Psalm 10 "But You Do See"

Psalm 10:3-4, 11-14, 17-18 

¹ Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?
    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?...

³ For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
    and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
⁴ In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
    all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”…
¹¹ He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

¹² Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
    forget not the afflicted.
¹³ Why does the wicked renounce God
    and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
¹⁴ 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.

¹⁷ O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
¹⁸ to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
    so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Comments:

When I began meditating on this psalm, after the obviously honest and blunt questions with which this psalm begins (remember that this is most likely the second half of Psalm 9’s acrostic structure), I was struck with an interesting perspective on God’s ability/choice to hear and see what is going on in the world. David knew something about God’s heart and character but was perplexed by the appearance of inattention or inaction. Honestly, we all ask these kinds of questions, don’t we?

Yet, though David knew God’s heart and faithfulness his question, while not wrong to ask, shows that his perspective had been influenced by the views of the wicked around him who boasted of their wicked desires because God doesn't hear (v.3), who preyed on the helpless because surly God doesn't see the horrible things they do to others (v.11). Ultimately they believe “there is no God” (v.4).

While David’s question had come to reflect something of this worldly perspective, he snaps out of it and returns to a position of full trust, declaring with the certainty of faith, “you do see” (v.14) and “you do hear” (v. 17)! This is what is supposed to happen when we read the psalms! We are pressed by circumstances to be honest with God and then as we seek God’s answer we more fully understand God’s character and it produces a renewed level of trust in our hearts that supersedes our circumstances. 

The change in the psalmist here in Psalm 10 happens in the prayer of verse 12.

“Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; 

forget not the afflicted.”

The question of the day for you the reader is…

What was it about this cry “Arise, O Lord…” that prompted the psalmist to move forward into such bold declarations of trust?

I could just tell you but it wouldn't be as fun!