Bible ReadingPsalm 10 Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
[00:16] Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
[00:19] In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
[01:29] For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
[22:09] In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
[22:13] His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent.
[23:30] His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
[22:28] The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
[22:52] Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
[02:28] But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.
[27:20] Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.
The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.
[02:37] O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
[02:46] Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”
[36:24] And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
[36:33] Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
[36:45] And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
[36:56] And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.
[36:35] And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
[37:18] Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
[37:24] John 19:1-16 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
[37:24] And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.
They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.
Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
[37:57] So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”
When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.
He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.
Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
[38:57] So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
[39:07] Observation questions- In Psalm 10, what words or images are used to describe the behavior of the wicked toward the helpless? [23:36]
- In Psalm 10:11 and Psalm 10:14, what direct contrast is made between what the wicked believes and what is actually true about God? [27:20]
- In Matthew 26, what details show Jesus in deep sorrow and prayer in Gethsemane? [37:08]
- In John 19, what parts of Jesus’ trial and treatment make it clear that he is facing injustice rather than a fair process? [38:05]
Interpretation questions- Psalm 10 begins with, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?” Why might God place a question like that in Scripture, and what does that suggest about lament as an act of faith? [20:34]
- Psalm 10 says the wicked believes, “God has forgotten.” What does that reveal about the mindset of evil and the way evil justifies itself? [24:45]
- Psalm 10:14 turns on the word “But.” How does that one word reshape the whole Psalm, especially for someone living close to suffering or injustice? [28:44]
- Jesus entered betrayal, sorrow, and an unfair trial in his own body. How does that help explain the claim that God is not only aware of suffering but present in the middle of it? [38:26]
Application questions- When has the question “Where are you, God?” felt real in personal life? What has made that question hard to say out loud, even in prayer? [44:20]
- Lament can be a real beginning of faith, not a failure of faith. What would it look like to bring unfiltered grief, anger, confusion, or anxiety to God this week instead of cleaning it up first? [19:36]
- Evil often looks for the helpless and works in hidden places. Where might there be a need to become more awake, prayerful, or compassionate toward people on the margins rather than assuming someone else will notice? [24:28]
- “But you, God, do see.” Where is there a need to preach that truth back to a lie being believed right now—that nobody sees, nobody cares, or nothing will ever change? [28:22]
- Justice often feels unfinished in this life. Is there a situation where hoped-for resolution has not come? What would it mean to trust God in that tension without pretending the pain is smaller than it is? [30:30]
- Jesus prayed honestly in Gethsemane and still entrusted himself to the Father. What burden or cup is hardest to name before God right now, and what might honest prayer sound like in that place? [36:56]
- God’s glory is not always revealed in the form first imagined. Has there been a prayer that was not answered the way it was wanted? Looking back, is there any sign of God’s peace, presence, or faithfulness that can now be seen more clearly? [41:11]
