Psalm 55:23

Psalm 55:23

Only half a life!

This is a sad end to the Psalm! It’s a job to know whether to take it as a prophetic statement that had application only to Absalom, or to see it as a more general indictment of the ways of the wicked. Certainly, Absalom was brought down into the pit of decay, and he did not live out half of his days. As we have seen, he was caught by his long hair, in the branches of a tree, and left hanging in the air. Joab sealed his doom with the tip of a javelin through his heart.

Whether we can consign all wicked people to an early grave is probably a matter for dispute, it is the Lord who gives and the Lord who takes away, so I think I would rather leave such matters to Him. However, we do see that those who live their lives to excess and who deliberately gamble with their health and their sanity, can bring a premature end to their time in this world. It is also true that those who have lived violently and who sacrifice the lives of others to their dictatorial ways, those who are driven by evil, can also be subject to an early grave. (Think of Hitler). It does not pay to play fast and loose with God.

The compelling final note of the Psalm, the climax of all that has gone before, is this statement from David who has vented his deepest, darkest emotions and now tells us what he has learned, “But as for me, I trust in You.”  If this is also our conclusion, as we have wrestled with our own worries and anxieties, then we have taken a step forward in our spiritual journey. At the end of the day, what else can we do? The Lord will sustain us, He will watch over us. The wicked can never prevail long term. The Divine Plan has always been that the righteous will be guarded, protected, and delivered. Nothing has changed. Hallelujah!

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