Song Meanings: Behold the Wicked Man

Lyrics

Behold the wicked man

He is always at his ease

He speaks oppression from on high

And his pleasures never cease

Behold his wicked words

Clothed in the violence of his lips

Surely goodness is in vain

If this is the payment that he gets

Flesh and heart may fail

And soul grows bitter from this strife

But God is the strength of my heart

And my portion in this life

The wicked, they pass away

The unrighteous will perish in ruin

But for me, by Your grace I am near You

I have made You my Rock and my Refuge

Historypeats 

In the year leading up to the recording of this song, I read a lot of history, including Jonathan Hill’s Zondervan Handbook to the History of Christianity and Melvyn P. Leffler’s For the Soul of Mankind: The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War. It's no secret that throughout history, people have sewn evil and reaped power. This injustice happens all around us today. But until recently, my comfortable existence shielded me from the all-consuming nature of human wickedness. It is only through study, the advance of years, and personal loss that I now understand the pervasive nature of the Fall.

David the Honest

People have endured injustice for all human history. Reading through Scripture helps me remember I am not alone. I feel safe knowing that David, the king who was hunted by enemies, betrayed by his children, and subjected to God’s just wrath, expressed his dismay to God in honest terms: “For [the wicked] have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in troubles as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind… They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth… Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches…” (Ps. 73).

David expressed his anger honestly. And, in the process of pointing out the sins of the wicked, he realized his own wickedness: “But when I thought to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task… When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.”

Like the enemies he condemned, David lived a life that was often violent and corrupt. In fact, when David wanted to build a temple for God, the Lord told him, “You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood” (1 Chron. 28:3).

The Answer Is...

In the same way, when expressing anger toward powerful people who oppress others, I find that I am no different than any oppressor throughout history. I desire to put myself above others, too. In my life, I have often advanced my own interests at the expense of others. The same toxins run through my veins. The only reason I still breathe is that God decides I should. That is why “Behold the Wicked Man” ends with these words. “But for me, by Your grace, I am near You. I have made you my Rock and my Refuge.” Like David, this is the only conclusion I can come to.

In my lifetime, there will be no solution to the problem of evil. I will never escape wickedness, whether in the world or in my own damaged heart. For me, the only answer to any question is God. God will deal with evil in His time and in His way. By His grace, He has spared me. That is all I need to know to carry on.

Biblical References: Psalm 73, 1 Chron. 28

--Aaron