“They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth.Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Psalm 73: 8-11
After describing the material prosperity the wicked seem to enjoy,
Asaph delves into another facet of their character that bothers him even more. The wicked are anti-god and blaspheme God – a
serious violation of God’s law.
They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression Asaph sees the wicked jeer and scoff at God. They speak wicked (evil and unpleasant) things. The word is “ra” which is used to describe the covenant relationship between God and His people. Everything
that deviated from God’s laws and commands was considered “ra” and the wicked do it all.
They speak loftily The w ord “speak” means to declare their intentions. Loftily means to exalt oneself from a high place – in others words to sit on the throne that God holds (as Satan desired).
They set their mouth against the heavens They set (appointed to a leadership position) their words, thoughts and desires above God’s. The word heavens indicates God’s dwelling place and His transcendence and sovereignty over all creation. The wicked mock God’s right to rule over them.
Their tongue walks through the earth The word tongues indicates the quality and character of one’s speech, such as truthfulness or deceit. “Walks” indicates that their speech is broadcast publicly as being anti-God and exalting themselves. Their blasphemy is proclaimed loudly.
Therefore his people return here and waters of a full cup are drained by them. Asaph sees two consequences of this wicked behavior, First the people of God are drawn to it and second, the wicked drain every possible drop out of life enjoying it to the uttermost. They enjoy their evil.
And they say, “How does God know? Finally Asaph see the wicked taunt the reality of God. Using the name “El”, the creator of all, the wicked claim there is no way God sees, knows or even cares about what they are doing. They fear no negative consequences. To them the idea that God exists who will punish them in some future life is ridiculous. God does not know or care.
And is there knowledge second The words “is there” are linked to the presence and work of God. The wicked use these words to question the existence of a “Most High” God.
What can we learn? There may be no passage in scripture that better describes the age we live in. People who worship wealth, exalt themselves and their own opinions of the laws of the Most High God and mock that a God exists or could know or care about what they are doing is common place today. These same people are belligerent and aggressive in their opinions calling those who believe in God and who try to obey His commands foolish. They preach the philosophy of “grab all the gusto” and ”have it your way”. Get every ounce of enjoyment out of life that you can. We read this and wonder how the righteous can be tempted but Satan uses both avoiding suffering and the lure of prosperity to deceive us. Asaph battles those Satanic tactics in the time of King David as we do two millennia after Christ.