The author of Psalm 52 is David. The psalm portrays that God will judge evildoers. Our anger must not block our confidence in God's ability to defeat evil.
Psalm 52:1 - "Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?"
This psalm was written about Doeg, an Edomite who had betrayed Ahimelech and David and then killed God's priests (see 1 Samuel 21:7; 22:9-23). Doeg thought he was a great hero - even boasting about his deed. In realty, his deed was evil, an offense to God. It is easy to mistake "accomplishment" with goodness. Measure all you do by the rule of God's Word, not by how proficiently you do it.
Psalm 52:8 - "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever."
With God by his side, David compared himself to an olive tree flourishing in the house of God. Not only is an olive tree one of the longest living trees, but a flourishing tree has even greater longevity. David was contrasting God's eternal protection of his faithful servants with the sudden destruction of the wicked.
Psalm 52 / The New International Version
ReplyDelete1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 Your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor,
you who practice deceit.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
4 You love every harmful word,
O you deceitful tongue!
5 Surely God will bring 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.
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at him, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints"