Psalms 11-15; David has an ongoing dilemma of living in the world but not being of the world. The struggle is watching the wicked prosper and even rejoice in living. Often I have even wanted to run away, but truly there is not a place to run except “in the cleft of the Rock!” Our hiding place is in the security of Jehovah. When I read about someone wanting to take refuge, it leads me to consider Elijah when he ran from Jezebel to the cave. The LORD asked him what he was doing there; Elijah replied with his excuses. God told him to get back into life. Now this does not mean we should not have times of rest and refuge; but we are not to run away from life either.
In Psalm 12, the first verse struck me right between the eyes! As a pastor and a person I ask the same question. Where are all the righteous? We do now live in a post-Christian world; more so lately our culture has been described as a Pre-Christian world. You may ask what is the difference? The difference is the influence of Christianity on culture. In a post-Christian world, there is rejection of the Gospel. People reject the message of the Bible. In Pre-Christian thinking; God is not even a topic of discussion or thought for people. In the Pre-Christian thought; God is not on the radar, people are not rejecting the Gospel, God and eternity are not on their minds.
Which is worse? Good question, both are difficult for the believer who desires to live godly. In one respect, they are discounted as foolish for believing in God [post-christian] and rejected as irrelevant or cultic for believing in God [Pre-Christian].
Back to David’s question – where are the righteous? We are currently being inundated with all the sexual abuse in Hollywood and politics. I find this to be a bit hypocritical – why now after in some cases of 20 yrs. past? In mankind these actions have been going on since time began. This is not to excuse the actions, but the world has always acted like the world – when it begins judging itself to make headlines, what is the objective?
David outlines for us the “actions” of the wicked – deceitful, boastful, prideful and even arrogant. This is the world we live in today.
In Psalm 13, the underlining question “How Long” – how long will God put up with the evil of mankind before He does something? This question is asked in Revelation 6:9-11 by the martyrs. One wonders how long before the end of the world, and the judgment of God happens? I have heard people say that if God doesn’t judge America, that He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. I have learned that God’s ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not mine – likewise His timing is not mine either. God desires that all should come to salvation – oh, that we would too!
In Psalm 14 – the famous verse the “fool has said in his heart there is no God.” David continues to lament the wicked that surrounds him. Verses 1b-3 are quoted in Romans 3:10 and following. The condition of man without Christ is a dead man, living by animal instincts. Why do we persist in expecting the world [lost] to live godly? Actually we want them to live morally not godly. Is there a difference? Absolutely! Psalm 15 recounts for us the expectations of God on the redeemed. Can it be that we are so concerned with everyone else that we fail to be who were profess to be? Sounds too much like the Pharisees to me. Three specific things David says are required: 1) walk with integrity 2) walk in works of righteousness and 3) speaks truth in his heart. We have a full-time job living our life – if we did maybe there would be a greater desire for the Lord on High. If we don’t like our world – let’s begin changing it by changing the way we serve and life for the LORD!
preachbetweenthelines 