Psalm 52 - God's unfailing love

Read: Psalm 52 vs 1-9

There is fierce battle that rages throughout the second half of the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. God has rejected Saul as Israel’s King and David is now on his way to the throne as the ‘Lord’s anointed’ (a title that points forward to the New Testament character of the Messiah). While God has chosen David, Saul remains totally opposed to him and throws everything he has against him. In 1 Samuel 21: 7 we meet a man called Doeg, he was from Edom and he was ‘Saul’s chief shepherd’. The figure of the shepherd in the Bible brings to mind many positive images, ‘the LORD is my shepherd’, and of course Jesus Himself ‘the Good Shepherd.’ But Doeg is a bad shepherd. A story is told in 1 Samuel 22:6-18 of how Saul ordered the execution of a priest called Ahimilek, who had spoken up for David. Doeg stepped forward to carry out Saul’s command, putting to death a whole town, along with ‘its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys … and sheep’ (1 Samuel 22:19).

The Bible says that there is evil in the world and there are people whose hearts are gripped by evil. Psalm 52 gives full voice to David’s opposition not just to evil (as a moral category), but to Doeg (as an evil person). If we have no enemies, we cannot obey Jesus’ command in Matthew 5:44. Christians are not called to ignore those who do evil, nor are they called to overlook the wrong they do. They are called to pray for them (Matthew 5:44). 

Psalm 52 gets us started in praying for our enemies. The raw emotions expressed here are not where the Bible ends in how to pray for those who do wrong, but it is a start. Honestly naming things, getting things out into the open, and doing all of this before God. Trusting in ‘God’s unfailing love’ (vs 8) David continues to live out every emotion, every hurt, every fear, in the presence of His God. David is hunted, David is hurt, David is angry. Yet through it all David is somehow refreshed (vs 8), rooted in God.  

Prayer: Lord Jesus you know that there have been people who have intentionally hurt me over the years, people who have tried to do me harm. You tell me to pray for these people, and that it’s ok even to tell you how angry or bitter I feel. Thank you that I don’t have to pretend with you. Thank you for your unfailing love.