthen their hearts.
You will listen carefully,
18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.
We begin with the question the Psalmist begins with: “Where is the Lord?” The question is asked two different ways in this Psalm. The first one we look at is:
If you haven't grappled with the evil in this world, then this Psalm will make you really uncomfortable.
Often we have to work to make sure the Old Testament is applicable to us, today. I don’t have to with this Psalm. It reaches across the ages.
If you haven't grappled with the evil in this world, then this Psalm will make you really uncomfortable.
The point of the psalmist is not to make you uncomfortable. The point is to find true comfort when confronted with evil.
We begin with the question the Psalmist begins with: “Where is the Lord?” The question is asked two different ways in this Psalm. The first one we look at is:
What is our response meant to be when we see such things?
We begin with the question the Psalmist begins with: “Where is the Lord?” The question is asked two different ways in this Psalm. The first one we look at is:
The Oppressor’s Boast
The Oppressor’s Boast
This is the mark of the wicked, right there in verse 2: arrogance. They are arrogant towards God, and arrogant towards man.
This is the flow of verses 2-11. In arrogance, believing in his own strength, this man makes internal choices that lead to actions, actions that progressively grow worse and worse over the Psalm.
Let’s look how it flows:
This is the mark of the wicked, right there in verse 2: arrogance. They are arrogant towards God, and arrogant towards man.
Begins in verse 3: regards his self to the exclusion of God. He, in essence, asks a scornful question: “Where is the Lord?”
Read
This is the flow of verses 2-11. In arrogance, believing in his own strength, this man makes internal choices that lead to actions, actions that progressively grow worse and worse over the Psalm.
Verse 4, the arrogant thoughts begin to flow into choices (schemes)
Pray. Intensely.
He begins to transfer that inward arrogance outward in verse 5
The Oppressor’s Boast.
Let’s look how it flows:
Arrogant boast
By verse 7 his tongue is inflamed: cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon, contemplating this psalm, said “Where the God of heaven is not, the Lord of hell is reigning and raging”
Begins in verse 3: regards his self to the exclusion of God. He, in essence, ass a scornful question: “Where is the Lord?”
This is the mark of the wicked, right there in verse 2: arrogant. They are arrogant towards God, and arrogant towards man.
Tragically, that rage is not constrained to the mouth of the wicked, but pours forth in physical violence against the innocent, against the helpless.
This is the flow of verses 2-11. In arrogance, believing in his own strength, this man makes internal choices that lead to actions, actions that progressively grow worse and worse over the Psalm.
Arrogance of the oppressor in verses 2-11 is breathtaking. “I will never be moved” (6)
Verse 4, the arrogant thoughts begin to flow into choices (schemes)
Beliefs lead to choices lead to action. If you are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, the pattern is the same: They believed a lie from Satan about God. They made a choice. They took action. Result: sorrow and pain for them and cause the first appearance of victims.
Let’s look how it flows:
He begins to transfer that inward arrogance outward in verse 5
Begins in verse 3: regards his self to the exclusion of God. He, in essence, ass a scornful question: “Where is the Lord?”
The Victim’s Prayer
The Victim’s Prayer
Verse 4, the arrogant thoughts begin to flow into choices (schemes)
By verse 7 his tongue is inflamed: cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon, contemplating this psalm, said “Where the God of heaven is not, the Lord of hell is reigning and raging”
If we back up to verse 1 we hear this prayer ask a question:
He begins to transfer that inward arrogance outward in verse 5
Tragically, that rage is not constrained to the mouth of the wicked, but pours forth in physical violence against the innocent, against the helpless.
“Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble?”
By verse 7 his tongue is inflamed: cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon, contemplating this psalm, said “Where the God of heaven is not, the Lord of hell is reigning and raging”
Where is the Lord?
Tragically, that rage is not constrained to the mouth of the wicked, but pours forth in physical violence against the innocent, against the helpless.
“I will never be moved” (6)
Beliefs lead to choices lead to action. If you are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, the pattern is the same: They believed a lie from Satan about God. They made a choice. They took action.
Beliefs lead to choices lead to action. If you are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, the pattern is the same: They believed a lie from Satan about God. They made a choice. They took action.
He is arrogant towards God, saying “there’s no accountability, since there’s no God.” (4)
It’s the same question the wicked ask in their arrogance, but it’s asked in a very different way. And, depending on the way you and I tend to react when we hear of wickedness like the El Paso shootings, we likely respond in one of two ways.
The Victim’s Prayer
The Victim’s Prayer
There is application here for us as well. We can’t get away from this pattern, it is woven into creation for the wicked and for the helpless: beliefs lead to choices lead to actions.
in verse 5 God’s “lofty” judgements have no effect on the oppressor
Despair: “Where is the Lord?” that often leads to Apathy.
Let’s illustrate how this plays out for believers. Our team in Guatemala heard Leticia’s story. Because the good news of Jesus Christ has rescued each of them, they believed that God cares for the helpless. Their beliefs about God and who he is led them to make a choice to help Leticia and her family. So, they took action: not repaying wickedness for wickedness, they did something different. Because God had helped them in their need, they helped others. Beliefs lead to choices lead to actions.
His ways are always secure (to himself) (5)
Let’s illustrate how this plays out for believers. Our team in Guatemala heard Leticia’s story. Because the good news of Jesus Christ has rescued each of them, they believed that God delights in rescuing the helpless. Their beliefs about God and who he is led them to make a choice to help Leticia and her family. So, they took action: not repaying wickedness for wickedness, they did something different. Because God had helped them in their need, they helped others. Beliefs lead to choices lead to actions.
Or anger “Where is the Lord?” that often leads to arrogance.
Brothers and sisters, I would like to leave the message there. But as important as gospel-centered beliefs leading to gospel-centered choices taking gospel-centered action is, that is not the point of this Psalm. This psalm is a lament, a cry to God…a prayer. And, right there at the beginning, that prayer asks a question:
Brothers and sisters, I would like to leave the message there. But as important as gospel-centered beliefs leading to gospel-centered choices taking gospel-centered action is, that is not the point of this Psalm. This psalm is a lament, a cry to God
But this psalm asks this question in prayer and the foundation of it is neither apathy or arrogance. It’s the question woven through the description of the wicked, and it is
“Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble?”
Considers only himself (3a)
Treats the defenseless as his rightful prey (2a, 8-10)
he scoffs at any adversary (5)
Arrogance towards God
“there’s no accountability, since there’s no God.” (4)
in verse 5 God’s “lofty” judgements have no effect on the oppressor
Arrogance towards man: I can do whatever I want
Considers only himself (3a)
he scoffs at any adversary (5)
Treats the defenseless as his rightful prey (2a, 8-10)
Spurgeon:
he scoffs at any adversary (5)
Spurgeon:
The only place where God is not in the thoughts of the wicked. This is a damning accusation; for where the God of heaven is not, the Lord of hell is reigning and raging; and if God be not in our thoughts, our thoughts will bring us to hell
The only place where God is not in the thoughts of the wicked. This is a damning accusation; for where the God of heaven is not, the Lord of hell is reigning and raging; and if God be not in our thoughts, our thoughts will bring us to perdition
Where is the Lord?
The Victim’s Prayer
The Victim’s Prayer
Christian Standard Bible
Rooted in helplessness
It’s the same question the wicked ask in their arrogance, but it’s asked in a very different way.
Helpless. This is a special Hebrew word, only ever appearing in this psalm, nowhere else in the Bible. Yet here it’s so important it appears 3 times. Verse 8. Verse 10. Verse 14.
It’s the question woven through the description of the wicked, and it is
This cry, this prayer, this psalm is founded in helplessness. That’s the contrast here: between the arrogance of the wicked and the helplessness of their victims.
Rooted in helplessness
There is a word in this psalm: helpless. It only ever appears in this psalm, nowhere else in the Bible. Yet here it’s so important it appears 3 times. Verse 8. Verse 10. Verse 14.
The contrast is not the wicked versus the weak , the feeble, the frail, the pathetic. Look at verse 10: even when the wicked’s strength is noted, the reason the victim falls is not their weakness, but their helplessness.
This cry, this prayer, this psalm is founded in helplessness. That’s the contrast here between the arrogance of the wicked and the helplessness of their victims.
The wicked versus the helpless.
The contrast is not the wicked versus the weak , the feeble, the frail, the pathetic. Look at verse 10: even when the wicked’s strength is noted, the reason the victim falls is their helplessness.
If we back up to verse 1 we hear this prayer ask a question:
Why?
“Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble?”
The wicked versus the Helpless.
Where is the Lord?
It’s the same question the wicked ask in their arrogance, but it’s asked in a very different way. And, depending on the way you and I tend to react when we hear of wickedness like the El Paso shootings, we likely respond in one of two ways.
Because this is the only way we fully rely on the Lord, if we are fully helpless in ourselves. And this may be jarring, but we saw it done when Jesus Christ himself - truly innocent - stood before arrogant rulers and made himself helpless. Not weak. Not apathetic. Not arrogance. He stood on the one firm foundation - God himself - and allowed God to decide what to do.
Despair: “Where is the Lord?” that often leads to Apathy.
Why?
Or anger “Where is the Lord?” that often leads to arrogance.
But this psalm asks this question in prayer and the foundation of it is neither apathy or arrogance. It’s the question woven through the description of the wicked, and it is
Rooted in helplessness
Because any foundation other than helplessness leads us to wickedness.
What was your reaction to the El Paso shootings? Maybe it was apathy. Maybe it was arrogance.
Helpless. This is a special Hebrew word, only ever appearing in this psalm, nowhere else in the Bible. Yet here it’s so important it appears 3 times. Verse 8. Verse 10. Verse 14.
This cry, this prayer, this psalm is founded in helplessness. That’s the contrast here: between the arrogance of the wicked and the helplessness of their victims.
Do we battle his curses with our own? Be more deceitful than he is, tick him at his own game? Do we counter the strength of the wicked with our strength? We will overcome him? Beliefs, choices, actions. Our strong actions come from a choice to battle: deceit with deceit, curses with curses, even strength with strength, showing that at the foundation our belief is in…us.
The contrast is not the wicked versus the weak , the feeble, the frail, the pathetic. Look at verse 10: even when the wicked’s strength is noted, the reason the victim falls is not their weakness, but their helplessness.
This psalm says “neither.” It is a prayer of helplessness in action.
The wicked versus the helpless.
What marks the wicked in this psalm? His arrogance. What is your natural response to seeing injustice, oppression, wickedness. Mine is often anger. But anger can be a trap of the wicked one. How do we know? We know it’s a trap when it is marked by arrogance, a belief inside that says “I would never do…that.” Right there, right then, right at that moment, we betray a foundation that’s the same as the wicked: I.
Why?
Look at verse 12: the psalmist has either witnessed the injustices of verses 2-11, or is the victim himself, and cries out “Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand!” and then in verse 14 the helpless is again referenced, but look, the helpless one entrusts himself to the Lord.
Because this is the only way we fully rely on the Lord, if we are fully helpless in ourselves. And this may be jarring, but we saw it done when Jesus Christ himself - truly innocent - stood before arrogant rulers and made himself helpless. Not weak. Not apathetic. Not arrogance. He stood on the one firm foundation - God himself - and allowed God to decide what to do.
Don’t believe me? When you and I say “I would never…” we are boasting. Look at verse 3…how does that turn out?
Because any foundation other than helplessness leads us to wickedness.
This is how the Psalm begins:
1 LORD, why do you stand so far away?
Do we battle his curses with our own? Be more deceitful than he is, trick him at his own game? Do we counter the strength of the wicked with our strength? We will overcome him?
Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble? (1)
Entrusts: the word means “to utterly and completely abandon” to another. That other is the Lord.
But if we don’t get angry and act, what do we do? We despair, turning to passivity. How often have you heard about another school shooting, genocide, murder, ponzi scheme that robbed the elderly and…shrugged. I often veer between both.
What marks the wicked in this psalm? His arrogance. What is your natural response to seeing injustice, oppression, wickedness. Mine is often anger. But anger can be a trap of the wicked one. How do we know? We know it’s a trap when it is marked by arrogance, a belief inside that says “I would never do…that.” Right there, right then, right at that moment, we betray a foundation that’s the same as the wicked: I.
The psalmist returns to the question in verse 12
When you and I say “I would never…” we are boasting. Look at verse 3…how does boasting in our strength turn out?
This psalm takes neither path. The foundation is not anger or passivity. It is a prayer of helplessness…in action.
What was your reaction to the El Paso shootings? Maybe it was apathy. Maybe it was arrogance.
And then, brothers and sisters, then we are ready to listen to the Lord and do - or not do - whatever he will ask of us. The prayer - based on helplessness and trust - is the action.
This psalm takes neither path. It is a prayer of helplessness…in action.
Look at verse 12: the psalmist has either witnessed the injustices of verses 2-11, or is the victim himself, and cries out “Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand!” and then in verse 14 the helpless is again referenced, but look, the helpless one entrusts himself to the Lord.
This cry, this prayer, is founded in helplessness
Look at verse 12: the psalmist has either witnessed the injustices of verses 2-11, or is the victim himself, and cries out “Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand!” and then in verse 14 the helpless is again referenced, but look, the helpless one entrusts himself to the Lord.
Let’s illustrate how this plays out for believers. Our team in Guatemala heard Leticia’s story. Because the good news of Jesus Christ has rescued each of them, they believed that God delights in rescuing the helpless. Their beliefs about God and who he is led them to make a choice to help Leticia and her family. So, they took action: not repaying wickedness for wickedness, they did something different. Because God had helped them in their need, they helped others. And this was awesome, but I found out what set it into action: it was Leticia praying that the Lord would provide her helplessness and trust moved the Lord to move our team.
Helpless. This word is only found here in . Three times (8, 10, 14)
Entrusts: the word means “to utterly and completely abandon” to another. That other is the Lord.
Entrusts: the word means “to utterly and completely abandon” to another. That other is the Lord. And there is no passivity, as the prayer continues he entreats the Lord to take action: Break the arm of the wicked. (Brothers and sisters, if that phrase makes you uncomfortable, I’m not sure you’ve seen wickedness.)
And then, brothers and sisters, then we are ready to listen to the Lord and do - or not do - whatever he will ask of us. The prayer - based on helplessness and trust - is the action.
This is amazing: in all other faiths, it is the righteous action (power) of the one who calls. In our hyper-religious society, it is only your power which gives you right standing. (oh, boy. unpack that, or drop it?) Here, the “power” rests solely in weakness.
There it is: this prayer of helplessness is not passive, it is not arrogant, demanding that God move as we decree. It is an abandoning of the desire we have since the garden to be the one who knows every right action and takes it, abandoning our self to the Lord.
This is amazing: in all other faiths, it is the righteous action (power) of the one who calls. Here, the “power” rests solely in weakness.
There it is: this prayer of helplessness is not passive, it is not arrogantly angry. It is an abandoning of the desire we have since the garden to be the one who knows every right action and takes it, a returning to who we are: creatures made in the image and likeness of God, but not God himself.
Let’s illustrate how this plays out for believers. Our team in Guatemala heard Leticia’s story. Because the good news of Jesus Christ has rescued each of them, they believed that God delights in rescuing the helpless. Their beliefs about God and who he is led them to make a choice to help Leticia and her family. So, they took action: not repaying wickedness for wickedness, they did something different. Because God had helped them in their need, they helped others. And this was awesome, but I found out what set it into action: it was Leticia praying that the Lord would provide her helplessness and trust moved the Lord to move our team.
Brothers and sisters, I would like to leave the message there. But as important as gospel-centered beliefs leading to gospel-centered choices taking gospel-centered action is, that is not the point of this Psalm. This psalm is a lament, a cry to God
There it is: this prayer of helplessness is not passive, it is not arrogant, demanding that God move as we decree. It is an abandoning of the desire we have since the garden to be the one who knows every right action and takes it, abandoning our self to the Lord.
Which leads to
Ultimately, this is an unsettled boast
Which leads to
The Lord’s Response.
The Lord’s Response.
Look at the progression…I…no God…God has forgotten…You will not...”
The Lord’s Response.
The Lord’s Response.
In the first quote, he boldly states there is no God.
And this prayer has a response: The Lord’s Response.
In the second, the wicked has no thought of God at all.
And this prayer has a response: The Lord’s Response.
Look at 15 and see, the lament is turned to trust that the Lord is not only capable, but powerful for all time, over every naton of the earth.
He hears the cry of those who humbly - helplessly - turst in him and strengthens their hearts. Moreover, he listens to them, and acts justly so that mere humans may not terrify them any more.
Verse 14: “But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands.”
But all of this comes about because of verse 14: “But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. the helpless one entrusts himself to you, you are a helper of the fatherless.”
observing it in order to take the matter into your hands.”
The prayer is founded in helplessness, trusting the Lord. And his response is to see all the trouble caused by wickedness, and take matters into his own hands.
That means we let him drive the response. Him. Not us.
heard the desire of the humble (17) and strengthen their hearts.
Sometimes that means he will ask us to act.
Sometimes that means he will ask us not to act.
doing justice for the fatherless and oppressed.
How?
We now know how. He came, and he is here.
Always, we are asked to trust in him and not our self.
There’s the application for this prayer. When we despair, or arrogantly want to take matters into our own hands, we pray, and the Lord will respond with his hands.
There’s the application for this. When we despair, or arrogantly want to take matters into our own hands, we pray, ad the Lord will respond with his hands.
Let’s go back to El Paso. You’ve already seen the posts “Pray for El Paso”. Within the next day or so, you see the counter posts, the articles with headlines like “Thoughts and prayers are not enough” “Forget the prayers, it’s time for action” and so on.
Look at the progression…I…no God…God has forgotten…You will not...”
In the first quote, he boldly states there is no God.
In the second, the wicked has no thought of God at all.
But, in the third, God is back in his thoughts.
Look at 15 and see, the lament is turned to trust that the Lord is not only capable, but powerful for all time, over every naton of the earth.
In the final quote, he uses a personal “you” towards God.)
But, in the third, God is back in his thoughts.
The nations all belong to Him (16)
The nations all belong to Him (16)
In the final quote, he uses a personal “you” towards God.)
He hears the cry of those who humbly - helplessly - turst in him and strengthens their hearts. Moreover, he listens to them, and acts justly so that mere humans may not terrify them any more.
He hears, he listens, he strengthens (17)
(v 14 is the hinge)He observes in order to do something about it. Himself.
Why do you hide in times of trouble?
But all of this comes about because of verse 14: “But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. the helpless one entrusts himself to you, you are a helper of the fatherless.”
The prayer is founded in helplessness, trusting the Lord. And his response is to see all the trouble caused by wickedness, and take matters into his own hands. And then we respond.
That means we let him drive the response. Him. Not us.
Sometimes that means he will ask us to act.
Do not be discouraged. This is how a lost world will react. But us? Pray. Lament. Cry out. God hears the desire of the humble. He will strengthen your hearts. He will listen carefully and do justice for the oppressed. How do we participate? We pray in helplessness, entrusting him completely, and let him guide us to what to do - or not to do - next.
Sometimes that means he will ask us not to act.
Always, we are asked to trust in him and not our self.
There’s the application for this prayer. When we despair, or arrogantly want to take matters into our own hands, we pray, and the Lord will respond with his hands.
Let’s go back to El Paso. You’ve already seen the posts “Pray for El Paso”. Within the next day or so, you see the counter posts, the articles with headlines like “Thoughts and prayers are not enough” “Forget the prayers, it’s time for action” and so on.
Do not be discouraged. This is how a lost world will react. But us? Pray. Lament. Cry out. God hears the desire of the humble. He will strengthen your hearts. He will listen carefully and do justice for the oppressed. How do we participate? We pray in helplessness, entrusting him completely, and let him guide us to what to do - or not to do - next.
Conclusion
Conclusion
2 In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims;
Conclusion
Conclusion
Our hearts are broken by wickedness because this world was broken by it, and this lament of our hearts echoes the lament of God over us.
At the end of the Psalm there is hope, because at the end of all things there is hope:
Y
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 21
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:,am Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,,an and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.”
Invitation:
Have you been a victim? If you hear these words and recognized that you grieve. You cry. You hurt: be strengthened. Know that it has been observed and God has taken matters into his own hands: He is here.
But maybe you aren’t that person. Maybe you’ve had a secure life, a great life, but are asking “where is the Lord?” when you see terrible injustice all around you. When Satan tempts you to despair, know that God listens carefully, has heard the desire of the humble, and he is here.
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
Our hearts are broken by wickedness because this world was broken by it, and this lament of our hearts echoes the lament of God over us.
But maybe you aren’t that person, either. Maybe you are honest enough to find yourself somewhere on that scale of wickedness.
Let’s look at that arrogance, and I think you’ll see that it’s very unsettled:
In the first quote, he boldly states there is no God.
In the second, the wicked has no thought of God at all.
But, in the third, God is back in his thoughts.
The very lament of our hearts echoes the lament of God over us.
In the final quote, he uses a personal “you” towards God, hoping God will not demand an account.
God will not demand an account...He will command an account. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. And if your trust is in your ways, your plans, your cravings, or you at all…you will face his judgement. He is will take matters into his own hands.
At the end of the Psalm there is hope, because at the end of all things there is hope:
Which is why the gospel is good news. There is hope for the oppressor, the observer, and for the victim, today. Call on Jesus Christ, the forever and ever King who saves.
LET US PRAY
3 For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings;
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 21
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:,am Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,,an and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.”
the one who is greedy curses and despises the LORD.
Have you been a victim? If you hear these words and recognized that you grieve. You cry. You hurt: be strengthened. Know that it has been observed and God has taken matters into his own hands: He is here.
Have you been a victim? If you hear these words and recognized that you grieve. You cry. You hurt: be strengthened. Know that it has been observed and God has taken matters into his own hands: He is here.
4 In all his scheming,
But maybe you aren’t that person. Maybe you’ve had a secure life, a great life, but are asking “where is the Lord?” when you see terrible injustice all around you. When Satan tempts you to despair, know that God listens carefully, has heard the desire of the humble, and he is here.
But maybe you aren’t that person. Maybe you’ve had a secure life, a great life, but are asking “where is the Lord?” when you see terrible injustice all around you. When Satan tempts you to despair, know that God listens carefully, has heard the desire of the humble, and he is here.
But maybe you aren’t that person, either. Maybe you are honest enough to find yourself somewhere on that scale of wickedness.
the wicked person arrogantly thinks,
But maybe you aren’t that person, either. Maybe you
Ultimately, this is an unsettled boast. Look at the progression…
Look at the progression…I…no God…God has forgotten…You will not...”
In the first quote, he boldly states there is no God.
In the second, the wicked has no thought of God at all.
But, in the third, God is back in his thoughts.
In the final quote, he uses a personal “you” towards God, hoping God will not demand an account.
God will not demand an account...He will command an account. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. And if your trust is in your ways, your plans, your cravings, or you at all…you will face his judgement. He is here.
“There’s no accountability,
Let’s look at that arrogance, and I think you’ll see that it’s very unsettled:
In the first quote, he boldly states there is no God.
Which is why the gospel is good news. There is hope for the oppressor, the observer, and for the victim, today. Call on Jesus Christ, the forever and ever King who saves.
since there’s no God.”
In the second, the wicked has no thought of God at all.
LET US PRAY
LET US PRAY
5 His ways are always secure;
your lofty judgments have no effect on him;
But, in the third, God is back in his thoughts.
In the final quote, he uses a personal “you” towards God, hoping God will not demand an account.
he scoffs at all his adversaries.
God will not demand an account...He will command an account. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. And if your trust is in your ways, your plans, your cravings, or you at all…you will face his judgement. He is will take matters into his own hands.
6 He says to himself, “I will never be moved—
from generation to generation without calamity.”
Which is why the gospel is good news. There is hope for the oppressor, the observer, and for the victim, today. Call on Jesus Christ, the forever and ever King who saves.
LET US PRAY
LET US PRAY
7 Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth;
trouble and malice are under his tongue.
8 He waits in ambush near settlements;
he kills the innocent in secret places.
His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless;
9 he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket.
He lurks in order to seize a victim;
he seizes a victim and drags him in his net.
10 So he is oppressed and beaten down;
helpless people fall because of the wicked one’s strength.
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
he hides his face and will never see.”
12 Rise up, LORD God! Lift up your hand.
Do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why has the wicked person despised God?
He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”
14 But you yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into your hands.
The helpless one entrusts himself to you;
you are a helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked, evil person,
until you look for his wickedness,
but it can’t be found.
16 The LORD is King forever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble;
you will strengthen their hearts.
You will listen carefully,
18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.
We begin with the question the Psalmist begins with: “Where is the Lord?” The question is asked two different ways in this Psalm. The first one we look at is:
The Oppressor’s Boast
The Oppressor’s Boast
This is the mark of the wicked, right there in verse 2: arrogance. They are arrogant towards God, and arrogant towards man.
The shooter from El Paso is the picture of arrogance. He chose to play God, taking lives.
In the Psalm, the arrogance comes from believing in his own strength, this man makes internal choices that lead to actions, actions that progressively grow worse and worse over the Psalm.
Let’s look how the arrogance grows and manifests:
Begins in verse 3: regards his self to the exclusion of God. He, in essence, asks a scornful question: “Where is the Lord?”
Verse 4, the arrogant thoughts begin to morph into choices (schemes)
He begins to transfer that inward arrogance outward in verse 5
By verse 7 his tongue is inflamed: cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon, contemplating this psalm, said “Where the God of heaven is not, the Lord of hell is reigning and raging”
Tragically, that rage is not constrained to the mouth of the wicked, but pours forth in physical violence against the innocent, against the helpless.
Beliefs lead to choices lead to action. If you are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, the pattern is the same: They believed a lie from Satan about God. They made a choice. They took action.
Our missions team saw this pattern firsthand in Guatemala last year. There they met a woman named Leticia. Leticia had 6 kids, was pregnant, and was living in a 10 foot wide shack. The team was jarred by the living conditions, and found out that she had built it with the help of a few of her children. Why? Because she had been living with her husband, but their baby at the time had gotten sick. She asked for money for medicine, and instead of giving money, he threw her and their kids out of the house. He then gathered all her possessions and burned them.
This is arrogance. And it is wicked. What do we do with this?
The Victim’s Prayer
The Victim’s Prayer
If we back up to verse 1 we hear this prayer ask a question:
“Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble?”
Where is the Lord?
This is the prayer of the victim.
It’s the same question the wicked ask in their arrogance, but it’s asked in a very different way. And, depending on the way you and I tend to react when we hear of wickedness like the El Paso shootings, we likely respond in one of two ways.
Despair: “Where is the Lord?” that often leads to apathy.
Or anger “Where is the Lord?” that can lead to our own arrogance.
But this psalm asks this question in prayer and the foundation of it is neither apathy or arrogance. It’s the question woven through the description of the wicked, and it is
Recognizes the victim’s helplessness. Which is a jarring word to our ears. But not just to us. It would have been jarring to the listeners of the psalm, so the psalmist uses a special word that only appears in this psalm, nowhere else in the Bible. Yet here it’s so important it appears 3 times. Verse 8. Verse 10. Verse 14.
We need to anchor this with an image for us, because otherwise we’ll conjure up all sorts of images. Let’s try this one: a little child. on the playground. At the monkey bars. You’ve got to lift them, hold them, set them down. They are wonderful, innocent, and helpless.
That’s the contrast here: between the arrogance of the wicked and the helplessness of their victims.
The contrast is not the wicked versus the feeble, the frail, the pathetic. Look at verse 10: even when the wicked’s strength is noted, the reason the victim falls is not their weakness, but their helplessness.
The wicked versus the helpless.
Why?
Because this is the only way to truly rely on the Lord, if we are fully helpless in ourselves. We saw it done when Jesus Christ himself - truly innocent - stood before arrogant rulers and made himself helpless. Not weak. Not apathetic. Not self-righteous or angry or arrogant. He stood on the one firm foundation - God himself - and allowed God to decide what to do.
What was your reaction to the El Paso shootings? Maybe it was apathy. Maybe it was arrogance.
This psalm says “neither.” It is a prayer of helplessness in action.
Look at verse 12: the psalmist has either witnessed the injustices of verses 2-11, or is the victim himself, and cries out “Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand!” and then in verse 14 the helpless is again referenced, but look, the helpless does something: he entrusts himself to the Lord. Entrusts: the word means “to utterly and completely abandon” to another. That other is the Lord.
And then, brothers and sisters, then we are ready to listen to the Lord and do - or not do - whatever he will ask of us. Our prayers - based on helplessness and trust - is the action.
Let’s illustrate how this plays out for believers. Our team in Guatemala heard Leticia’s story. Because the good news of Jesus Christ has rescued each of them, they believed that God delights in rescuing the helpless. They prayed. God led them to help Leticia and her family. So, they took action: not, you know, finding and beating the snot out of that deadbeat husband, they did something different. Because God had helped them in their need, they helped others.
There it is: this prayer of helplessness is not passive, it is not arrogant, demanding that God move as we decree. It is an abandoning of the desire we have since the garden to be the one who knows every right action and takes it, no longer listening to the lies of the enemy’s kingdom, and abandoning our self to the Lord.
Which leads to
The Lord’s Response.
The Lord’s Response.
And this prayer has a response: The Lord’s Response.
It happens in verse 14: “But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. the helpless one entrusts himself to you, you are a helper of the fatherless.”
The prayer is founded in helplessness that takes the radical action of completely trusting the Lord. And The Lord’s response is to see all the trouble caused by wickedness, and take matters into his own hands.
Look at 15 and see, the lament is turned to praise that the Lord is not only capable, but powerful for all time, over every nation of the earth.
He hears the cry of those who humbly - helplessly - trust in him and strengthens their hearts. Moreover, he listens to them, and acts justly so that mere humans may not terrify them any more.
Once the Lord responds, then we respond.
That means we let him drive the response. Him. Not us.
Sometimes that means he will ask us to act.
Sometimes that means he will ask us not to act.
Always, we are asked to trust in him and not our self.
There’s the application for this prayer. When we despair, or arrogantly want to take matters into our own hands, we pray, and the Lord will respond with his hands.
Let’s go back to El Paso. You’ve already seen the posts “Pray for El Paso”. Within the next day or so, you see the counter posts, the articles with headlines like “Thoughts and prayers are not enough” “Forget the prayers, it’s time for action” and so on.
Do not be discouraged. This is how a lost world will react. But us? Pray. Lament. Cry out. God hears the desire of the humble. He will strengthen your hearts. He will listen carefully and do justice for the oppressed. How do we participate? We pray in helplessness, entrusting him completely, and let him guide us to what to do - or not to do - next.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Our hearts are broken by wickedness because this world was broken by it, and this lament of our hearts echoes the lament of God over us.
At the end of the Psalm there is hope, because at the end of all things there is hope:
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 21
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:,am Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,,an and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.”
Have you been a victim? Know that it has been observed and God has taken matters into his own hands: He is here. He turns all things to the good for those who love him. Prayer that trusts the Lord is action.
But maybe you aren’t a victim. Maybe you’ve had a secure life, a great life, but are asking “where is the Lord?” when you see terrible injustice in your neighborhood, or in El Paso, or across the world. When Satan tempts you to despair, know that God listens carefully, has heard the desire of the humble, and he is here. Prayer that trusts the Lord is action.
But maybe you are wondering about the wicked. Know that God will command an account. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. And if your trust is in your ways, your plans, your cravings, or you at all…you will face his judgement. He is will take matters into his own hands. Pray.
The gospel is good news. There is hope for the oppressor, the observer, and for the victim, today. Call on Jesus Christ, the forever and ever King who saves.
LET US PRAY