An exposition of Psalm 10:1-18. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 3, 2013.
Intro:
Do you ever get angered by what you see happening around you? Do you ever find yourself frustrated by the success of “wicked” people? Does it bother you when those who use and abuse the name of God seem to prosper and never suffer any consequence for their actions? I do! Do you ever find yourself thinking, “God, what in the world are you doing? Where are you – are you unaware of what’s happening here?”
Have you ever felt that? Come on, you can be honest – it’s just us talking. Of course you have. And you are not alone.
The children of Israel felt it when they were enslaved in Egypt.
The prophet Habakkuk felt it in his day.
If you’ve ever been frustrated, discouraged or outraged by what seemed to you to be a great injustice – Psalm 10 is for you. Here the Psalmist asks God why he is content to stay on the sideline and not get into the game. He wants to know why the wicked continue to prosper. And why nothing is done to curb their activity.
Text: Psalm 10:1-18
This is what is so refreshing to me about the Psalms.
They are real – they have the feel and touch of humanity about them.
They were not written in an ivory tower – far removed from real life.
They were written in the trenches – in the heat of battle.
Real people, expressing real emotion about real circumstances.
One of the things I find comforting about the Psalms is that they remind me it is okay to be angry. It is okay to question and to wonder. That God is big enough to handle my tantrums, my hurts and my shortsightedness.
I read the Psalms and I see people of faith expressing what I have felt but was afraid to acknowledge. And I found that as they expressed it they worked through it and by the time they finished they were affirming God’s power, grace and glory.
As we explore the 10th Psalm we find three sections. First there is an unflattering portrayal of the wicked. Then we sense a perplexing problem and finally a comforting reassurance.
- An Unflattering Portrayal. (10:2-11)
- A Perplexing Problem
- A Comforting Assurance. (10:12-18)
Conclusion:
Having acknowledge his pain and expressed his hurt and confusion the Psalmist ends by expressing his confidence in both the grace and the justice of God. And we learn this valuable insight from Psalm 10:
Thesis: When confronted with difficult or conflicting appearances – the believer must see reality through the eyes of faith.