Psalm 52:1

Psalm 52:1

Denunciation of the enemy

The background to this Psalm can be found in 1 Samuel 21-22. David is on the run from the jealousy and murderous intentions of King Saul. As he skips from place to place his movements are being watched and anyone loyal to Saul reports back to him. The tabernacle, that used to be housed at Shiloh, has been moved because Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines and God’s Holy Meeting Place is now housed at a town called Nob, just a few miles NE of Jerusalem. Ahimelek, the priest in charge, trembles one day when David appears alone and asks for bread. The only bread that is available is that which has recently been removed from the Table of Shewbread in the Holy Place and David gratefully takes this and asks also if the priest has any spears or swords that he could take. With that, Ahimelek hands over the Sword of Goliath, the Philistine.

Unbeknown to David, Doeg, Saul’s Chief Shepherd, was at the site and of course, he hotfooted it back to the King to report on David’s whereabouts. When Saul heard about the events, he was furious and ordered the killing of the priests. That day the inhabitants of Nob, including children and babies, its cattle and its donkeys and sheep, were all slain along with 85 priests. Psalm 52 is David’s response to this dreadful genocidal massacre. It’s not clear who is the butt of David’s fury, is it Doeg or is it Saul? I suspect the latter and that is how we will interpret much of this Psalm. You should not need an introduction to our main protagonist, let’s see what the Lord has to say to us about him, shall we?

 

V1        Saul had a reached a point in his reign where he thought of himself as invincible. The power and influence of his office had turned this tormented man into a cruel despot. He believed that all should do his bidding, he was the king and everyone else a mere commoner and an irritation if they disobeyed him. Life was cheap, he could kill and destroy and dispose of anyone who stood in his way, he was the ultimate authority, he must be obeyed. Saul was tormented by an evil spirit and also by an insignificant shepherd boy who always seemed to evade capture and who danced a merry dance of insolence just beyond his reach! Catching him was like chasing shadows! Saul had no doubt that he would succeed but every time he failed to do so was another dent in his ego and a reason to make even greater boasts about himself. 

David despised this kind of leadership and although he was running for his life, it hurt him deeply that innocent people were suffering in his wake. He was a godly man, how he hated to hear Saul boasting of his evil exploits.

Satan is a boaster; you only have to listen to those held captive by his lies to know that he loves to brag, and he believes himself invincible even though he has been fatally wounded at the Cross. He kills and maims and never gives up in his quest to destroy life. Jesus Christ is the author of all life, Satan opposes him in every way. Jesus is life, Satan is death. Jesus is light, Satan is darkness. Jesus is truth, Satan is the father of lies. Jesus submits to His Father’s will, Satan submits to no one. Our adversary is like Saul or, to put it more correctly, Saul had an evil spirit sent by our adversary; he was driven by the master of evil. Those who are under the influence of the devil are deceived into thinking that it is they who have the power, they rarely acknowledge where that power comes from. It is sadly ironic that their arrogant boasting actually reveals them to be no more than puppets in the hands of their evil master.

 

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