The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant? They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. They crush your people, Lord; they oppress your inheritance. They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.” Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge? The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile. Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Can a corrupt throne be allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them. – Psalm 94:1-23
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm94:1-23&version=NIV
- Is the boasting of evildoers a new phenomenon?
- To whom does the psalmist complain about the wickedness?
- Why might the psalmist seek audience with the Lord rather than first going to other people to complain?
- Why do the wicked boast in carrying out wicked plans?
- Name some of the promises found in this psalm regarding what the Lord will or will not do.
- Why is righteousness so important?
- What comfort might the people of God receive from this psalm?
- What warnings might God’s people find in this psalm?
- What brings the psalmist joy in the midst of great anxiety?
- How does it make you feel to consider that God has the last word?
- How might you come to feel if the boaster had the last word?
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Food for Thought 