- Judge
Psalm 10:17, 18
Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble:
Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
It may not feel like much of a positive promise that the Lord will judge the orphans and the oppressed; but in the positive sense the word “judge” is used to render a positive verdict in their favor. The negative side of this positive word is that the oppressors will be judged, that is, convicted and punished.
The fatherless and the oppressed are examples of all those people that find themselves helpless, defenseless, and suffering injustice. If we are willing to be humbled and admit that “helpless” includes us as well, then God hears the desire of the humble that they may be restored to dignity and receive justice. He makes us sensitive to the need for help, He turns our sense of need into a desire for relief, our desire into a prayer, and then the answer comes. This God does for us when we humble ourselves in penitence and contrition seeking forgiveness and favor. In humble faith and dependent trust we also become like the “fatherless and oppressed” who need a righteous judge to rule in our favor over against the lies and accusations of the Evil Ones.
We may get tired of coming back again and again every day like the widow in the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge, who finally gets an answer because of her insistence. We do not have to be like that with our God, the Judge who will give justice speedily. Although it may seem like the wicked and unjust oppressors get away with their evil for a long time, it is speedy to the Lord. Jesus told us this to encourage us always to pray and not lose heart.
This Psalm is also given to us to encourage us to pray and trust and not lose heart. He will come and judge and deliver His humble and oppressed people from the oppressor, both physically and spiritually. Our God and Savior will not only come to judge on the Last Day, but He will also come to judge during the course of our lives in history. That is a promise. He is still King forever and ever and we can count on His promise to hear and act and judge rightly.