God is just. He's also thrifty in his dealings. Huh? Throughout history, he will often use the wicked to bring punishment on His people. I guess because they are handy/available. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, the Assyrians, the Egyptians made them slaves and treated them horribly... He takes care of/punishes the wicked as well once he has used them for His purpose. You know, "two birds, one stone." He hardened Pharoah's heart then sent plague after plague upon them until the ultimate blow of taking the first born from every family. He again showed His power and protection of His people when fickle Pharoah decided after He let the Israelites go that they might become too powerful so the army went after them. God split the sea allowing the Israelites through and bam, when the Egyptians are in the midst of the passage, the sea swallows them.
In this psalm, the Isaealites are being oppressed by the wicked. While the psalmist understands the use of discipline to correct His people, he is pleading for God to avenge His people now. The wicked are boasting and rejoicing in their terrible treatment of the Israelites and worse, they are mocking the Israelites' God because He is allowing it for the moment. They think He is incapable of doing anything because He cannot see or hear what they do and say.
The psalmist knows better. He knows God will eventually execute His judgement and His people will follow a path of righteousness afterwards. He knows this because verses 18 and 19 speak of the psalmist's own suffering and how God was his only consolation durig that time. Without relying on God, he would have slipped in his walk with God and been distracted.
Dr. Constable encourages believers to:
- commit he situation to God in prayer
- call on Him to judge righteously
- continue to trust and obey the Lord
I've tried it both ways...in my own power fix my circumstance and trusting God. God's got way better plans than my finite mind can even fathom. And to walk through a storm with Him brings a comfort no other human being can offer me. I am not pretending it is ever easy. Just a word of advice from a fellow journeyer. Trust the One who created the whole universe to be able to handle whatever you may be walking through...He is not only able, He WANTS you to give it to Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment