Of Whirlwinds and Weed Pulling (Ps. 52)
Savoring the Psalter • Sermon • Submitted
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· 143 viewsThe Wicked might bring a whirlwind of destruction; but when God finally pulls the weeds of wickedness, they can never plague His people again.
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Illustration - describe the temporary destruction from the wrath of a tornado and apply that to Doeg; then describe the death done to weeds when they are pulled up by the root (especially Goat-Heads, which thing I hate!)
Main Thought: The Wicked might bring a whirlwind of destruction; but when God finally pulls the weeds of wickedness, they can never plague His people again.
Sub-intro:
Maschil. An Instructive. Even the malice of a Doeg may furnish instruction to a David. [C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 27-57, vol. 2 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 426.]
Relate the context of Saul's commissioning of Doeg to slay the priests of Nob for aiding David
Attempt to relate the symmetry of the first four verses describing Doeg's cyclone of treachery and threatening destruction alongside the final five verses of the Psalm following a more linear and evenly flowing layout which speaks to the stability of being firmly planted in God's trust and care.
Describe the national lineage of Doeg:
...the Edomites, although close kin to the Israelites, were bitter enemies of the people of God. Herod the Great, who massacred the babes of Bethlehem, was an Edomite. Doeg was an Edomite. Yet somehow, despite his alien background, he had attained high rank in Israel, for he was chief of Saul’s herdsmen. [John Phillips, Exploring Psalms 1–88: An Expository Commentary, vol. 1, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Ps 52.]
Body:
I. The Cyclone of Deceit & Its Wake of Destruction (Ps. 52:1-4).
I. The Cyclone of Deceit & Its Wake of Destruction (Ps. 52:1-4).
A. God's Abiding Grace (Ps. 52:1).
A. God's Abiding Grace (Ps. 52:1).
Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endureth continually.
The phrase “mighty man” is the equivalent of our “big shot” and was spoken derisively. Doeg and Saul were mighty in their own eyes but insignificant in God’s eyes; David was insignificant in their eyes but important to God. David depended on the mercy of the Lord (vv. 1, 8) while Saul and his men depended on themselves and their own resources. With tongues like honed razors, they issued orders and told lies without considering the consequences (see 5:9; 55:21; 57:4; 59:7; 64:3). Even when they told the truth—as Doeg did about David—they did it with evil intent because they were possessed by a malignant spirit. Their words devoured people and destroyed them (see 35:25). It isn’t difficult to find people like Doeg and Saul in our twenty-first century world. [Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Worshipful, 1st ed., “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004), 190.]
In the midst of this arraignment how impressive is the thought, "the goodness of God endureth continually" (1). It is the answer to the preceding question. The boasting of the wicked against the righteous cannot avail, for God's goodness to the latter "endures all the day." Are you the victim of malicious talk? God's love is all around you as an ocean round an island. [Scroggie, The Guide to the Psalms]
Psalm 52, like Psalm 49, is an instructional poem (Gerstenberger 1988:216) that forces us to examine our hearts to find out the source of our security in life (McCann 1996:890). The opening line sets before us two alternatives: We can find our security in ourselves or in the unfailing love of God. The rest of the psalm unpacks these two alternatives in two strophes: security in self (52:1–5) or security in God (52:6–9). [Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 187.]
B. Wicked Tongues Work Deceit (Ps. 52:2, 4b).
B. Wicked Tongues Work Deceit (Ps. 52:2, 4b).
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs;
Like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.
Thou lovest all devouring words,
O thou deceitful tongue.
My soul is among lions:
And I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
Behold, they belch out with their mouth:
Swords are in their lips:
For who, say they, doth hear?
C. Twisted Delights at Devouring Treachery (Ps. 52:3a, 4a).
C. Twisted Delights at Devouring Treachery (Ps. 52:3a, 4a).
Thou lovest evil more than good;
And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
Thou lovest all devouring words,
O thou deceitful tongue.
Note Boice's application to our tongue:
Portrait of a Very Wicked Man
As we read the first stanza of this historical psalm, we find Doeg’s evil character described in three aspects.
First, he was proud. The word used in the psalm is boast, and it occurs twice, both times in verse 1: ...it is that of a smug self-sufficiency that does not parade itself openly simply because it is so convinced of its superiority....
Second, Doeg loved evil. Verse 3 says ...
Third, Doeg used words as his weapon. At first glance this does not seem so bad to us. In fact, it seems out of place. We know that boasting is bad, and loving evil is bad by definition. But words? Words seem relatively harmless. Yet when we look carefully at the stanza we see that this is the vice most emphasized. [Read vv. 2-4]
This tells us something about the nature of falsehood, deceit, and lies as well as the potentially murderous effects of words. It teaches that words are not morally neutral. They are a powerful force either for evil or good. Yet the statements of the psalm do something else too. They also bring this denunciation of Doeg’s character closer to us and warn us of the evil of which we are capable.
Believers in Jesus Christ should not be able to see themselves as people who love evil. In fact, if they do love evil rather than good, they are not Christians. Neither should they be able to be described as those who are self-satisfied, clever, or absorbed in their intrigues. But words? Failing to tell the truth? Deceit? These are things that come much closer to where we live and are a rebuke to any loose talk or less than honest or upright conversation.
If this were not a danger for us, why would James have written about the harm the tongue can do in that extensive treatment found in chapter 3? [Read James 3:5-10]
The whole passage is sobering, but especially those last words: “Brothers, this should not be.” “Brothers” means Christians. So this is a statement that believers in Christ are sometimes guilty of the same vice seen in wicked Doeg and that they do corresponding harm.
[James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 42–106: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 439–441.]
D. The Eye of the Storm of Lies (v. 3b).
D. The Eye of the Storm of Lies (v. 3b).
Thou lovest evil more than good;
And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
You have heard it said of some people that they would rather tell a lie even when it would have been easier to tell the truth. [J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, electronic ed., vol. 2 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 767.]
II. The Song of the LORD's Doings and Works of Deliverance (Ps. 52:5-9).
II. The Song of the LORD's Doings and Works of Deliverance (Ps. 52:5-9).
A. The Wicked Shall Be Destroyed Forever (Ps. 52:5).
A. The Wicked Shall Be Destroyed Forever (Ps. 52:5).
God shall likewise destroy thee for ever,
He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place,
And root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
Verse 5.—“God shall destroy thee for ever,” etc. There are four words the Psalmist makes use of to denote the utter vengeance that awaited this deceitful and bloody wretch, all of them having a very strong meaning. The first, תָּצךָ from נָתַץ, signifies to pull down, and break utterly into pieces; as when an altar is demolished. (Judges 6:30; 8:9.) The second, יַחְתְּךָ from the root חָתָה, which signifies to twist anything, or pluck it up by twisting it round, as trees are sometimes twisted up. The third, יִסָּחֲךָ from נַסַח, which properly signifies utterly to sweep away anything like dust or chaff; and the expression יסָּתֲךָ מֵאֹהָל means not sweep thee away from thy tent, but, sweep thee away, that thou mayest be no longer a tent; thyself, thy family, thy fortune, shall be wholly and entirely swept away, and dissipated for ever; to which the fourth word, שֵׁרֶשְׁך, answers, eradicabit te, he shall root thee out from the land of the living. ’Tis impossible words can express a more entire and absolute destruction.—Samuel Chandler. [C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 27-57, vol. 2 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 429.]
Note Futato's Application of the first five verses:
Security in Self (52:1–5). Psalm 52:1 provides a synopsis of the whole psalm. Those who boast about their “crimes” are those who trust in their own power. “Boasting in” and “trusting in” are not identical concepts, but they are closely related. It is easy for us to trust in that which we can boast in, as 49:6 shows: “They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.” Finding security in our wealth is a theme in Psalm 49 that is picked up in this psalm as well (52:7), but Psalm 52 focuses on finding security in our own power, the power of a warrior bringing harm to others. The alternative is to find our security in the unfailing love of God that we can experience at any time during the day.
The weapon of destruction used by this “warrior” is the razor-sharp tongue of one skilled in deceit. The “evil” that is loved more than the “good” is explained in the following colon as lies that are opposed to truth. The lies in view are malicious, as their purpose is to bring harm to others.
While Doeg may have spoken the truth in a formal sense, Saul concluded from his words that Ahimelech had conspired with David against Saul. Such was certainly not the case. Doeg’s words had the effect of deceiving Saul and resulted in the heinous “crime” of 85 priests and all their families being massacred. Though we have no record of this in Scripture, it is easy to imagine Doeg boasting in his power over others.
Ironically, such security in self is utterly false, for the day will come when God will bring just judgment.
[Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 187–188.]
B. The Witness of His Destruction (Ps. 52:6-7).
B. The Witness of His Destruction (Ps. 52:6-7).
1. A Righteous Look (v. 6a).
1. A Righteous Look (v. 6a).
The righteous also shall see, and fear,
And shall laugh at him:
Note the Paronomasia (rhyming words) in the Hebrew "see" and "fear" (Bullinger)
2. A Righteous Laugh (v. 6b).
2. A Righteous Laugh (v. 6b).
The righteous also shall see, and fear,
And shall laugh at him:
It is the lesson drawn from God’s judgment that keeps the laughter of the righteous from being what we would call mere selfish delight at the fall of some mighty enemy. This is not mockery at another person’s misfortune. It is satisfaction at the rightness of things when God intervenes to judge those who have done great harm to others. [James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 42–106: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 442.]
3. A Rebuking Lesson (v. 7a).
3. A Rebuking Lesson (v. 7a).
Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength;
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.
Doeg ruled out God and relied on gold. For these two fatal mistakes he would soon pay with his life and with his soul. [John Phillips, Exploring Psalms 1–88: An Expository Commentary, vol. 1, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Ps 52:6–7.]
4. Riches Lie (v. 7b).
4. Riches Lie (v. 7b).
Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength;
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.
5. Wickedness Brings Weakness (v. 7c).
5. Wickedness Brings Weakness (v. 7c).
Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength;
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.
Note a play on the Hebrew word "refuge" in that he "made not God his strength" literally means that he did not make God His refuge but instead his refuge (or his trust) is in his own destructive actions.
C. The Wondrous Difference of the Believer (Ps. 52:8).
C. The Wondrous Difference of the Believer (Ps. 52:8).
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God:
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
The loving-kindness, grace, mercy, and pity of God, give great encouragement to trust in him; How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings, Psalm 36:7; the proclamation the Lord has made of himself, as gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, is sufficient to engage trust and confidence in him; says David, I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever, Psalm 52:8. [John Gill, A Complete Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity: Or A System of Evangelical Truths, Deduced from the Sacred Scriptures, New Edition., vol. 2 (Tegg & Company, 1839), 419.]
D. Wait on God's Name: (Ps. 52:9)
D. Wait on God's Name: (Ps. 52:9)
I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it:
And I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
1. Praise Him (v. 9a).
1. Praise Him (v. 9a).
2. For What Good He Has Done (v. 9b).
2. For What Good He Has Done (v. 9b).
Observe the parallelism here. "I will praise," and "I will wait"; the one looks back, and the other looks on; and the second clauses are related in like manner, pointing to what God has done, and to what He will do for all who wait on Him. [Scroggie]
3. For His Reputation Among Believers (v. 9c-d).
3. For His Reputation Among Believers (v. 9c-d).
And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Note Futato's application of the final four verses:
Security in God (52:6–9). The unfailing love that David had sought in 51:1 is here offered as a source of true security. David says of himself: “I will always trust in God’s unfailing love” (52:8). Contrary to the false security in self, which will be short-lived, security in God endures not just throughout the day but forever. So while those who trust in self will be uprooted, those who trust in God’s unfailing love are like firmly planted olive trees that live a long, long time in the presence of God.
Such benefits are not for David alone but also for the entire community. All the righteous will see the demise of those who trust in themselves, and they will be amazed—not in the sense of being surprised, but in the sense of standing in awe of the God who maintains justice in the world he has made. As God laughed at the demise of his foes (2:4), so those who trust in God will one day laugh at the demise of their foes. Theirs will be a laugh of derision: Here is what happens to those who find their security in themselves rather than in God.
Because David can trust in God’s unfailing love forever, he vows to give thanks to God forever for all that God has done for him. This vow is made before David has seen the demise of those who trust in themselves, so he concludes with a confession of trust: “I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people” (52:9).
[Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 188.]
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
(1). Words are for use, and not for abuse, as a razor is to shave with, and not to slay with (2); but the use a man will make of his tongue is determined by what he loves in his heart (3). The heart is the fountain, and the language is the flow, and James asks, "Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?" (James 3:11): then, "above all keeping keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). Who can tell all the anguish which has been suffered in consequence of mischievous tongues! Read carefully what James says on this subject in chap. 3:1-12, and then ask the Holy Spirit to take and train your tongue. [Scroggie, The Guide to the Psalms]
Psalm 52 serves as a warning and an encouragement. It warns those who would trust in themselves of the false security their lives are based on. It encourages those who find their security in God that his love is unfailing. In the present it may appear that security in self succeeds, but the eyes of faith can see into the future, and what they see is the success held out in Psalm 1: They are like trees planted by streams, succeeding in all they do. [Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 188.]