THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

LII: The Contrasting Destinies Of The Treacherous And The Man Of Faith In God

(Psalm 52:1-9)

I. Introduction

A. We live in a world where many often seek to profit by deceitful evil and treachery, and when living by faith in God initially seems to be a useless way to live in view of the immediate advances of the wrongdoers.

B. Psalm 52:1-9 provides edifying insight on this issue, directing us to stick to trusting in God for blessing.

II. The Contrasting Destinies Of The Treacherous And The Man Of Faith In God, Psalm 52:1-9.

A. The introductory remarks in the English Bible comprise the first two verses in the Hebrew text (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1020), so we stay with the verse numbering layout of the English Bible for clarity with this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 52:1-9 as follows:

1. "Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The loyal love of Elohim endures all day long," Psalm 52:1.

2. "Your tongue devises destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who work treachery!" (Psalm 52:2)

3. "You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking what is righteous. Selah," Psalm 52:3.

4. "You love every word that devours, O tongue of treachery," Psalm 52:4.

5. "Surely Elohim will pull you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah," Psalm 52:5.

6. "The righteous ones will see and will fear; they will derisively laugh at him, (saying)," Psalm 52:6.

7. "Behold! The mighty man who did not make Elohim his stronghold, but who relied completely on his great riches and who grew strong in his destruction (of others)," Psalm 52:7.

8. "But as for me (emph. pron.), I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I rely completely on the loyal love of Elohim for ever and ever," Psalm 52:8.

9. "I will praise You forever because of what You have done; I will wait hopefully in Your Name, for it is good; I will praise You for what You have done in the conspicuous presence of Your saints," Psalm 52:9.

C. We note significant observations and applications of this psalm (as follows):

1. The psalm's introductory remarks and 1 Samuel 21:1-22:19 give this psalm's historical context: Doeg the Edomite told Saul that David had gone to the house of the high priest Ahimelech, implying that the latter was maliciously helping David oppose Saul when David was in fact acting as if he were on a mission for Saul when he was actually fleeing from him. Ahimelech had innocently thought David served Saul, so he had given David aid in good faith. Saul believed Doeg, and had him kill Ahimelech and his city of priests.

2. David noted that though Doeg advanced his own agenda and wealthy by treachery (v. 1-4), God would judge him by premature death (v. 5) for relying on treachery and wealth versus God for blessing (v. 6-7).

3. In contrast, though David was then fleeing from Saul as an outlaw, he would flourish as an olive tree in the house of God, relying completely on Elohim forever, v. 8. Olive trees "will grow where no other trees can" and "will yield heavily with the minimum of care and culture" (Zon. Pic. Ency. Bib., v. Four, p. 528), a suitable picture of David's growth in power, influence and wealth by God's provision through a life of faith in the Lord though David was then fleeing into the wilderness from Saul to wait on God one day to fulfill His promise to establish him as Israel's king, cf. 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 52:9.

4. David's "olive tree" only figuratively flourished in God's house (v. 8), for no olive tree literally grew in the tabernacle. David thus expressed how he was encircled by God's protection and support in his life.

Lesson: Though Doeg the Edomite was using deceit and treachery to enhance his agenda of gaining fame and fortune, God would uproot him by premature death in judgment where David, who lived by faith in God though fleeing for his life from Saul in the wilderness, would flourish like an olive tree due to God's encircling care.

Application: (1) If we are advancing our agenda by way of deceit and treachery, may we confess it and turn from it in view of our accountability to God before He judges us. (2) If we see others practicing treachery, may we recall our need to rely on the Lord and trust Him to bless us in the end, choosing to live a life of faith that, like an olive tree even in a wilderness realm of life, flourishes by trusting in the Lord and waiting for His eventual vindication and blessing. (3) May we trust that living by faith in God keeps us surrounded by His watchful protection and support as if we were an olive tree flourishing in His temple. (4) May we like David not live in anxiety even if we are physically forced out into a wilderness experience in life like he was, for God is still with us there!