I like the triplet in Ps 146:9 too!
The earlier triplets are found in Ps 146:7 and 8 and they are blessed and deeply loved by God:
1. The blind - whose eyes He can open to the truth.
2. Those who are bowed down - whose position in life He will raise up/promote.
3. Those who are righteous - of whom the Psalmist simply says "those who are loved by God".
4. The oppressed - of whom He will give justice.
5. The hungry or the weak - of whom He will give spiritual food.
6. The prisoners - of whom He has promised freedom.
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Here in Psalm 146:9 is another triplet or group of people for whom God really cares about. Yet in this same verse there is another group of people whose ways God is going to turn upside down!
1. The strangers - for whom He has promised to keep guard or watch over.
2. The widows - for whom He has promised to give relief.
3. The fatherless - for whom He has also promised to give relief.
The 4th group is the "wicked" - whose way God will turn upside down!
Who are the strangers?
They are the "sojourners" or temporary inhabitants of the land.
In a spiritual sense we are sojourners, living in this temporary earth. The promise to us is that God will "shamar" us - the Hebrew meaning "to guard, to keep, to observe, to give heed". As temporary residents of this earth, we can be assured that God will really look after us. He will guard us, keep us and give heed to our prayers when we throw ourselves totally at His mercy!
Who are the widows?
They refer to women whose husbands have died. The Hebrew word also means "desolate house" or "desolate palace" - "almanah". It gives the imagery of losing a place of emotional and physical dependency.
Who are the fatherless?
They are the orphans who lost their fathers. Again a loss of emotional/physical dependency.
What will God do for the fatherless and the widows?
"He relieves the fatherless and the widows" this is God's promise.
The word "relief" is "uwd" meaning "to restore". God has promised to restore everything that the orphans and widows have lost through the loss of their fathers and husbands i.e. the place of comfort, love, care and blessing. The people in their lives who only want the best for them in every way!
Who are the wicked?
Why is the wicked mentioned in this verse?
In just one line, they are mentioned in the same breath as those who are righteous! Psalm 146:9 is absolutely honest. It does not sugar-coat anything. It just simply says "the way of the wicked He turns upside down" (which in Hebrew ("avath") means to subvert, the pervert, to overthrow, to bend and to make crooked)! For me it means that God will "mess up their ways"!
I really believe that the "wicked" refers to that group of people who could be abusing the strangers, the fatherless and the widows during David's time. The word for wicked here is "rasha" actually refers to the ungodly!
In fact this what I love about the Psalms. It is just an honest expression of the emotions of the heart towards God. It is the honest and genuine expression of the pain, grief, depression, sadness, anger, joy, victory, passion, compassion and the whole range of human emotions that can be found in the heart of man.
It is in the Psalms that I find the most comfort when I am afflicted.
It is the Psalms that I find I can express my love for God in words. Only the Psalmist has such a way with words that can express my praise and gratitude to God. Only the Psalmist allows my heart to be absolutely honest with God without being judged or condemned for the way I feel.....self-honesty is therapeutic and brings inner release in the presence of God!
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