Is there true justice on the earth? It can often seem that those who delight in wickedness are above the law and are victorious over those who pursue righteousness in God. In witnessing these things, we can lament and agree with the Psalmists, “For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. (5) They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. (6) Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. (7) Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. (8) They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. (9) They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. (10) Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. (11) And they say, ‘How can God know? Is there knowledge of the Most High? (12) Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches” (Ps 73:4-12). This is the same question the psalmist of our focus text is wrestling with. He sees lawlessness all around unabated by God, thus he inquires, “Why, O Lord, do you stand afar off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Like the Psalmist (in Ch 73), he begins to describe to the power the wicked yield in the earth:
- They devise evil schemes to overtake and oppress the helpless.
- Their mouths give a boastful voice to the evil desires in their hearts. In their greed, they curse the Lord of Heaven.
- They appear to prosper in their evil endeavors.
- In pride, they believe that nothing can stop them. They are lifted up in the hearts like their father, Satan (cf. Isa 14:12-14).
- Their mouths are like poisonous asps, filled with the venom of cursing, deceit, mischief, and iniquity.
- They believe God does not see what they do.
To this Psalmist, God appears to be disinterested in the plight of the oppressed. While thousands of years have passed since these writings were authored, humanity’s enmity towards God and our bent towards self-destruction has not changed. On the contrary, we have grown more degenerate (like birth pangs) as we move closer to the return of Jesus. In society where secularism and humanistic ideals are championed and worshipped resulting in lawlessness and violence increases in the land……..where those of us who hold fast to the witness and testimony of Jesus are being shouted down in public discourse and being driven out of the public square of life………….we must all wonder (sometimes) as God people………..where is God? Next week, we’ll survey the last half of this Psalm (v12-18) and explore how God deals with wickedness on the earth. For now, we need to encourage ourselves and one another with these two truths this week:
God sees all. Nothing is hidden from the sight of God. Solomon observes, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Prv 15:3, cf. Heb 4:13). God is Omni-present. Further, he has reason for everything he does AND does not do. God is never late, nor is he ever early, but always on time, especially concerning his patience in dealing with sinners. Solomon adds, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc 12:14). Remember, God is not like you and I. He bears longs with sinners desiring all to come into the knowledge unto salvation in his son Jesus Christ.
God grieves over the suffering of his people. God does not take the oppression of his people at the hands of the wicked lightly. For every hair on our heads are numbered by God (Lk 12:7). God is so intimately aware of our suffering, he keeps a record of every tear we cry. David says it this way of God, “You have kept count of my tossing; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Ps 56:8). Even in death, we are precious in the sight of God.
Because of these two truths, we must trust in the sovereignty and providence of God. In his timing crooked roads will be made straight, and rough paths smooth. We must trust that even with evils he allows to impact lives, he is using it for our good and his glory. Let us pray and meditate over this closing scripture:
Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Amen.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com