Psalms 10:1-18: a reflection

1Why do you stand far off, LORD? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise. 3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns the LORD. 4The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God. 5His ways are prosperous at all times. He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them. 6He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.” 7His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity. 8He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless. 9He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net. 10The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength. 11He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.” 12Arise, LORD! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the helpless. 13Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account”? 14But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless. 15Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none. 16The LORD is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land. 17LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear, 18to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.

When God seems to stand far off while the wicked oppress the helpless and boast that God does not see, the psalmist cries out, and holds to the truth that God does see and will act for the oppressed. Why do you stand far off, LORD, the psalm begins; why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? The wicked hunt down the weak and say in their hearts, God has forgotten; he will never see it. But the psalmist answers: you do see trouble and grief; you help the victim and the fatherless. The psalm is honest about how things can seem: God appears far off, the wicked seem to prosper and oppress the helpless unpunished, boasting that God does not see or care. Yet the psalmist does not finally believe the wicked's lie; he holds to the truth that God does see the trouble of the oppressed and will act, helping the victim and the fatherless. This shows that God sees the trouble of the oppressed and will act, even when he seems far off. God sees the trouble of the oppressed, even when he seems far off. The wicked's claim that God does not see is a lie. God has not forgotten the helpless, but will act for them. Cry to God, who sees the oppressed and will help.

Notice the tension in this psalm, and where it settles. First, it is honest about how things can seem. God appears to stand far off, hidden in times of trouble; the wicked seem to prosper, hunting down the weak, oppressing the helpless, boasting in their hearts that God has forgotten, that he hides his face and will never see. To the eye, the oppressed suffer and the wicked go unpunished, and God seems absent. This is a real and honest cry. But the psalm does not stop there, and does not finally accept the wicked's lie. The psalmist answers: but you do see trouble and grief; you consider it, to take it into your hand; you help the victim and the fatherless. And he cries out: arise, LORD; do not forget the helpless. He holds to the truth that God does see, has not forgotten, and will act for the oppressed. This holds a comfort for those who feel oppressed and unseen. There are times when it seems God stands far off, when the wicked seem to prosper and oppress unpunished, when we feel God has forgotten the helpless and does not see. In such times, the wicked's lie, that God does not see or care, can seem almost true. But the psalm calls us to hold, against how things seem, to the truth: God does see the trouble of the oppressed; he has not forgotten the helpless; he will act for the victim and the fatherless. God's seeming absence is not his real absence; his seeming forgetfulness is not real. He sees, and will act. We do well, when we feel oppressed and unseen, to cry out to God and hold to the truth that he sees the oppressed and will act for them. When God seems far off and the wicked prosper, hold to the truth that God sees. The wicked's claim that God does not see is a lie; God has not forgotten. God sees the trouble of the oppressed and will act for the helpless. Cry out to God, who sees and helps the victim and the fatherless.

That is worth taking to heart, for God sees the trouble of the oppressed and will act, even when he seems far off, and we do well to hold to this, as the psalmist did against the wicked's lie. We can feel God stands far off while the wicked prosper unseen; but the psalmist held that God does see, has not forgotten, and will help the victim and the fatherless. God sees. When you feel oppressed and unseen, and God seems far off, do not believe the lie that he does not see; cry out to him, and hold to the truth that he sees the oppressed and will act. When God seems far off and the wicked seem to prosper and oppress the helpless unpunished, cry out to him and hold to the truth that he sees the trouble of the oppressed and will act for them, as the psalmist cried why God stood far off and hid himself in times of trouble while the wicked hunted the weak and said God had forgotten and would never see, yet answered that God does see trouble and grief and helps the victim and the fatherless; for the psalm is honest about how things can seem, that God appears far off and the wicked seem to prosper and oppress unpunished, boasting that God does not see or care, yet the psalmist does not finally believe the wicked's lie but holds to the truth that God does see the trouble of the oppressed and will act, which holds a comfort for those who feel oppressed and unseen, since there are times when it seems God stands far off and the wicked prosper unpunished and we feel God has forgotten the helpless and does not see, and in such times the wicked's lie that God does not see can seem almost true, but the psalm calls us to hold against how things seem to the truth that God does see the trouble of the oppressed and has not forgotten the helpless and will act for the victim and the fatherless, his seeming absence not being his real absence, so that we do well when we feel oppressed and unseen to cry out to God and hold to the truth that he sees and will act.

Lord, when you seem to stand far off while the wicked oppress the helpless and boast that you do not see, the psalmist cries out, and holds to the truth that you do see and will act for the oppressed. Why do you stand far off, LORD, the psalm begins; why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? The wicked hunt down the weak and say in their hearts, God has forgotten; he will never see it. But the psalmist answers: you do see trouble and grief; you help the victim and the fatherless. The psalm is honest about how things can seem: you appear far off, the wicked seem to prosper and oppress the helpless unpunished, boasting that you do not see or care. Yet the psalmist does not finally believe the wicked's lie; he holds to the truth that you do see the trouble of the oppressed and will act. Show me the tension in this psalm, and where it settles. First, it is honest about how things can seem. You appear to stand far off, hidden in times of trouble; the wicked seem to prosper, oppressing the helpless, boasting that you have forgotten and will never see. To the eye, the oppressed suffer and the wicked go unpunished, and you seem absent. This is a real and honest cry. But the psalm does not stop there, and does not finally accept the wicked's lie. The psalmist answers: but you do see trouble and grief; you help the victim and the fatherless. And he cries out: arise, LORD; do not forget the helpless. He holds to the truth that you do see, have not forgotten, and will act. This holds a comfort for me when I feel oppressed and unseen. There are times when it seems you stand far off, when the wicked seem to prosper unpunished, when I feel you have forgotten the helpless and do not see. In such times, the lie that you do not see or care can seem almost true. But the psalm calls me to hold, against how things seem, to the truth: you do see the trouble of the oppressed; you have not forgotten the helpless; you will act for the victim and the fatherless. Your seeming absence is not your real absence. Take that to my heart. When I feel oppressed and unseen, and you seem far off, keep me from believing the lie that you do not see; help me cry out to you, Lord, and hold to the truth that you see the trouble of the oppressed and will act for the helpless, for you have not forgotten.