Psalm 94

It stood as a basic assumption in Hebrew minds that God’s sense of timing was not like theirs. In the ancient protocol of the Divine Sheikh’s court, asking “how long” did not mean for them what it means to us. It was rather like asking if God intended to put up with something; was there an endpoint? Did God intend to act eventually or should they get used to it?

It was also assumed He would act on the grounds that this was His domain and He wouldn’t let someone else abuse His people. Ancient Near Eastern feudalism was about people, generally a sense of familial kinship between the ruler and His real treasure, his household. A final paramount issue was His divine reputation. Was He going to let them insult Him this way?

It seems almost certain the psalmist refers to domestic troubles arising from bad leadership, and not some foreign oppressor. He opens with a reference to Jehovah as the God of vengeance; saying it twice adds dramatic emphasis. If there is to be revenge, it must come from the throne of God. It is His prerogative alone. Let the God who avenges shine like the morning sun! He, who is the final moral authority of all Creation, let Him blast with withering glory to expose the arrogant who dare to usurp His authority.

Here’s the main question, again repeated for emphasis: Do you have a plan to deal with this evil situation? These folks in power don’t bear much resemblance to Your servants. Their actions aren’t helping to build up your domain. It looks like they are wasting Your resources on their personal comfort instead of developing and making Your provision do more work. When was it ever just to kill those who are defenseless?

These people have the gall to suggest You aren’t paying attention, Lord.

Listen, you lowlife thugs: Do you need to be thumped with a divine clue? The God who gave us ears isn’t likely to be deaf Himself; the designer of the eye is not blind. Our first awareness of God was through His power to punish and destroy heathen nations. Do you imagine He won’t keep His own people in line?

God can read any man’s thoughts, all of them at once. To Him it surely seems petty and small. The only folks with any sense at all are those who pursued His revelation. Lord, Your demands of us are a blessing in themselves! If we can just obey You, no one can harm us. You consistently deliver on the promise to give us respite from human predation. Meanwhile, the predators will fall into their own trap.

No, we are Your treasure, O Lord. Sooner or later Your justice will deliver from sorrow those who honestly seek Your favor. We will march in glorious array in the train of Your divine justice. And if God lets things slide for awhile, there is nothing I can do but wait. But the moment I am in real danger, He’s there to deliver me. So I’m going to count my blessings to pass the time until He acts. There’s no way I could ever see God making alliance with these evil rulers, not as long as they violate His Word right in front of Him.

A whole kingdom of evil rulers is not enough to frustrate God’s promises to me.