The Lord Knows

Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?  He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?  He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?  The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Psalm 94:8-11

Sound theology assists us in maintaining our emotional balance.  The psalmist is struggling with the age old conundrum of the prosperity of the wicked.  He is appalled at the arrogance of those who say ‘the Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand.’  In rebuttal to their atrocious behavior and insolent speech he responds with the words we find in the passage above.  His conclusion is, ‘the Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vain,’ or worthless.  How does this bring us to Christ?  In the life of Christ, we find that He came into conflict with the arrogant.  His response to them was that He, ‘did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.’  What helps us, who find ourselves struggling with why the wicked prosper and with the fact that they continue to succeed in their wickedness, is the knowledge that Christ knows not only us but them.  The One Who knows is also the One Who will be the final Judge.  Therefore, we may take comfort, even though the circumstances of life seem to favor the arrogant.  Christ, ‘the Judge of all the earth’ has missed nothing.  He will do right.  We may rest, knowing that He knows, and will never cease to know.

Our Holy and All-Wise God,
we rejoice that You know all things.
We praise You that even though it seems
as if the wicked prosper,
yet You will ultimately do justice.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning