There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes yet is not washed from its own excrement.
There is a generation - how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.
There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from mankind. (Proverbs 30: 11-14)
A generation without a heart. Clambering for their own rights. Devouring the poor and wretched. These people are animals seeking what is good only for themselves. These are the people David is talking about. And they are not just in Darfur or Somalia. They are our neighbors and acquaintances. Without natural affection. Narcissistic and vacuous. I just read the newspaper this morning. Not much good news there because a generation has some big problems. A mass murderer's words appear across the headlines: "I know what I did."
What they have forgotten is that God sees. He saw Saddam Hussein beneath the manhole cover and Muammar Gaddafi in his drainage pipe. Retribution might not be as swift as we want, but our God is the defender of the afflicted. Terror for terror is what David is requesting:
Then they will be filled with terror, for God is with those who do what is right. You sinners upset the plans of the poor, but the Lord will protect them. (vs. 5-6)
Why does God allow such an evil generation to exist in the first place? He could annihilate it from the planet swiftly. Ironically, it is the people most upset by the injustices of the world that are most critical of the God of the Bible when He actually does strike down the wicked. Can't have it both ways. We have choices. I know I cannot solve this age-old issue in this short space, but the comfort of these verses and of the record of God's dealing with evil throughout time is that He always has a future grace for those experiencing current affliction. He is our champion.
I will say to my Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
He Himself will deliver you from the hunter's net, from the destructive plague.
He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. Psalm 91
Prey, as a rule, is at the mercy of the predator. Those whose teeth are swords and devour the weak. With pride, they think themselves to be above reproach when they stink of their own excrement. What must God think if even we know them to be vile? He will not allow it forever. He will stomp His foot and declare that He has had enough. He sees our position and calls to us to come running like little chicks under His mighty wing for protection. Scurry there. For our enemy is not always flesh and blood, but he is surely just as real and he is the energy that drives the generation of predators. His plans are to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10). On the other hand, our God wants us to have life and to have it in abundance. (John 10)
So, don't go out there fighting the enemy in your own strength. Deer don't march out of hiding to tell the hunter off. Unprotected, warring our own way with our puny weapons, we will surely lose. Take out your bow and arrow from the shelter of a feathery haven and then shoot with confidence, for the Lord is your refuge.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes yet is not washed from its own excrement.
There is a generation - how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.
There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from mankind. (Proverbs 30: 11-14)
A generation without a heart. Clambering for their own rights. Devouring the poor and wretched. These people are animals seeking what is good only for themselves. These are the people David is talking about. And they are not just in Darfur or Somalia. They are our neighbors and acquaintances. Without natural affection. Narcissistic and vacuous. I just read the newspaper this morning. Not much good news there because a generation has some big problems. A mass murderer's words appear across the headlines: "I know what I did."
What they have forgotten is that God sees. He saw Saddam Hussein beneath the manhole cover and Muammar Gaddafi in his drainage pipe. Retribution might not be as swift as we want, but our God is the defender of the afflicted. Terror for terror is what David is requesting:
Then they will be filled with terror, for God is with those who do what is right. You sinners upset the plans of the poor, but the Lord will protect them. (vs. 5-6)
Why does God allow such an evil generation to exist in the first place? He could annihilate it from the planet swiftly. Ironically, it is the people most upset by the injustices of the world that are most critical of the God of the Bible when He actually does strike down the wicked. Can't have it both ways. We have choices. I know I cannot solve this age-old issue in this short space, but the comfort of these verses and of the record of God's dealing with evil throughout time is that He always has a future grace for those experiencing current affliction. He is our champion.
I will say to my Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
He Himself will deliver you from the hunter's net, from the destructive plague.
He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. Psalm 91
Prey, as a rule, is at the mercy of the predator. Those whose teeth are swords and devour the weak. With pride, they think themselves to be above reproach when they stink of their own excrement. What must God think if even we know them to be vile? He will not allow it forever. He will stomp His foot and declare that He has had enough. He sees our position and calls to us to come running like little chicks under His mighty wing for protection. Scurry there. For our enemy is not always flesh and blood, but he is surely just as real and he is the energy that drives the generation of predators. His plans are to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10). On the other hand, our God wants us to have life and to have it in abundance. (John 10)
So, don't go out there fighting the enemy in your own strength. Deer don't march out of hiding to tell the hunter off. Unprotected, warring our own way with our puny weapons, we will surely lose. Take out your bow and arrow from the shelter of a feathery haven and then shoot with confidence, for the Lord is your refuge.
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