Psalm 10: God: The Imaginary Terrorist
Psalms Part 10 of 150
1 Why do you stand far off, Yahweh?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Because he won’t take responsibility for his own actions. When he stuffs up, you get blamed and your people die. Read the book. It’s all there.
2 In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak.
Yep, the bible is full of that.
They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings.
As God does when he speaks of the Promised Land.
He blesses the greedy, and condemns Yahweh.
If greed is keeping what belongs to you instead of letting a bloodthirsty deity take it and give it to someone else, then greed isn’t all that bad. If greed is taking what doesn’t belong to you as God does, then it’s bad. Which side are you on?
4 The wicked, in the pride of his face,
has no room in his thoughts for God.
Oooh, I have plenty of thoughts for God.
5 His ways are prosperous at all times.
Prosperous for him maybe.
He is haughty, and your laws are far from his sight.
When you are forced to defend yourself against murderous attacks, you tend to have a bit of an attitude.
As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken.
For generations I shall have no trouble.”
Confidence isn’t such a bad thing.
7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression.
When you are treated so badly by marauding invaders what do you expect?
Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
Says you!
8 He lies in wait near the villages.
From ambushes, he murders the innocent.
Murdering invaders aren’t innocent.
His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
The helpless don’t carry swords and spears into someone else’s home.
9 He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush.
Protecting his home from you.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless.
He catches the helpless, when he draws him in his net.
Continually calling those you oppress evil, bad, deceitful, doesn’t make it true.
10 The helpless are crushed.
They collapse.
They fall under his strength.
Now it sounds like you are just talking about God himself.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten.
Well, when God leads the attack against them, what else would they say?
He hides his face.
He will never see it.”
12 Arise, Yahweh!
God, lift up your hand!
Don’t forget the helpless.
He won’t. He’ll kill them too.
13 Why does the wicked person condemn God,
and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account?”
If a wicked man says that it isn’t because he is wicked. It’s because he knows the truth. God is a figment of your imagination.
14 But you do see trouble and grief.
You consider it to take it into your hand.
You help the victim and the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked.
As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
In this story, the wickedness of the evil man is God. God is the one leading the charge. He is the one killing all in his way.
16 Yahweh is King forever and ever!
You can’t crown imagination. Try again.
The nations will perish out of his land.
They are still there, just under other names these days.
17 Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble.
You will prepare their heart.
You will cause your ear to hear,
18 to judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.
Whilever people of this earth follow gods, there will be terror.