Psalm 10 is thought to have probably been written by David. I can easily imagine him crying out these things – these very human emotions -- in anguish. I suspect that we all have had times of similar feelings. It’s weird for me to think sometimes about Old Testament writings such as this. This is where my lack of theological training really kicks in. The laments said by David seem very human and, like I said, they are probably things we have all felt or said at various times. David, of course, wrote these words long before Jesus’ teachings and the Pentecost. I’d have to research to know for certain but I guess a couple of thousand of years before. Would these sorts of feelings have been more natural to come to David than they would be to today’s Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit? The Spirit in us should win out over (prevent us from having) these feelings, but David didn’t have the benefit of that, did he? That sort of stuff starts to make my head spin if I think too much about it. We have someone in our small group who is really "up" on things like this and can speak well about the differences between OT mindsets and times after Pentecost. I really admire that. Some of the authors I have read recently, like Scott McKnight and Rob Bell, have huge grasps of Judaism and OT times and that is part of what makes their writing so fascinating to me.

1 O Lord, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3 For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.

4 The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
5 Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They sneer at all their enemies.
6 They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!”

7 Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.
Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8 They lurk in ambush in the villages,
waiting to murder innocent people.
They are always searching for helpless victims.
9 Like lions crouched in hiding,
they wait to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture the helpless
and drag them away in nets.
10 Their helpless victims are crushed;
they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11 The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!
He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”

12 Arise, O Lord!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not ignore the helpless!
13 Why do the wicked get away with despising God?
They think, “God will never call us to account.”
14 But you see the trouble and grief they cause.
You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
You defend the orphans.

15 Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever!
The godless nations will vanish from the land.
17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so mere people can no longer terrify them.