Psalms 10:3
The Pride of the Wicked
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
In his pride, the unrepentant sinner boasts about the evils that his heart desires. Jesus said that whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. Passages like the one before us highlight that truth. The sinner's bondage to sin prevents him from seeing any truth that would be of value to him. Sin changes his worldview and causes that which is evil to look like it is good. Since he is evil through and through, he begins to feel superior to others, thinking that his sins are what make him better.
Albert Barnes wrote that the sinner takes "... pride in himself, in his own passions, desires, lusts, tastes, and made a boastful display of them, as if he regarded them as something honorable, or as something fitted to excite admiration in others." The reason is his bondage and subsequent inability to tell the difference between right and wrong.
The reader can do a simple experiment to prove the veracity of this statement by using any social networking internet site, such as Facebook. Make friends with as many people who are not Christians as you can. Then, sit back and watch what they talk about between themselves. You will see literal bragging contests over who got the drunkest, homosexuals and lesbians bragging about their sexual preferences and partners, teenagers trying to be the one to use the most vulgar language, satanic youths cursing God, and many other forms of boasting. Out of disgust, you will probably want to quickly break your friendships with them.
These are they, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:32) They love those who are committing the same sins. It is the old principle, "Birds of a feather flock together," or "Misery loves company." So, they bless the covetous and everyone else whom the LORD abhors.
The wicked will praise the abortionists who are nothing but paid murderers. They want us to believe, however that they perform valuable medical services. It seems that the crooked politician is always the most heralded by those who do not want to work or who want to take advantage of the people through taxation, which then becomes legalized theft. Anyone who has watched any of the current talk shows on T.V. has seen celebrities mocking God, the church, or Christian morality. The audiences laugh and the covetous make more money.
Even those covetous bankers who enrich themselves by lending money for interest are revered and have recently been given billions of dollars to bail them out of their self-made crisis. "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?.. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved." (Psalms 15:1, 5)
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5:5) Covetousness can be expressed in many different ways... theft, abortion, usury, deceit, extortion etc. No matter how it comes forth from a person it is idolatry. It seems to be equated with the sin of whoremongering but it is much more serious than any other sin. Idolatry violates the first commandment. It represents hatred toward a holy God. The epistle of James says it best, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4)
Before The Throne:
Pray for the braggarts in your life, but also ask God to help you to also refrain from any form of boasting. Instead, ask Him to help you brag about Jesus and the wonderful things that He has done for you. Ask the Lord to keep you from being a covetous person. Ask to be granted a spirit of generosity.
For Further Study:
(v.3) ** boasteth. Psa 35:21; 49:6; 52:1; 73:8-9; 94:4; Exod 15:9; Isa 10:7-11; 37:23; Jas 4:13, 16; ** heart. Psa 49:11-13, 18; Deut 29:19; 1Sam 23:21; Job 31:24; Prov 28:4; Hos 12:7-8; Zech 11:5-8; Luke 12:19; Rom 1:29, 32; 2Tim 3:2-4; 1John 2:15; ** whom. Isa 57:17; Jer 22:17; Mic 6:10-12; Hab 2:9; Matt 26:15-16; Luke 12:15; 16:14-15; 1Cor 6:10; Eph 5:5; Col 3:5; 1Tim 6:9-10; ** abhorreth. Psa 5:6; Lev 26:30; Deut 32:19;
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
In his pride, the unrepentant sinner boasts about the evils that his heart desires. Jesus said that whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. Passages like the one before us highlight that truth. The sinner's bondage to sin prevents him from seeing any truth that would be of value to him. Sin changes his worldview and causes that which is evil to look like it is good. Since he is evil through and through, he begins to feel superior to others, thinking that his sins are what make him better.
Albert Barnes wrote that the sinner takes "... pride in himself, in his own passions, desires, lusts, tastes, and made a boastful display of them, as if he regarded them as something honorable, or as something fitted to excite admiration in others." The reason is his bondage and subsequent inability to tell the difference between right and wrong.
The reader can do a simple experiment to prove the veracity of this statement by using any social networking internet site, such as Facebook. Make friends with as many people who are not Christians as you can. Then, sit back and watch what they talk about between themselves. You will see literal bragging contests over who got the drunkest, homosexuals and lesbians bragging about their sexual preferences and partners, teenagers trying to be the one to use the most vulgar language, satanic youths cursing God, and many other forms of boasting. Out of disgust, you will probably want to quickly break your friendships with them.
These are they, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:32) They love those who are committing the same sins. It is the old principle, "Birds of a feather flock together," or "Misery loves company." So, they bless the covetous and everyone else whom the LORD abhors.
The wicked will praise the abortionists who are nothing but paid murderers. They want us to believe, however that they perform valuable medical services. It seems that the crooked politician is always the most heralded by those who do not want to work or who want to take advantage of the people through taxation, which then becomes legalized theft. Anyone who has watched any of the current talk shows on T.V. has seen celebrities mocking God, the church, or Christian morality. The audiences laugh and the covetous make more money.
Even those covetous bankers who enrich themselves by lending money for interest are revered and have recently been given billions of dollars to bail them out of their self-made crisis. "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?.. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved." (Psalms 15:1, 5)
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5:5) Covetousness can be expressed in many different ways... theft, abortion, usury, deceit, extortion etc. No matter how it comes forth from a person it is idolatry. It seems to be equated with the sin of whoremongering but it is much more serious than any other sin. Idolatry violates the first commandment. It represents hatred toward a holy God. The epistle of James says it best, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4)
Before The Throne:
Pray for the braggarts in your life, but also ask God to help you to also refrain from any form of boasting. Instead, ask Him to help you brag about Jesus and the wonderful things that He has done for you. Ask the Lord to keep you from being a covetous person. Ask to be granted a spirit of generosity.
For Further Study:
(v.3) ** boasteth. Psa 35:21; 49:6; 52:1; 73:8-9; 94:4; Exod 15:9; Isa 10:7-11; 37:23; Jas 4:13, 16; ** heart. Psa 49:11-13, 18; Deut 29:19; 1Sam 23:21; Job 31:24; Prov 28:4; Hos 12:7-8; Zech 11:5-8; Luke 12:19; Rom 1:29, 32; 2Tim 3:2-4; 1John 2:15; ** whom. Isa 57:17; Jer 22:17; Mic 6:10-12; Hab 2:9; Matt 26:15-16; Luke 12:15; 16:14-15; 1Cor 6:10; Eph 5:5; Col 3:5; 1Tim 6:9-10; ** abhorreth. Psa 5:6; Lev 26:30; Deut 32:19;
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