Notes on Psalm 10

 

(Psa 10:1) Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

Sometimes it just may seem as if the Lord is not hearing or answering prayer. There are times we so not understand when God seems far away. Yet, I wonder if those are the times when He is closer than we think. First of all, one thing we don't like to consider is that there may be unconfessed sin in our lives that hinder God's presence. If we have never repented of sin and came to Jesus Christ, we cannot expect an answer from God unless it is a prayer of repentance. If we have received Jesus Christ in our lives and it seems as if He is far away, it may be a time of testing to try our faith or it may be something we don't understand at the present time but will understand better later in life or when we see the Lord. There are times, however that we have allowed sin back into our lives and God is trying to wake us up and get us back into fellowship with Him.

Usually God uses the times when we read the word or listen to a message by the local pastor to speak to us about hidden sin but failing to listen to that, it may take something more drastic to get our attention. In some cases the local pastor is not where he ought to be with the Lord and he could not possibly hear anything God wanted him to say to the congregation. Everything that happens is not necessarily God trying to correct something wrong in our lives; sometimes Satan is allowed to tempt us for a season. No matter what the cause of the trouble, it is a time when we must hold onto faith and the word and be steadfast and unmovable. We must exercise faith and not depend on feelings. I believe the feelings will come eventually but we are not to depend on them.  The just shall live by his faith.

I heard a testimony in church just last night where something happened to an individual that I can relate to as a mother of five children. This dear lady went through a divorce with a bitter custody battle concerning 3 children. The lady spent all she had and some that she didn't have but the courts awarded custody to the father. The father had the most money and I'm guessing the courts were thinking of the one that could best support the children. If anything else was involved I do not know. But although her heart was torn into pieces, I see a joy on her face that is beyond anything I have ever witnessed on someone going through such a hard battle. She radiates with the love of God. She testifies of how God is sustaining her through all this pain. I don't know how this will turn out in the future but I do know that if she stays faithful to God, she will fair far greater than the husband if he is not faithful to God. I'm assuming he is not right with God since his reason for divorce was being involved with a younger woman. I am in no position to judge since I've never met the man but if he is the guilty party, the guilt he may suffer later in life will torment his soul if he does not repent. This I've seen happen to people. They do live to regret the pain they cause an innocent person. The whole bible consists of the law of reaping and sowing. The only thing that breaks that law is the mercy and grace of God that comes when we turn from sin and accept Jesus Christ as savior. That is the only thing that can cancel the debt for sin that we've done in our lifetime.

(Psa 10:2) The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

This has been the case for thousands of years but there is a day of retribution if the wicked do not repent. God will reward the innocent and those oppressed by the wicked but the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all who do not seek the Lord for forgiveness.

(Psa 10:3) For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

We see this everyday. We see greed, selfishness, covetousness and ungodly living. We see the wicked speaking against those that live righteous while commending those that live wickedly. They call evil good and good evil.

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

One example of this is the attitude the wicked have toward those that oppose abortion. They esteem the opposition as evil and think them selves as good for upholding the right of a woman to choose.

They are only justified in this assumption if the one who opposes of abortion use violence and harm those doing the abortions. We are never justified in taking a life whether unborn or born.

(Psa 10:4) The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Pride is the ingredient that hinders us to seeing and understanding the ways of God. Pride blocks the door and keeps truth from entering in our hearts. We must lay aside pride and humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and repent of sin. Pride sees self as good, humility sees self as in need of God.

(Psa 10:5) His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

(Psa 10:6) He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

(Psa 10:7) His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

We see the traits of the wicked here:

1. proud
2. mischievous
3. deceitful
4. unfair, grievous judgments
5. curses
6. vain

(Psa 10:8) He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

(Psa 10:9) He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

(Psa 10:10) He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

Here shows those that lie in wait to murder. In other countries this happens almost everyday. We hear in the news constantly about the murder of innocent.

In the United States our laws forbid this from happening at this present time but if it wasn't for the law, there would be those that would murder the innocent and those that stand for righteousness. I will add that the innocent unborn children are murdered in the United States.

(Psa 10:11) He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

How mistaken they are on this matter. God sees and knows all. Except we repent, we shall perish eternally.

Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

(Psa 10:12) Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

(Psa 10:13) Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

(Psa 10:14) Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

(Psa 10:15) Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

(Psa 10:16) The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

(Psa 10:17) LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

(Psa 10:18) To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

As surely as you sit there and read these words, Jesus will return and judge the earth with righteousness. He hears the cries of the innocent, he hears the cry of all that are oppressed and enslaved. He hears all the cries of the innocent that are slain for the word of God.

Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

It would have seemed to those on the earth at this time that the wicked would have gotten away with this crime of murder against these innocent souls but this is not the case.

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation tells more of the wrath of God and you can read it when you can but here is the reward of the faithful in Christ Jesus.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Rev 21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
Rev 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
Rev 21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
Rev 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Rev 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
Rev 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

There is more to that in Chapter 22.
Please read and understand.

Psalm 11