Evil pervades our society. The wicked are characterized by evil, and they do evil from a wicked heart. In the midst of all of this, we find hope in God. He is in control, and He will take action.
God lifts up His hand.
The psalmist pleads with God to intervene in the injustices he sees. This is a plea that judgment will be enacted on behalf of the poor and humble. This action is then reaffirmed in verse 18, stating that truly, yes, God will judge on behalf of “the fatherless and the oppressed.”
God sees mischief and spite and repays it.
Once again, the psalmist is reaffirming the fact that God will repay the wicked person for his actions. He will not get away with what he is doing. Rather, he will answer for his actions.
God helps the fatherless and prepares the heart of humble.
God does not leave the helpless to fend for themselves. Rather, He protects them, He cares for them. This caring is not just a providing for the physical needs, but it is also a providing for the spiritual needs (“the heart of the humble”).
God will not abandon us in times when the wicked prevail. He will not only provide for our physical needs, but He will also provide that strengthening of the inner man, so that we are able to stand in the face of the oppression.
We have seen that the fact of God’s omniscience and omnipotence provide comfort in the face of the prevailing of the wicked. Though the wicked may rage around us and the outlook of the world may seem bleak and grim, we can rest assured that God is still King and that He is in control. He knows what is transpiring. As Martin Luther states in his famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, “The prince of darkness grim – we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.” Satan and the wicked may seem to be in control of this world. But God will prevail. “God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”
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