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God who avenges

Psalm 94:1-7 (JDV)

Psalm 94:1 Yahveh, God who avenges – God who avenges, shine!
Psalm 94:2 Rise up, Judge of the land; repay the proud what they deserve.
Psalm 94:3 Yahveh, how long will the wicked – how long will the wicked celebrate?
Psalm 94:4 They pour out arrogant words; all the troublemakers brag.
Psalm 94:5 Yahveh, they crush your people; they oppress your hereditary possession.
Psalm 94:6 They kill the widow and the resident alien and murder the fatherless.
Psalm 94:7 They say, “Yah doesn’t see it. The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention.”

God who avenges

Alexander sees the first part of this psalm as a complaint that God has absented himself and as a result, his enemies are winning (398) They stomp all over the orphans, widows, immigrants, and other marginalized people, because there seems to be no one to stop them. It calls on the God of vengeance to shine and put these arrogant evildoers down.

Our prayers should look deep at the problems we are facing and call on our omnipotent God to make a difference.

Alexander, Joseph A. The Psalms: Translated and Explained. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Publishing House, 1864.