Psalms Reading – 2.23.2022
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
In this psalm, we find David’s impassioned plea that God, the righteous Judge, should put right what human “rulers” have done to pervert justice and cause evil to spread throughout the earth.
This psalm uses graphic imagery to describe the wicked and their fate. Some of it is hard to read and appreciate. In verse 10, in particular, the righteous dipping their feet in the blood of the wicked may be disturbing. However, this language shows the depth of David’s passion against injustice and his desire for it to be overturned. David calls on God to bring about their judgment so their evil practices will stop. Often, such prayers are answered by God’s people intervening as they are led by God into action.
This whole psalm teaches us that Godly people should be outraged with evil in all of its forms. There are plenty of examples of injustice in our world today. Children are targeted through abortion, abuse, and neglect. There are inequalities among ethnic groups. Christians are being terribly persecuted in places like Nigeria, India, and China. Without just cause, leaders of nations still orchestrate attacks on lesser nations and even groups of people within their own nation.
Even if we do not like David’s vivid language, we should have his heart which has been described as a heart after God. We should passionately plead with God for His judgment to come on the many injustices of our world and be willing to be an answer to those prayers where we are able.
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: What are the injustices that grab your heart? What are you doing about them? Praying? Serving in organizations that address them? Writing to government leaders?