Psalms 94:1-16: a reflection

1LORD, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine out. 2Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve. 3LORD, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph? 4They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast. 5They break your people in pieces, LORD, and afflict your heritage. 6They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless. 7They say, “The LORD will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider.” 8Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise? 9He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see? 10He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows. 11The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. 12Blessed is the man whom you discipline, LORD, and teach out of your law, 13that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. 14For the LORD won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. 15For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it. 16Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?

The psalmist confronts the wicked who oppress the innocent while telling themselves that God neither sees nor cares. They say, the LORD will not see, the psalm reports, neither will Jacob's God consider. But the psalmist answers this folly with a piercing rhetorical question: He who implanted the ear, won't he hear? He who formed the eye, won't he see? The very God who made the ear surely hears; the God who formed the eye surely sees. The wicked deceive themselves in thinking they act unseen, that God does not notice their oppression; but the God who gave us our capacities to see and hear is not himself blind or deaf. Nothing is done unseen by the God who made the eye; nothing is unheard by the God who made the ear. To imagine that God does not see our deeds is a foolish self-deception; the Maker of sight and hearing sees and hears all. God who made the eye and ear sees and hears everything, though some act as if he does not.

Notice the psalmist's answer to those who think God does not see: he who formed the eye, does he not see? The wicked told themselves that God would not notice their oppression, that they acted unseen. But the psalmist exposes the folly: the God who made the ear surely hears, and the God who formed the eye surely sees. It is absurd to think that the Maker of our capacity to see and hear is himself blind and deaf. God sees all our deeds; nothing is hidden from him, nothing done unnoticed. Those who imagine they act unseen by God deceive themselves; he who gave us eyes and ears is not without sight and hearing of his own. This is sobering for the wicked, who think they escape notice; and it is also a comfort for the oppressed, who may feel their suffering goes unseen. God sees and hears all: the wrongs done in secret, and the sufferings borne unnoticed. Nothing escapes the notice of the God who made the eye and the ear. He sees what is done and what is suffered; nothing is hidden from him. God who made our sight and hearing sees and hears all.

That is worth taking to heart, for God who made the eye and the ear sees and hears everything, though some act as if he does not. We, or others, can act as though God does not see our deeds, imagining we escape his notice; but the God who formed the eye surely sees, and the God who made the ear surely hears. Nothing is done unseen by him. This is sobering for wrongdoing done in supposed secret, and comforting for suffering borne unnoticed; God sees and hears it all. Do not imagine that God does not see your deeds, or that any wrong or suffering escapes his notice; he who made the eye and ear sees and hears all. Remember that God, who made the eye and the ear, sees and hears everything, though some act as though he does not, as the psalmist answered those who said the LORD will not see by asking whether he who formed the eye does not see; for it is a foolish self-deception to think we act unseen by God, since the Maker of our sight and hearing is not himself blind or deaf, but sees every deed done in supposed secret and hears every suffering borne unnoticed, so that nothing escapes the notice of the God who made the eye and the ear, which is sobering for the wrongdoer and comforting for the oppressed.

Lord, the psalmist confronts the wicked who oppress the innocent while telling themselves that you neither see nor care. They say, the LORD will not see, the psalm reports, neither will Jacob's God consider. But the psalmist answers this folly with a piercing question: he who implanted the ear, won't he hear? He who formed the eye, won't he see? The very God who made the ear surely hears; the God who formed the eye surely sees. The wicked deceive themselves in thinking they act unseen, that you do not notice their oppression; but you, who gave us our capacities to see and hear, are not yourself blind or deaf. Nothing is done unseen by you who made the eye. Show me the psalmist's answer to those who think you do not see: he who formed the eye, does he not see? The wicked told themselves that you would not notice their oppression. But the psalmist exposes the folly: you who made the ear surely hear, and you who formed the eye surely see. It is absurd to think that the Maker of our capacity to see and hear is himself blind and deaf. You see all our deeds; nothing is hidden from you. This is sobering for the wicked, who think they escape notice; and comforting for the oppressed, who may feel their suffering goes unseen. You see and hear all. Take that to my heart, for you who made the eye and the ear see and hear everything, though some act as if you do not. I, or others, can act as though you do not see, imagining we escape your notice; but you who formed the eye surely see. This is sobering for wrongdoing done in supposed secret, and comforting for suffering borne unnoticed. Keep me from imagining that you do not see my deeds, or that any wrong or suffering escapes your notice; help me remember that you, who made the eye and the ear, see and hear all, Lord, as the psalmist answered those who said the LORD will not see.