Tuesday, October 13

Can we have faith that God will deliver this world from evil -- that he will uphold justice and break the wicked? In today's lectionary reading (Psalms 5, 10 and 11) King David is dealing with some unrighteous, faithless beasts in Israel, and he uses the crisis to show his faith. Psalm 10, especially, gives a clear description of the qualities of a wicked man. First, we are told the wicked man denies God's existence, although his words change in later verses to acknowledge God exists, though he believes Him to be ignorant and blind. The wicked also "boasts of the desires of his soul," and thus is a slave to the world (v. 3). Lastly, we learn of the incredible arrogance of an evil man: "He says in his heart, 'I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity" (v. 6). What is the result of this man's boasting and arrogance? "His ways prosper at all times" (v. 5). Isn't this unusual? The Lord, who is righteous and just, according to David, allows wicked people to prosper, even at the expense of God's fearful followers. This is the No. 1 reason non-believers give when asked why they have no faith: "How can a righteous and merciful God allow suffering and evil in this world?" In these Psalms, David gives us a definitive answer: "For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and evil man" (Psalm 5:4-6). Evil and wickedness are the results of a fallen earth, but David says there is still justice to be had. The Lord tolerates the wicked only for so long, then he delivers his verdict on the spiteful and arrogant evildoers. We need to look at David as a pillar of faith, who believed strongly in the Lord's righteous judgment. Even in the face of continuous evil, David got on his knees and acknowledged the Lord's ability to bring justice. We are called to develop the same level of faith.