We don’t usually encounter bitter words in the Psalms, but they’re present here. Even more notable is the reaction at the end, where the Psalter displays no higher mystical attitude. In fact, we can trust in a future life with God beyond the grave. If that’s the case, revelation has made a significant leap, and the problem of suffering is nearly resolved. One thing is certain: the psalmist has supreme confidence in God, yet he seems willing to accept that the wicked may prosper and that he himself might suffer as long as this life endures. Even if this isn’t explicitly stated, it’s implied. This psalm remains relevant because the human situation it describes is familiar to everyone; so are the temptations and the faith that’s needed.
Why are the wicked successful? It’s more scandalous than tempting when believers see the wicked succeed in everything: the violent, the unscrupulous, those who have money and can corrupt, masters of deceit. “Wait for the end,” says the psalmist. “Why have I been honest?” asks a father who struggles to get by and feels insulted by the luxury of the dishonest rich.
“Yet I am always with you” (v. 23). At this point, the psalm reaches what is essential. It is not enough to say that the dishonest rich will have to pay, which is not always true. The experience of God’s presence here below compensates for any trials, and the psalmist, even if he dares not confirm an afterlife, is convinced that God, for his part, will not abandon him to death.
In a consumer society like ours, a psalm of this kind is very fitting. Those who pray with it can ask themselves, ‘Where is my happiness?’