Read Psalm 58
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
Go Deeper
In today’s psalm, David is frustrated and upset at the judges and rulers in his day who were acting unjustly on God’s behalf. He’s experiencing a righteous anger that we’ve read about numerous times throughout the book of Psalms and perhaps one we’ve experienced in our own lives. Just like he does in Psalm 10, David takes this righteous anger to God and does not lean on his own power to judge. We can learn from this when we are faced with similar circumstances.
In the latter half of this Psalm, we read that God’s judgement rightly falls on these religious pretenders. David finds comfort in the truth that God would ultimately judge the wicked and make things right. As extreme and graphic as this psalm is, it is not a psalm of vengeance or vindictiveness but of justice and the fulfillment of God’s words, so that all will see there is a righteous God. When undeserved judgement falls on us, may we cling to the fact that God has the final word. He is the ultimate judge and we can trust Him.
However, we should not forget that everyone is subject to God’s righteous judgment. David says that “even from birth the wicked go astray.” Because of Romans 3:23, we know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It’s not just the wicked that David was writing about in this psalm that deserve judgment, but all of us. We all have gone astray from birth. But, thank God for Jesus’ death and resurrection which gives us all the chance to be forgiven, redeemed, and born again.
Questions
- Have you experienced righteous anger before? What did you do with that anger?
- Why should we turn to God for justice?
- What did this psalm teach you about God?
Pray This
God, We thank you for revealing yourself to us through Scripture. May we live our lives with purpose and may we be a shining light to those around us. When we fall short, we ask for grace. When we feel righteous anger welling up inside of us, we ask you to draw near to us and align our heart with yours.
11 responses to “Psalm 58”
When someone is using the Lord’s name In vein there’s nothing wrong with having rightous anger, and also you can confront them too. Pray for them. Forgive them father for they do not know what they are doing. GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED. Be sturn to those doing this not be disrespectful to them but sturn. Lead them to Christ for they may not be saved. If there indeed saved then lead them back to the right direction
Praise God that we, here in America, may not have a reason to use this Psalm as a prayer because of where we live. We can be angry (righteous) with the world situations or some situation in our own life. BUT GOD is going to make the way for all.
We know that in the end, when the world sees the justice of God, then all will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth” (verse 11). “Let us not grow weary of doing good,” (Galatians 6:9), for we know that in the end, “every knee shall bow… and every tongue confess to God” (Romans 14:11).
God thank You for this country. I am thankful, grateful and blessed to be born in raised in America. I am thankful for the men and women who have given their life and their service for this country. God bless and protect the Vets that are still in other countries and those that are home. Give them abundantly more than they can ask or think for their service. Protect them mentally, physically and spiritually. God thank You for You being sovereign over all things. God my I see and know the glorious beauty You have surrounded me with. God thank You that I do not, ever, take it for granted. God thank You for the minutes of this day. Thank You that I have so many things to be grateful for, to love, and to see You in the middle of it all, in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!
Yes!
V1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity?
This verse came to mind as I read this morning the story of Ezra Jin the pastor of Zion Church in China. He is currently in jail for violating laws on how churches are allowed to operate. It is a reminder of how little we face persecution here for our faith.
What is also true in that story and this Psalm is that “surely there is a God who judges the earth.”V11
Despite the persecution of the church in China, it is growing just like it did in Rome 2000 years ago. Praise God!
Amen!
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
True that!
The final portion of v11 gives the weary a safe place to land, “Surely there is a God who judges the earth.” Our world is more fractured than we realize, yet our God is not impotent to it all.
I was reminded of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who, along with her family, helped over 800 Jewish people escape the Holocaust during World War II. She was eventually caught and survived the horrors of the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Here is one of her most famous quotes that resonates with the psalm,
“Look around you and be distressed, look within you and be depressed. Look to Jesus, and be at rest.”
Love that quote!
Amen!
God sees every injustice, even when evil seems loud and unchecked. God sees clearly, judges rightly, and calls me to trust His justice instead of holding onto bitterness.
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
Amen