Day 116

Psalm 52: Read here – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2052&version=NASB

The terrible events that prompted this response are recorded in 1Samuel 21 and 22. Doeg informed Saul regarding David’s presence at the tabernacle of God and the help he received from the priest there. In an evil and paranoid response, Saul had Doeg kill the priests and 85 others (1 Samuel 22:18-19). 

Though the condemnation of Doeg in this Psalm is strong, we need to understand that this is David’s Contemplation upon the incident, a careful examination of the root and end of Doeg’s evil. Doeg ‘boasted with joy’ in delivering the message and David here is responding to the outcome of the slaughter of those who assisted him. ‘O mighty man” is an expression of irony for his cowardice, because the priests were not battle-trained and this was hardly an event of valour to kill a few weak unarmed tabernacle workers. 

Since this psalm concerns the evil report of Doeg, David mentions the destruction that came from what Doeg said. There was an evil heart, mind, and life directing that ‘tongue’ to work ‘like a sharp razor, working deceitfully’, but the psalmist is tracking the deeds to their source. We are reminded of James’ description of the tongue and its fearful power, as the psalmist describes the mischief of evil speech, growing out of an evil nature. See James3:1-12 and c.f. Prov 4:23. The heart is the spring; the language is the flow. 

Heaven’s response is given in v5 and the response of the righteous in v6-7. 

Wealth and wickedness are dreadful companions; when combined they make a monster. When the devil is the master of wealth, he is a devil indeed. 

The psalm ends with David’s response: The olive is one of the longest-living trees; here the point is doubly reinforced, for he pictures an olive ‘in full sap’ and one that grows in a sacred courtyard, for ever and ever. People may fluster us but our strength is to sit still. Let the ‘mighty one’s boast,’ we will wait on the Lord; and if their haste brings them present honour, our patience will have its turn by-and-by, and bring us the honour which excels – forever.