Year 2, Day 197: Psalm 52

Psalm 52

Psalm 52 gives us two wonderful perspectives of people.  The first of the perspectives is found in the first 7 verses.  This perspective has to do with the ungodly.

As this blog has unfolded, one of the primary concepts that is spoken of again and again is the concept of the self-monger.  This is the person who is genuinely interested in himself above all else.  This is the person who makes decisions based upon what benefits them the most without considering who else will be affected and in which ways.  This is the person who looks for their gain and acts based upon which behavior will bring them the biggest gain in the short term.

This psalm speaks of this person bluntly in the first person by calling the person “a boaster of evil.”  This is a really good description of the self-monger.  After all, if righteousness is defined as doing that which is in line with God, then doing evil (or, “not righteousness”) can be defined as doing things which are not in line with God.  Therefore, by definition a person who makes decisions based on their own desires and not on God’s desires are certainly not working out righteousness but are actually working out evil.

There is a reason that I speak of the self-monger in the context of this psalm.  This psalm was written about the experiences found in 1 Samuel 21-22.  David is on the run from King Saul.  An Edomite named Doeg finds David and goes and reports David’s position to the king.  Doeg is no doubt thinking that there is going to be a reward.  He is no doubt thinking that he is going to be able to make his way into the king’s circle.  He’s looking out for how he can use that information for His own personal gain.

If you flip back to 1 Samuel 21-22, look at what happens to Doeg.  Doeg reports the information to the king.  King Saul summons the person that Doeg reported as actively hiding David from Saul – a man named Ahimilech.  King Saul tells Ahimilech that he will die, and he turns to Doeg to lead the slaughter of Ahimilech and his family.  Doeg ends up killing 85 priests and many of the citizens and animals of a town named Nob.

Why did this happen?  Doeg was interested in his own personal gain.  Doeg was interested in what he could attain.

So now we turn back to the psalm.  Look at the rest of these opening verses.  What does David say about the doers of evil?  Their tongues plot destruction.  They love evil.  They do not speak what is right (or righteous).  They are speakers of deception.  The righteous see these people and laugh (or as we might say today, “shake their heads”).  The righteous understand that such people only trust in their own understanding and their own power.  It really is sad.  Evil really often begins in self-centeredness, and self-centeredness only serves to expose our corruption to those who are genuinely righteous in God’s ways.  The story of Doeg – the subject of the first half of this psalm – is proof of this concept.

Now we turn to the ending verses.  Here we get the second perspective on people.  This perspective is about the righteous.  The righteous are like a “green” olive tree.  There are a couple of other ways that this expression could be translated.  It could be a “luxurious” olive tree.  Or, it could be a “fresh” olive tree.  I think it is this third manner of translating the Hebrew that I find the most satisfying.

Remember in the story surrounding the psalm that David is being hunted by Saul like a dog.  How does David react?  David praises God in saying that in spite of the persecution, he is refreshed.  God has an ability to overcome our trials and tribulations.  For the righteous, being in God’s ways is a refreshing experience.  That’s pretty neat way of thinking about what it means to be a “green olive tree!”

Then we come to David’s greater response.  How does David respond to the fact that in spite of the persecution from Saul (and Doeg)?  He gives praise to God.  He is thankful.  He is genuinely desirous of displaying his gratitude to the Lord.  That is why David is spoken of as a man after God’s own heart.    The righteous genuinely thank God when they ponder what it is that God has done for them.  The righteous desire that their life would encompass a time for public praise of their God.

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