An Appeal For Vengeance

The pastor told me about a farmer in his congregation who had frequently been pestered by a carload of young folks – young folks who delighted in sneaking over his orchard fence and playing havoc with his apples without asking permission. Eventually, the farmer caught the youngs … More

Vengeance

The end of this chapter is an Appeal for Vengeance (10:12-18). Making an earnest cry for vengeance, the psalmist called on God to arise and help the helpless (v. 9). One reason for this request is that the wicked should not be allowed to despise God (v. 3) and to think he can get away with his actions.

The last half of this Psalm is a call to action. He calls on God to arise and help the helpless (v. 12). The wicked person despises God and says that he does not care (v. 13). However God does hear what the ungodly say and does not approve of their pride and rebellion. The writer reminds the reader that God sees everything (v. 14). He sees the trouble of His people, feels their grief, and helps them in the right way in the right time. The wicked should not be allowed to think he can get away with his actions. He specifically requests that God punish the wicked (v. 15). The Lord will be king forever (v. 16).

This psalm closes with an expression of confidence that the writer’s prayer has been heard (vv. 17-18). His faith is in the fact that God defends the needy against the tyranny of the wicked. God sees and takes note of each evil deed, encourages us, and listens to our cries (v. 17). He is always with us. We can face the wicked because we do not face them alone. God is by our side. We can even bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them (v. 18).   

Application

No matter what someone may do to me I should never seek revenge. God sees everything and He will take care of everything in the right way at the right time. We never help the situation by trying to get even.

Psalms 10:12-18 (English Standard Version)


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