Psalm 10
v.1
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
v.3-4
He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. 4In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
The evil man’s hatred for the godly expresses a total disregard for the Lord and his commandments. He is filled with self. The wicked “boasts” that whatever he desires, he can accomplish by his scheming. This greedy man has no regard for God or for his commandments. He “praises” himself but spurns the covenant God. His goal in life is a purposeful avoidance of God. He is not an athiest, but instead he has conveniently chosen to live without God. The rejection of the Lord is evident from the greedy man’s warped sense of justice and concern (v.5), his false confidence (v.6), his foul language (v.7), his perverse acts (vv.8-10), and his utter disregard of accountability to God (v.11).
v.5
His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies.
Success may crown injustice. The prosperity of the godly (1:3) is guaranteed by God, but the wicked make every effort to take their share. They flaunt the “judgements” (“laws”) of God. Because has not yet come in judgement, the wicked become more brazen in their selfish, despotic rule. They have contempt for any who get in their way and count them as their “enemies” (cf. Mal 1:13).
v.6
He says to himself, “Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.”
In their prosperity the wicked presumptuously take to themselves the privileges of the righteous—those whom God has promised will not be moved. The wicked do not need God. Moreover, they are “happy” with themselves. In their pride they may live without a sense of accountability, for they do not expect retribution. Moreover, they take measures never to experience “trouble” as they autonomously attempt to avoid God’s righteous judgement.
v.7
His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.
v.12
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
v.14
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
v.17-18
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
God’s kingship was revealed to Israel (Ex 15:18) and came to expression in Israel. Because God is faithful to the covenant, he has promised to judge the needy. “The fatherless and the oppressed” is a reference to the class of people who were most easily wronged but were protected by God’s law (Ex 22:22-24; Dt 10:18; 16:11, 14). God gives the needy what they desire by stopping the region of terror by those who act like gods. The idiom “who is of the earth” expresses the weakness of humankind.