The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.
A [a]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord [b]concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
7 O Lord my God, in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,
2 Or he will tear [c]my soul like a lion,
[d]Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is injustice in my hands,
4 If I have rewarded evil to [e]my friend,
Or have plundered [f]him who without cause was my adversary,
5 Let the enemy pursue [g]my soul and overtake [h]it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. [i]Selah.6 Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
Lift up Yourself against the rage of my adversaries,
And arouse Yourself [j]for me; You have appointed judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the peoples encompass You,
And over [k]them return on high.
8 The Lord judges the peoples;
[l]Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous;
For the righteous God tries the hearts and [m]minds.
10 My shield is [n]with God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
And a God who has indignation every day.12 If [o]a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;
He has bent His bow and [p]made it ready.
13 He has also prepared [q]for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His mischief will return upon his own head,
And his violence will descend upon [r]his own pate.17 I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
As we go through life, we know that Jesus has promised us trials. Yet in the midst of all that happens in this life, sometimes we are afflicted by people who are just plain committed to wickedness. Like David in verse 8, we might be wondering, why does God let them keep on going? Why doesn’t He bring judgment and allow the “righteous” to live in peace?
Well, first of all, we’re probably not as righteous as we think. God uses the wicked, despite their aversion to his influence, to sand off (or even chip off) the rough edges in our lives, as we continue to pursue Him. It’d be terribly difficult to improve our character if all the bad things stopped happening, and we just lived in peace and comfort.
Secondly, it’s a good thing we aren’t judge and jury, for God is “abounding in mercy”. Not just to those we think are deserving, but only God knows what it takes to rescue such a hard heart as those we consider evil or wicked. Only He knows if that is even still possible for someone, and so sometimes He allows them to live that one day they might be redeemed and show his glory all the better for the miracle of his salvation.
And lastly, we will all give an account for our deeds, whether good or evil, and God will make no exceptions. So don’t fret, because God has the end in view, even when we think our situation is interminable. Sadly, the wicked will one day be separated from Him unless they turn from their own selfish ways. Instead of wishing an end upon them, let God move our hearts to compassion, and pray constantly for everyone who is lost, for to rescue them is His heart.