Today we look at the world around us as it is easy to wonder with the Psalmist why the wicked seem to prosper so much. We question God’s justice when we see the corrupt gain influence, power, and wealth. We wonder about God’s omniscience when we see the poor and powerless constantly cowed at the hands of the powerful. And when we don’t know what words to use in our prayers, when we don’t even know how to address God in His seeming absence, the Psalms give us words.
Psalm 10 is a cry of lament for the injustice of the world. While it seems like the minority, whether in race, gender, or any other category, is finally finding a voice through movements like #MeToo, the reality is that injustice continues to not only exist but increase. To paraphrase my son last night, we live in a society where our protests feel like just so much rage at a corrupt system and accomplish nothing of lasting worth, but to NOT protest is morally irresponsible.
The good news is that we are in a place to truly rediscover the power of the Psalms. Rather than a nice set of memorized lyrics, the Psalms give voice to situations where we have lost our words. “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” the Psalmist asks, and we along with him. When we can’t run away from it for fear of being caught up in it, when we find ourselves angry at God and at the unjust of this world, then we can find solace in the Psalms. And not just in knowing that “there is nothing new under the sun” and that the same issue we face today have been faced for millennia, but to know that David, “a man after God’s own heart” shared his frustration, fear, and anger publicly and allows us to do the same with him.
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