Psalm 94:1-15
We have read most of these psalms of late in their entirety, even though they might be a bit longer than our average of thirteen verses per day. Today’s Psalm 94, however, is justifiably split, not only because of length, but also because of content. In today’s first fifteen verses the psalmist is speaking very generally, seeing evildoers acting upon individuals (the widow…, the sojourner…, the fatherless… in v. 6) and against the nation (Your people, O LORD…, Your heritage…, His people…, His heritage…, vv. 5, 14). In tomorrow’s reading (the rest of this psalm) the psalmist gets more personal, speaking in first-person words (me, I, my). Very different perspectives in these two days’ readings.
Today I see the Lord, the King as judge, specifically in verse 2 (Rise up, O Judge of the earth…) but also implied through the writer’s chastisement against the wicked (vv. 3-11) and his call to justice in verse 15. The verse that spoke to me today probably speaks to a number of you: He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see? (v. 9) It’s God’s hand in creation, not simply from the beginning of time and His creation of our natural order, but also His hand in the formation and birth of every human being. He formed MY ears and MY eyes in my mother’s womb – His personal hand on MY creation! And His continual watch over all that I am and all that I do. For ME and for all of YOU! He is a mighty, all-powerful God – but let Him also be personal to you.