Psalm 52: Loving Evil

Why do you boast, O mighty one, of mischief done against the godly? All day long you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery.
You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking the truth. Selah
You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.
Selah
The righteous will see, and fear, and will laugh at the evildoer, saying,
"See the one who would not take refuge in God, but trusted in abundant riches, and sought refuge in wealth!"
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
I will thank you forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good.

It can be easy to spiritualize the situation behind Psalm 52 as a battle between good and evil, the righteous and the wicked. But if you focus closely on the psalm, you will find practical wisdom about trusting God instead of riches. Some have taken refuge in their wealth, thereby resisting trust in God. These are the ones who love evil more than good.

In our world today, it doesn't take long to envision how money and wealth affect our lives. Imagine with me the frenetic movement of the stock market, our obsession with the PowerBall lottery, and the current trend of passive income streams. We crave more and bigger.

Then, imagine the alternate image the Psalmist provides: a green olive tree. Majestic and at rest. Unalarmed. Calm. Trusting.

Coming in August

In August, we will be exploring together the four lectionary passages from Isaiah and Jeremiah. If you are preaching that month, plan to focus on Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 (August 7); Isaiah 5:1-7 (August 14); Jeremiah 1:4-10 (August 21); and Jeremiah 2:4-13 (August 28). If you aren't a preacher, plan to join us on our prophetic journey.

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