NOTES for Psa 10:3

³For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

When we look around, we see the obvious injustice of the order reigning in the world, or almost disorder, and we see the clear "knocked-out-of-line" state of the criteria by which people evaluate their behavior. Finally, we look into ourselves and cannot help being horrified by our motives and thoughts. The psalmist gives all this a diagnosis: the foundations are destroyed. The philosopher Merab Mamardashvili spoke of an "anthropological catastrophe" consisting of the same thing: the foundations are destroyed, the foundations of what is humanity in the human being. The age of explicit or implicit dominance of materialism in the human worldview has replaced the genuine, spiritual foundations of the human person with material, bodily, fleshly ones. Even in comparison with pagan times this is a catastrophe, because then true spirituality was replaced by false spirituality, while now there is the actual rejection of spirituality altogether, since ideology cannot be considered spirituality. The human being no longer sees meaning in the concepts "God," "truth," "sin," "salvation," and so on. And not seeing meaning, he seeks neither truth nor salvation, and does not turn from sin to God.

What, then, can a righteous person do in this situation? Perhaps simply "be not of the world," not be like everyone else, preserve faith and faithfulness, and thereby be a "channel" through which God's grace still reaches this world, and in the word of the prophet Ezekiel, "stand in the breach of the wall" so that this land may not perish. In general, all this means living the life of Christ.

Other notes

For Psa 10:3

³For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

When we look around, we see an evident injustice reigning in the world of order (or almost disorder!), we see a visible "blockiness" of the criteria of evaluation by people for their behavior. Finally, we glance into ourselves - and it is impossible for us not to be dismay of our motives and thoughts. The psalmist diagnoses all this: the foundations are destroyed. The philosopher Merab Mamardashvili spoke about the "anthropological disaster", consisting in the same – destroyed foundations, foundation of what is human in man. The period of the obvious or unobvious dominion of materialism in the human world-view has replaced the real spiritual foundations of the human personality - material, physical, carnal.

Even in comparison with the period of heathen, it is a disaster, because then there was a substitution of the real spirituality to the wrong, but now spirituality is practically rejected (You should not consider ideology as spirituality). Man sees no more any meaning in the notions "God", "truth", "sin", "salvation" etc. And not seeing the meanings, seek not either the truth, or salvation, and does not turn away from sin to God.

What can the righteous do in this situation? Probably, simply "be not of the world", be not as everybody, keep the faith and faithfulness, being therefore the "canal", by which the grace of God reaches this world, and according to the words of the prophet Ezekiel " go up on the hedge of the house " so that does not die the land. In whole, all this means – living a life of Christ.

For Psa 10:1-7

¹Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

²The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

³For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

⁴The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

⁵His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

⁶He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

When evil advances and the darkness thickens all around, when enemies not only rule everywhere but also “destroy... Read more

When evil advances and the darkness thickens all around, when enemies not only rule everywhere but also “destroy the foundations,” annihilating the very moral foundations of human existence, the Lord remains unshakable. The scarcely visible point that faith appears to be in the hearts of the faithful remnant becomes the bridgehead from which the liberation of the world enslaved by sin can begin.

Evil may triumph and win visible victories, but the Lord rises above them, remaining an impregnable stronghold. What the wicked have done will inevitably return upon them, and the more impressive evil’s temporary victories, the more crushing its defeat will be.

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NOTES for Psa 10:3

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