Message Notes

SSS 4 16 October 2022
Book 2
Psalms 42-72

Text: Psalm 52

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”
52 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.

2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah

4 You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

6 The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,

7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

9 I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it [c]is good.

Psalm 52:1-9

THE HISTORY BEHIND THIS PSALM

The narrative behind this story is found in 1 Samuel 21-22.

1. David was fleeing from the wrath of King Saul

2. He came to the tabernacle where Ahimelech was the priest in charge

3. Ahimelech gave the sacred bread of the priests to David and his men

4. He also gave to David the sword of Goliath 1 Samuel 21

5. Doeg the Edomite told King Saul how Ahimelech helped David

6. Saul marched his troops to confront Ahimelech

7. He ordered his troops to kill the priests, but none obeyed this order

8. Doeg the Edomite killed 85 priests that day 1 Samuel 22:18

AN ANALYSIS OF PSALM 52

1. The Superscription

This refers to the word of explanation about the Psalm

2. The subscription

This refers to the musical notation

3. The Superscription informs us of the historical context that inspired the writing of Psalm 52

A DESCRIPTION OF DOEG THE EDOMITE
(It applies to others who are like him)

1 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.

2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah

4 You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.

Psalm 52:1-4

1. “Mighty man”

a) Sarcasm

b) Doeg was one of the stewards of King Saul 1 Samuel 22:9

2. The evil person that Doeg was

a) Boasts in evil

b) A tongue that devises destruction

c) It is compared to a sharp razor

d) It works deceitfully

e) He loves evil

f) He prefers lying more than righteousness

g) He loves devouring words

THE FATE OF THE WICKED

5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

6 The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,

7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

Psalm 52:5-7

1. The trusts in the abundance of his riches

2. He strengthens himself in his wickedness

3. But God will destroy the wicked forever

4. The wicked would be plucked out from his home

5. He will be uprooted from the land of the living

6. He will be held in derision by the righteous

HOW DAVID SAW HIMSEL.F

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

9 I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

Psalm 52:8-9

1. He compares himself to a green olive tree in the house of God

a) Young

b) Innocent

c) But his faith in God has been rooted

2. His faith in the LORD

a) He trusts in the mercy of the LORD forever

b) He will praise God forever

c) He believes that God would deal with the wicked in the presence of His saints

d) He will wait on the Lord and hold fast to the good name of God