Bible Soap

Scripture:

Psalm 94:3-9

How long will the wicked, O LORD,
how long will the wicked be jubilant?

They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers are full of boasting.

They crush your people, O LORD;
they oppress your inheritance.

They slay the widow and the alien;
they murder the fatherless.

They say, “The LORD does not see;
the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

Take heed, you senseless ones among the people;
you fools, when will you become wise?

Does he who implanted the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?

Observation:

It was the last verse of this section that stopped me as I was reading today – I just liked the psalmist’s use of irony! So it got me thinking properly about what he’s writing about (yes, I confess that sometimes I can read the Bible fairly superficially, and still expect it to feed my spirit – not sure why, but sometimes God just does it anyway!) – people, referred to as ‘wicked’, who think they can just get on with their lives and do what they want because God doesn’t see or hear them. Who are ‘the wicked’? It’s a question one can ask oneself when reading pretty much any Psalm, as they are mentioned on a regular basis. Well, in this section here, it’s people who are arrogant, who boast, who oppress believers, who don’t care about the vulnerable in the world, and who deny God’s existence.

Application:

When you think about it this way, it’s pretty clear how relevant this Psalm is to modern life in the West. Ask yourself these questions – do I know people who think they’re the best thing around (and most of us do at some point)? Do I know people who make fun of Christians (just watch any comedy show on TV for evidence)? Do I know of situations where the most vulnerable people in the world are being exploited by those with more power? Do I know people who deny that God exists? When you go through these, it’s easy to see that ‘the wicked’ referred to by the psalmist are not a special breed of horrific people, but just those who don’t live God’s way – the darkness that Jesus’ light came to break into. We all have ‘the wicked’ around us, and need to pray for wisdom and enlightenment for them, as the psalmist (kind of) does.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to see the need for Jesus in people’s lives more acutely, and pray effectively for those I know and love who aren’t going your way. Also, help me not to slip into the habits and characteristics described as ‘wicked’ in this psalm.