 To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.
58 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man uprightly? 2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. 4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, 5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter. 6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! 7 Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. 8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. 9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! 10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.” Meditation How can Jesus teach us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us? Judgement is in God’s hands and not ours (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:17-19). When we trust in God, His justice, and His timing, we are free to love and serve those who seek to harm us. Today’s Psalm addresses God’s enemies (1-2), describes them (3-5), prays against them (6-9), and rejoices over them knowing their destiny is downfall (10-11). God wins. His enemies will not prosper. Workers of evil will be devastated by the just judgment of God. Warning embedded in the passage- The description of God’s enemies hits close to home- estranged, astray, speaking lies, stoking venom, and being deaf towards God. Paul uses these verses in Romans 3:9-18 and they describe you and me. We see ourselves in the reflection. We are all enemies of God and judgment is our fate unless we put our faith in the Son of God who died for us while we were yet enemies (Romans 5:8-10). God’s grace is available for all who believe! When we experience the victory of God personally we can experience hearts, not focused on repaying evil for evil, but focused on learning to love as we have been loved. Richly Dwelling - Do you repay evil for evil? Do you try to take God’s judgment into your own hands? -The description in 3-5 describes you and me, reflecting us as in a mirror. Where do you identify as an enemy of God, needing to wave a white flag and surrender to the grace and mercy of God? -How can you love an enemy today, doing what is honorable and living peaceably (Romans 12:17-18) with those who hate you or oppose God? Key Verse 11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.” Comments are closed.
|