442_God the helper of the fatherless

Psalm 10 Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
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.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
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.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.

16 The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
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.

A few years ago, a little boy named Sam stood in the hallway of a crowded courtroom in a foster care building, clutching a worn-out teddy bear. He was just six years old. He had been abused, neglected, and abandoned. That day, a decision was to be made—would he be sent back to a home that had failed him, or would someone finally intervene on his behalf?

A volunteer advocate, a kind woman in her late fifties, bent down and said to him, “Don’t worry, Sam. I’m here to speak up for you.” For the first time in a long while, he felt some hope. Later that day, the judge gave him into the care of a foster family that had been waiting to welcome him. As they walked out together, the advocate said something Sam never forgot: “Even when it feels like no one sees, God sees. And He cares.”

Psalm 10 is a cry for justice, for the intervention of God who is king. It begins with a common question that arises when Heaven seems silent and evil thrives, while the helpless suffer: “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

Yet this is no atheist, but a man of faith who looks to God to make sense of his world. Knowing that God exists, he wonders why he does not act. Beyond the suffering of the trouble itself is the hurt of missing the presence of God.

The wicked, meanwhile, are proud, oppressive, and utterly confident that they are impregnable. They chase down the poor, boast about their evil desires, and mock God Himself, in utter security. “He says in his heart, ‘I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.’” Their bodies are tools of evil. They curse, deceive, oppress, watch for their prey, and crush the weak. “God has forgotten,” they say in their hearts. “He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”There is no fear of God before their eyes, no accountability in their minds.

But Scripture reminds us:“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3). “His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves” (Job 34:21–22). God is not blind nor forgetful.

This is why the man of God pleads, verses 12 and 13: “Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.” He knows that God is just and will call each person to account for his words and deeds. His comfort lies in his knowledge that even if the wicked do not change, God will judge the world in righteousness.

And this confidence is reflected in verse 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.”

Beyond the poetic language, this reveals the nature of the Holy One. God shows Himself as the Defender of the defenseless, the Father to the fatherless, the Judge who rights every wrong, Psalm 68:5 This is His holiness.

And therefore, the psalm ends in calm reaffirmation of God’s sovereignty: “The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.” Confusion and sorrow turn to hope and certainty. God reigns, and he will do justice. Man, who is of the earth, a creature of dust, a frail mortal, should not, and cannot strike terror in the hearts of the righteous. For their cries are heard and heeded by God, who judges their oppressors with impartiality. He is enthroned forever.

When we suffer pain or feel abandoned, our faith is in the truth, loving kindness and justice of God. He may seem silent at times, but He is never absent. Trust His heart when you cannot trace His hand.

When we live in comfort, let us reflect his kindness and mercy to the weak and helpless. Let us speak for those in our communities, churches, and streets who need to be spoken for. Let them know, through us, that God has not forgotten them. Volunteer, encourage, advocate.

And let us rest in God’s justice. Let us leave matters to him. Let us wait patiently, trust deeply, and hold fast to His promises. For God is on the throne, and his kingdom rules over all. He is still near to all who call on him in truth. God bless.