Snorters


Psalm 10
1Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Nothing ever happens by accident in the Kingdom of God. It is so interesting that we would have this Psalm at the end of a week where we have studied in horror the incredibly terrifying events described in Revelation 16. After reading those words we are now presented with the words of King David as He calls upon God to mete out His justice against those who oppress the people. David never read the Revelation. But his words indicate the exact same sentiments as God reveals in the Apocalypse of John.

Once again, I have spent the week with this Psalm, reading it every day to see what the Lord has for us. And every day I have come across the words of verse 5 with a smile. I believe that this is only time I have ever seen the word “puffs” in the Scripture. “... he puffs at them” made me chuckle the first time I read it. It means that the oppressor actually “snorts” at the people he is mistreating, so great is his arrogance. That kind of derision deserves the wrath of God.

I was so very taken by the image of verse 12. David asks the Lord to “lift up Your hand; forget not the afflicted.” David clearly places all of the down-trodden (probably including himself) into the category of people who are in need of the hand of God to help them. Those who recognize their own helplessness willingly place themselves into God’s all powerful, merciful hand. From that place of safety there is nothing to fear from those who would “snort” at your misfortune.

Finally the Psalm ends with some glorious words of comfort. God hears the desires of the afflicted; He strengthens our hearts; He inclines his ear toward His people to grant justice and we have nothing else to fear from those who would do us harm. Fantastic.

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