The psalms often reflect the incomprehensible conflict between denying God’s existence and comprehending the righteous’ sufferings. The psalmist often found the plight of the righteous in the physical realm unjust beyond comprehension. At the same moment the psalmist found the explanation that “there is no God” as utterly ridiculous. Consider Psalm 14.
The psalmist declared the explanation that “there is no God” as unworthy of consideration. Such earnest declarations declared the utter folly of anyone making those statements. Before Jesus was crucified for people’s ungodly acts, before Jesus’ resurrection declared God’s triumph over evil, and before the resurrected Jesus led people to God’s habitation, there were lots of questions, but few answers.
God looked on people and shook His head. Human corruptness was beyond divine imagination! No one shared God’s understanding of good! The vilest of people destroyed the best of people. Thoughtless evil people viewed thought-filled righteous people as opportunity.
However, in time, these same evil people would be gripped by the terror of their memories. Too late they grasped the folly of their past actions. All that was left was the despair of a wasted life which could not be relived.
Then the psalmist acknowledged the (then) ultimate paradox: The wicked frustrated the plans of the godly, but God protected His people. Restoration was in the Lord’s hands, not in the might of His people.
The psalmist closed with two observations. (1) Their rescue would come from the Lord (not them). (2) Righteous people joyfully would acknowledge God’s rescue.
Faith in self (or “us”) is never the answer. God is the answer—even when we experience unreasonable suffering.
This is a strange psalm! In previous psalms his answer was to increase closeness to God. Here his answer is to increase distance from God!
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