Confidence, God has Triumphed Over Evil

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 10

 

Psalm 10:12

Arise, O Lord!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.

(NKJV)

 

We live in a fallen world with trouble coming to all whether we believe in Jesus as our Savior or not. The advantage of one being a believer in Jesus as their savior is faith in Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) who has overcome the world (John 16:33). The author of Psalm 10 is unknown and begins with a lament at the apparent prosperity of the wicked but finds resolution in confidence that God has triumphed over evil.  

 

The psalm begins with the questions of why the Lord stands afar off and appears to hide in times of trouble (Psalm 10:1). The psalmist then states the problem of the wicked pridefully persecuting the poor, asking the Lord to let them be caught in the plots they have devised (Psalm 10:2). The desire of the wicked is to bless the greedy and renounce the Lord whom he does not seek or even think about (Psalm 10:3-4). The wicked is always prospering and sneering at his enemies but God’s judgments are far above and out of his sight (Psalm 10:5). In his heart he says he shall not be moved or find himself in adversity (Psalm 10:6). The mouth of the wicked curses, is deceitful, oppressive, and full of trouble and iniquity (Psalm 10:7).

 

The eyes of the wicked are fixed on the helpless while he sits in lurking places in the villages, murdering the innocent in secret places (Psalm 10:8). He secretly crouches like a lion in his den, waiting to catch the poor, with the helpless falling by his strength (Psalm 10:9-10). In his heart, the wicked believes God has forgotten him, believing God has hidden His face and will never see what he has done (Psalm 10:11).

 

The psalmist then makes his request to the Lord by asking Him to rise and lift up His hand. He asks the Lord not to forget the humble (Psalm 10:12). He then asks why the wicked renounce God and say in their hearts they will not be required to give an account of their actions (Psalm 10:13).

 

The psalmist finally finds resolution in knowing the Lord sees his trouble and grief with the Lord repaying the wicked by His hand. The helpless can commit himself to the Lord with the Lord the helper of the fatherless (Psalm 10:14). He asks the Lord to break the arm of the wicked and evil man and seek out his wickedness till none remains (Psalm 10:15). The psalmist declares the Lord is King forever and ever with the nations perishing out of His land (Psalm 10:16). The Lord has heard the desires of the humble with the Lord preparing their hearts and causing His ear to hear (Psalm 10:17). The Lord will bring justice to the fatherless and the oppressed so the men of the earth can no longer oppress (Psalm 10:18).

 

The psalmist can only see what is happening around him at present, and it seems the Lord is far off and hiding, with the wicked prospering. However, the psalm ends with the psalmist asking the Lord to arise, with the Lord hearing the desire of the humble and bringing justice. The psalm has three parts, the first of which is a lament at the seeming prosperity of the wicked, with God appearing uninterested in the plight of the humble (Psalm 10:1-11). The psalmist then begins to shift gears from his lament to requesting the intervention of the Lord in aiding the humble and innocent (Psalm 10:12-13). In the third section of the Psalm, the psalmist acknowledges the Lord is not far off but aware of their troubles and intends to bring justice, ending the oppression against the poor and humble (Psalm 10:14-18).

 

Trouble in the world should not come as a surprise to a believer because it is something Jesus warned us about (John 16:33). The application of Psalm 10 in our lives is the provision of a pattern for praying when it appears the wicked are prospering in the world by first acknowledging our situation (Psalm 10:1-11). Although this may seem like a wasted step since God knows all and is aware of our situation, God wants us to open the lines of communication with Him by sharing our feelings about our situation with Him. After making our request to God, God also wants to hear us offer Him praise and thanks for what He is about to do. Granted, He has not done anything yet, but He wants to hear our confidence in Him to triumph over the evil brought against us. This is a confession of faith which is needed to please God (Hebrews 11:6). This is a process of reflection, request, and resolution.

 

We can apply this process to one becoming a fully devoted disciple of Christ,

1)      Reflection that we are sinners and need to repent of our sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23).

2)      Request by asking God to forgive us for our sins and acknowledge our heartfelt belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 John 1:9, Romans 10:9-10).

3)      Resolution by equipping ourselves with knowledge of God's Word (Psalm 119:105), allowing the Holy Spirit to empower our lives by living a spirit-led life (Acts 1:8), and encouragement through regular fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25)

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict and bless everyone reading this post.