My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 52:5 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
Psalm 52:6 The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying,
Psalm 52:7 “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

David just completed the introductory verses of Ps 52, describing the boasting of the mighty man, referring to Doeg the Edomite, as he ratted on David to Saul.

We noticed in our last study that Doeg and David had some similarities, in that they were both men associated with a deceitful tongue. Remember that David was lying to Ahimelech when he spoke of his circumstances. Granted we may readily admit that Doeg was a man who sought to deceive, destroy and devour, whereas David fell into deception at a weak point in his life. All that may be true, but as we spoke last time, David will speak of the outcome of a deceitful, destructive devouring tongue, even though David fell into that very condition for a short time. Yet, David did not shy away from the holiness and righteousness of God, even if it condemned him. That, in my mind, is a wonderful testimony of the truth and inspiration of the Word. Sin isn’t covered up, even by the author who performed a sin.

Nevertheless, our passage today speaks of God’s judgement on the mighty man who devours, destroys and deceives, and the reaction of the righteous when the mighty man is broken.

Verse 5 begins with the statement that God will break the mighty man down forever. Reading it for the first time, I assumed David was speaking of Doeg’s destruction, his death and eternal judgement. Even as I say that, I am not sure that is what David intended me to understand, for as we read the following verse, David speaks of the mighty man torn from his home (tent) and uprooted from the land of the living. Yes, seeing land of the living may refer to the death of the mighty man. That may be the intent of David’s message.

But, consider what it means to be broken. God will break the mighty man down forever. May this expression be synonymous to a humbling of the mighty man? God is able to humble the mighty man, we know that. And I think you may agree with me that being taken into captivity (or at least from his home and land) is a most humbling event.

Still though Carl, when David refers to the land of the living, he must be speaking of Doegs death. Well might that be, but consider that the land of the living may also reference a land full of vibrant life, much vegetation, wildlife, plenty of water and resources for a population. The land of the living may be our present condition, pre-death.

Consider Psalm 27:13

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

This makes some sense to this feeble mind, even as David continues in verse 6, stating that the righteous will see and fear the outcome of the mighty man. And laugh at him!

If David is describing what we consider to be eternal conscious torment, how would laughing be appropriate for the righteous man? I am not convinced that David, or any OT prophet had the understanding of the afterlife – especially for the unrighteous – that we say we have today!

David finished this three verse middle portion of Psalm 52 with a statement from the righteous man’s lips, speaking of the mighty man’s own destruction, how the life of the mighty man showed that he was in reality seeking refuge in his own destruction!

What a difficult truth to grapple with! To seek refuge in our own destruction. What is it for us to seek our own hurt, our own pain, to avoid life and turn from it? I believe if my reader has walked with the Lord for any period of time, they will admit to the pull of the old man, dragging us away from life, away from real blessing, away from the fountainhead of all goodness.

He rescues us from the guilt of sin in our initial salvation, but our walk with Him is our rescue from a life of sin, a life of rebellion, a life of seeking death. Sanctification during our time on earth is the battle to say no to seeking our own hurt, and to pursue the blessing of knowing the One True God.

Let us admit that our daily lives are not simply a time for us to wait for the end to be delivered to heaven, but that even today, He is actively working in us to do His good will, to conform us to His dear Son, to imitate God, walking in the way of love.

My friends, this condition is somewhat common amongst both the mighty and the humble. The difference is that only the humble understand how treacherous and strong the old man is, for the mighty man never challenges the old man, but simply follows his whims.

Follow after Him and say no to your old man. It is the path He walked.

---

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com