Read Psalm 52
For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.
Go Deeper
For us to best understand this psalm, we first need to dig a little deeper into its background. The terrible events that prompted this chapter are recorded in 1 Samuel 21 and 22. Doeg informed Saul about David’s presence at the tabernacle of God and the help he received from the priest there. Saul had Doeg kill the priests (85 of them to be exact) and others at the tabernacle (1 Samuel 22:18-19). Therefore, this psalm comes as David’s contemplation of the root of Doeg’s evil and the horrors it birthed. Recognizing the context of this psalm allows us to understand better the biblical process of contemplation that concludes in trusting, thanking, and waiting on the Lord.
David humorously begins the psalm by calling out Doeg for his cowardice. Now, he calls him a “mighty hero,” but really, how heroic is killing 85 priests who have vowed not to pick up a sword? Rather than trust the Lord, Doeg “would not make God his refuge but trusted in the abundance of his riches” (v. 7). We, like David, should trust in the steadfast love of God (v. 8). May we be the kind of people who depend upon the Lord, regardless of our circumstances.
He then testifies, “I will thank you forever because you have done it” (v. 9). David’s trust in God’s future faithfulness was rooted in gratitude for God’s past faithfulness. May we praise God in the present for what is to come. This is a call for us to be people who, in gratitude, trust in the goodness of God.
David concludes this psalm by saying, “I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly” (Psalm 52:9). A trusting and thankful heart will be marked by patience. Although his circumstances had not changed and his prayers remained unanswered, David patiently waited for the Lord. However, waiting is not for the sluggard. Waiting involves constant movement forward. May we be people who continue to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Questions
- Take a look at verse seven. Doeg’s refuge was money. What people, places, or things have often been your refuge instead of God?
- When David was looking for a simile for his relationship with the Lord he chose the olive tree. Do you think there is any significance in this choice?
- Let’s reflect. What are some situations where you have trusted, thanked, and waited on God recently?
Keep Digging
Interested in learning more about Doeg? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org!
One response to “Psalm 52”
Sticks and stones will break my bones but your words will never hurt me.
The most wrong kids sing-song verse ever.
Words hurt forever. Words can not be taken away, or mended well. Even when we say “I forgive you for those “words”” something triggers and you here them all over in your head. Or you feel the feeling that was there when they were spoken.
BUT GOD!
Because of His steadfast love, because of my hope in Him, because He is a refuge so I will trust Him.
vs 8“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
God I thank You for me being like a green olive tree in Your House. I trust in Your steadfast love (hesed) forever and ever. I praise You for being my stronghold when the world seems to fall out from under me. I praise You for showing me Your unfailing love in the dark moments. God my hope is in You because I know what You have accomplished throughout biblical history and my own history. God I thank You forever for being the light. God today in these minutes of this day, thank You for guiding me to be a light that so shines You forth. God grant me right and correct words to speak that give You glory and honor.. God thank You for breath in my lungs to glorify and give You praise today in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!