HE LIETH IN WAIT SECRETLY AS A LION IN HIS DEN

The opening lines of Psalm 10 lament the wicked person’s oppression of the poor and call upon God to intervene on behalf of these defenceless victims. Sadly, this type of complaint is familiar to modern readers. The contemporary world is suffused with violence, characterized by the domination of the weak by the strong. Such callous behaviour stems from their disbelief in God, v. 4. They think that He is aloof from earth’s affairs and will not intervene to thwart their crimes, vv. 5, 11. Accordingly, the psalmist cries out for the Lord to judge the wicked and vindicate the humble, vv. 12, 14-18.

The wiles of the wicked resemble the insidious strategy of lions, waiting to pounce on their unwitting victims, v. 9. With the vicious tactics of seasoned predators, they ‘wait secretly … to catch the poor’, v. 9. Covertly observing their quarry, they bide their time until a weakness is perceived. When the intended vic­tim reveals a vulnerable point, they swiftly attack, devouring their helpless prey. Ferocity and stealth combine to destroy the ‘innocent’ and spread oppression on the earth, v. 8.

Contrary to the mistaken notions of evil men, the Lord is fully aware of what happens in this world. Verse 14 notes God’s awareness in this manner, ‘But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless’ ESV. The weak and unprotected rightly turn to Him for aid, for He cares and acts to deliver them from the wicked. The psalm culminates with a celebration of His vindi­cating ministry, ‘Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress’, vv. 17, 18. These promises exult in God’s perfect justice which will punish evil­doers and exalt the humble. This divine attribute will find its ultimate expression in this fallen world during the future mil­lennial reign of Christ, Rev. 2. 27. Sin will be swiftly judged and the wicked will be put down.