It Starts Small

The first biblical response when we encounter evil is to speak honestly to God about that evil. The second response we can have is to ask God to intervene. The third biblical response to evil is to trust God to define and carry out His pure justice.

We can turn to God, the perfect and holy Judge of all things, and trust that His definition of justice is the right one. We can trust that He will not let evil occur without addressing it. That’s what David says in this Psalm. We can in a sense lock eyes with God. With all sincerity and all earnestness, we can trust that He knows and cares about the injustice.

Let’s take a look at verses five through eight:

“Because of the devastation of the needy
and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.”

Psalm 12:5

In verse five, the poor and the needy are mentioned. This is a familiar group of people. The Israelites would have known of this group and true Israelites would not have oppressed them. They would have cared for them, just as we see in Deuteronomy 15 and 24. To oppress people arouses God to action. He will not hold back His righteous response. His ways are above our ways, so nothing escapes the focus of His eyes. In His timing, in His holy plan and purpose, God will judge those who oppress the needy and the poor.

At times, God provides a part of that justice here and now. We’re thankful for that. We should ask for that, just as David does. Sometimes God invites us to be a part of the justice and mercy that is carried out here on earth.

Learn to do what is good.
Pursue justice.
Correct the oppressor.
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow’s cause.

Isaiah 1:17

Mankind, he has told each of you what is good
and what it is the Lord requires of you:
to act justly,
to love faithfulness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

God gives us opportunity to be advocates for those who are needy and poor.

We see this also in the New Testament when Jesus calls us to mirror His heart for justice.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness.These things should have been done without neglecting the others.

Matthew 23:23

When God opens doors for us to take a stand for the vulnerable, we should take that stand and walk through them.

Other evil will be dealt with in the final judgment.

The wicked prowl all around,
and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

Psalm 12:8

Psalm 12:8 leaves us with the hard reality that sin will continue to plague our world until the return of Christ. Although for a time, the wicked are sometimes exalted in this fallen world, God’s covenantal protection of His people will last from generation to generation. So even when you or I as believers feel overwhelmed by evil, when we are disheartened or disillusioned or tired, this Psalm will lead us to the only One Who can save.

In the meantime, Christ’s promise of justice from Revelation 22:12 provides hope for the future return of Christ:

“Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work.

Revelation 22:12

God means what He says. His words are completely true. This Psalm closes with the assurance that God will protect His faithful followers, even in the face of evil.

So where do we go from here?

The Bible tells us that David’s response to the hardships he was facing was to turn in faith to God. It’s not a comfortable or an easy response to the things going on in our world—to see them, recognize them and acknowledge them to the Lord, bringing them before Him.

This lament is a response that turns to God in honesty and trust. When we see hard things in the world, let’s take this to heart. The next time we encounter evil in our world, take that first step. Speak honestly to God about the evil. He wants to hear our struggle. He wants to hear our pain. Second, ask God to intervene. He cares more than we can imagine. Third, trust God to define and carry out pure justice.

The God Who poured our punishment on to His own Son so that He could forgive us of our sin—so that Jesus could be the One Who died in our place—stands forever as a holy, pure and righteous God for all eternity. When God opens the door for us to care for the vulnerable in our world, we should walk through that door.