Psalm 58: Hope on the Horizon

​Key Verse
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
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Meditation
Biblical lament leads to life, empowering believers to grieve brokenness with hope of God’s new world on the horizon of our hearts. Lament lifts eyes of faith above our circumstances to see God using evil for His good and making all things new. 
 
Today’s lament cries out against evil, enemies of God, and unjust rulers (1-5). The climax is prayer against the wicked, that they may “have their teeth broken,” evaporate like water, disappear like a snail, wash away like in Noah’s flood, and “never see the sun” like a stillborn child (6-9). Grief and groaning are real, and God cares about our problems and pain. His sovereign grace ensures all we endure will be for His glory and our gain.
 
Hope dawns when faith focuses on God and His sovereign grace. The upside-down world of evil will be right-sized when God responds. Evil will be undone. The wicked will be washed in blood. The righteous will see God’s justice and rejoice (10-11)- God is faithful to keep His covenant promises! With the persistent widow, one day the righteous will see “God will give justice, speedily.” (Luke 18:8)
 
God’s magnificent reversal began when, after living a perfect life, Jesus was handed over to the wicked to have His life unjustly taken from Him. A perfect man, Jesus died in the place of the wicked (Romans 5:8), washed away in God’s wrath so enemies of God can be washed clean by His blood. By His resurrection from death, Jesus officially defeated evil so hope can rise in the hearts of His people.
 
Today’s Reading
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.
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.”

 
Richly Dwelling
- What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the lament that leads to a life of hope?
 
-Where do you need to lament, being honest with your pain and problems to allow your eyes of faith to focus on God and His promises?
 
-You were an enemy of God, and Jesus died for you. Jesus was washed away in God’s wrath so you can be washed clean in His blood. Where, specifically, do you need to celebrate this reality in order to deepen your heart of gratitude for God’s work?
 
Key Verse
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”