Psalm 52:1-5 - June 8, 2009

Ps 52:1-5 "Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? 2 Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. 3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah 4 You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue! 5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living." NIV

There are three powerful messages conveyed in this very short passage; God is watching, He will not let those who do evil go unpunished and His judgment is eternal! Men who practice evil tend to exalt themselves with a spirit of pride, as if to say, “No one can touch me. I am beyond judgment!” This psalm shouts to such a man the sobering reminder that their day of judgment will come. In 2 Peter 3:9 the apostle teaches us about the nature of God’s patient justice, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” We are instructed that it is not the absence of justice, nor the ignorance of the acts of the wicked that causes God’s hand to be slow to act in bringing His judgments into the earth. No man has deceived God by the subtlety of His plans nor has any man hidden his actions so deeply that God cannot clearly discern his schemes. David wrote in Ps 139:7-8, 11-12 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there… 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” There is no place where we can hide from the all seeing eyes of the Lord God Almighty!
The nature of the principles conveyed in this passage has a two-fold purpose projecting from its words. To the wicked Psalm 52:1-5 becomes a warning and a call to repentance. “Turn now because judgment is coming!” To the righteous this passage becomes an encouragement to endure in hope and peace. We are reminded that the day of judgment; the day that all things are set in order and all injustices are met with God’s scales of justice tempered by mercy. Though God may seem passive in the midst of our current awareness of our need we are reminded that in due time He will arise, His hand of judgment will be stretched forth and all men will see that no evil deed will have gone unaccounted for! There will be an everlasting consequence for every evil deed that is not forgiven through repentance and the blood of Christ. When it is time for God’ judgment it will be swift, it will be just and it will be severe. Do not grow weary as you wait for the hand of God to move. It is only His heart of mercy that restrains Him.