CRY OF THE OPPRESSED Meditations in the Psalms (Psalm 10)
“Why standest Thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1) -- “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace, to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Who is contradicting who here? As always it is we who contradict God. Like the psalmist our faith sometimes becomes impaired, “If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim.2:13). The presence of God is the joy of His people; any suspicion of His absence is terribly frightening. Remember the Lord is near, the Refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when His gold is in the fire (Daniel 3:12-27, Mal. 3:2-3). Where was He when the storm began; keeping watch (Mark 6:45-52): where was He when the storm was at its worse; in the midst of the oppressed. It is not the trouble one finds themselves in, but the hiding of God’s face that terrifies the believer. Why would He allow it to appear that He has deserted us (I Pet.1:6-7)? – To test our faith. Reading verses 2-11 of our Psalm we find our oppressor to be the world, sin, Satan, and the flesh, all rolled up into one; teamed together to do us in. That is why we MUST stay near Christ; we are no match. Our enemy is a proud one; remember pride goes before destruction, how we must guard against this mischief called pride and humble ourselves before the Lord, “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: a proud look” (Pro.6:16; 1:2; 13:10; 16:18; 21:24; 29:23). Our enemy can not be trusted (7-10); our hearts are self deceived, the greatest deceiver in this world is a man’s heart, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer.17:9) Away oh little faith, “Arise O Lord; O God lift up thine hand” (verse 12); we find that in this cry faith’s former impairment seems somewhat removed; when this happens faith becomes more bold when it lays hold of its God. Note the boldness of faith’s language, yet we see unbelief mingled with it, “forget not the humble”, as if He could, “Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15). I care not how strong a man’s faith may seem, there is always the stain of unbelief mixed with it. Verses 13-15 our enemies mischief does not go unnoticed, “Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, ‘You will not require an account.’” How sadly mistaken! “But You have seen!” As consequence of divine omniscience the oppressed may joyfully anticipate the day of reckoning verses 16-18. Payday someday! Remember Ahab and Naboth’s Vineyard (I Kings 21:1-16), while God sometimes seems silent in the midst of suffering; He is neither unaware nor uncaring. ~~Terry Worthan, 1938-2022
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