The Wicked Man's Hidden Assumption: I Shall Not Be Moved

Psalm 10:6 exposes the wicked man's fundamental delusion, not in his spoken prayers but in his heart's leb (inner being). Joseph Spurgeon Exell observes that this man may pray correctly with his lips while harboring two catastrophic beliefs: first, "I shall not be moved"—immunity from consequence; second, "God hath forgotten. He hideth His face"—divine indifference.

Exell argues that every godless life rests upon one or both of these unspoken assumptions. The wicked man does not deny Yahweh's existence outright; rather, he claims either that God does not exist or that God does not care what he does. This is not intellectual atheism but practical atheism—the working belief that shapes behavior.

The preacher identifies a peculiar human power: the ability to ignore unwelcome facts. Surrounded by sudden collapse and tragedy, this man declares, "I shall never be moved," as though observing the wreckage around him had taught him nothing. He sees others fall to adversity yet believes himself exempt.

Exell applies this diagnosis mercilessly: every unconverted life operates upon this absurdity. Do you hold your goods as a lease or as permanent possession? Have you escaped the "certain fate of all others"? If not, what sanity constructs an entire existence upon the assumption "I shall not be moved"? The illustration challenges listeners to examine whether their own faith rests upon devotion to Adonai or upon invisible, irrational assumptions.