An Expert Breakdown of Psalm 10:3-4: God Sees the Wicked

Context of Psalm 10:3-4 in a Psalm of Lament

Psalm 10 begins with a cry to God, wondering why He seems distant in times of trouble, setting up a lament that highlights the problem of evil.

Verses 1 - 2 and 12 - 18 form a frame of sorrow and appeal: the psalmist asks God to act against the wicked who oppress the poor, trusting that God will ultimately defend the helpless. Within this structure, verses 3 - 4 describe the heart of the wicked - their pride, greed, and deliberate rejection of God. They boast in their selfish desires, curse the Lord, and live as if there is no divine judgment, saying in their thoughts, 'There is no God.'

This mindset fuels their cruelty, but the psalm assures us that God sees it all and will bring justice in His time.

The Heart of the Wicked: Pride, Denial, and the Illusion of No God

The psalmist shows that the wicked not only sin but also reshape their thinking around the belief that God is absent.

Verse 3 shows two sides of the same rebellion: the wicked boasts in the cravings of his soul - his deepest longings are for power, pleasure, and possessions - and the one greedy for gain not only ignores God but actively curses and renounces Him, treating holiness with contempt. This is not accidental sin but deliberate rejection, structured by a poetic device called synthetic parallelism, where the second line advances the first: boasting leads to cursing, desire hardens into defiance. Then in verse 4, the root is revealed - pride lifts up his face, not in confidence but in defiance, so that he never seeks God. And beneath it all, the core delusion: 'All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”'

This phrase echoes Psalm 14:1, where the fool says in his heart, 'There is no God,' revealing this mindset as a spiritual disease, not a philosophical stance. The wicked aren’t atheists in the modern sense. They act as if God doesn’t exist because acknowledging Him would threaten their autonomy. Their thoughts are saturated with this denial, shaping how they see the world - no accountability, no moral boundaries, no fear of justice. And this fuels their cruelty: as verses 8 - 9 show, they ambush the helpless like predators, convinced God won’t see or care.

They live as if God is absent - but their thoughts reveal not freedom, but spiritual blindness.

The takeaway is sobering: when pride replaces reverence, the heart becomes darkened, and evil feels normal. But the psalm won’t let us stay there - verse 14 insists, 'But you do see,' reminding us that God observes every hidden scheme and every whispered lie. This sets up the next movement: if God sees, then justice is not absent - only delayed.

Living as If God Isn’t Watching: A Warning Against Practical Atheism

The danger in Psalm 10:3-4 is more than bad behavior. It is living as if God doesn’t see, which leads to greed, pride, and harm toward others.

This practical atheism - acting as if God isn’t present - distorts our hearts, making us selfish and blind to the needs of the poor, like the wicked in the psalm. But God sees everything, and Jesus, the true reflection of God’s heart, lived the opposite: He noticed the overlooked, defended the weak, and trusted His Father completely, even when God felt distant (Matthew 27:46).

So instead of ignoring God for our own gain, we follow Jesus - living with open hands, knowing God sees us, cares, and will make all things right in the end.

The 'No God' Mindset in Wisdom Literature and Everyday Life

This idea of saying 'there is no God' in one’s heart isn't unique to Psalm 10 - it's a pattern the Bible warns about again and again.

Psalm 14:1 says, 'The fool says in his heart, “There is no God,”' and Psalm 53:1 repeats it almost word for word, showing this mindset is not wisdom, not freedom, but foolishness that leads to corruption and harm. When people live as if God doesn’t see - like the wicked in Psalm 10 who exploit the poor or lie in wait to hurt others - it creates a world where pride and greed rule instead of justice and care.

Living as if God isn't watching warps our choices - but remembering He sees us reshapes how we live.

So what does this look like in real life? You might cut corners at work because 'no one’s watching,' ignore a friend in need because 'it’s not my problem,' or justify anger because 'I’ll get away with it.' But if God sees everything - and He does - then every small choice matters. Living as if He is present means being honest when it’s hard, generous even at a cost, and kind even when unnoticed, because you live under His eyes rather than merely seeking human approval.

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