TRUE OR FALSE
Opening Prayer
“For what You have done I will always praise You in the presence of Your faithful people. And I will hope in Your [good] name…” (9).
Read Psalm 52
Psalm 52[a]
For the director of music. A maskil[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.[c]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.
Footnotes:
a Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
b Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
c Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How do you respond when confronted with evil people?When Carly Simon wrote “You’re so vain,” everyone wanted to know who she was singing about. Thanks to the psalmist’s instructions, we know that the boastful villain of Psalm 52 is Doeg the Edomite.
Psalm 52:2–4 suggests that Doeg is deceitful. However, according to 1 Samuel 21:7; 22:9–23, it is David who lies to Ahimlelek and Doeg who tells the truth to Saul. Could it be that doing what is right (telling the truth and obeying those in authority) for the wrong motives is deceitful (Prov. 16:25)? Verses 1 and 7 suggest that Doeg was not motivated by love for God’s truth but by self-preservation and self-advancement. His actions show scant regard for the Lord or his priests (7; 1 Sam. 22:17–19).
If David lied, how is he so confident about being counted among the righteous (6,8)? I think David had grasped the truth that was fully revealed in Jesus Christ: our righteousness does not lie in what we do or do not do but in the nature and goodness of God. David understood that the only sure path to human flourishing comes from living life with God and trusting his love (8).
Apply
How is your attitude and heart-intention? Is your desire to please God? Read Hebrews 4:12 and allow God’s Word to illuminate your heart.
Closing prayer
O Lord, show me how to honor You, not only in my actions, but also in the attitude of my heart.
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