March 16, 2017
CHOOSING TO LIKE THE THING I HATE
Psalm 52
Scott Kedersha
Central Truth
In Psalm 52, David gives us two choices. We can either choose to trust in our own desires and pursue evil, or we can trust in the steadfast love of God. Make the right choice, and you will dwell with Him forever and ever.
Key Verse | Psalm 52:8
But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
(Psalm 52:8)
Psalm 52
The Steadfast Love of God Endures
To the choirmaster. A Maskil 1 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”
1
Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
2
Your tongue plots destruction,
like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3
You love evil more than good,
and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4
You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.
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
6
The righteous shall see and fear,
and shall laugh at him, saying,
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!”
2
52:7
Or in his work of destruction
8
But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
9
I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 52
I love to eat, and I'm thankful for the riches of foods and tastes God created! There’s only one food in the world I won’t eat: the olive. I’m the guy who stands in the salad line, uses the tongs to grab big portions of salad, and then uses the same tongs to put the individual pieces of olives back in the salad bowl. I’m not racist against the olive—black, purple, green—I hate them all.
Yet, in Psalm 52, I find myself wanting to be the tree that produces the food I hate. In this psalm proclaiming the steadfast love of the Lord, David says he wants to be like an olive tree. This tree flourishes, producing great fruit in God's presence. I’ve never wanted to embrace my Middle Eastern heritage more than when I read about the benefits of being like this olive tree.
When you look closer at Psalm 52, you see that David contrasts two types of people.
Person One:
Boasts of evil (verse 1). He praises evil acts instead of good.
Plots destruction and works deceit (verse 2). He meditates on and plots out his evil plans.
Loves disaster and trouble (verse 3). This person delights and celebrates wickedness.
On the other hand, Person Two:
Is righteous and fears evil (verse 6).
Forever trusts in the steadfast love of God (verse 8).
Is thankful and patient in the Lord (verse 9).
In the end, one is broken down forever, snatched and torn from the tent, uprooted from the Land of the Living. The other stands like a flourishing tree in the house of the Lord.
I want to be like this tree. I desire to trust in the steadfast love of God and thank Him forever and ever. I want to be like the house built on a solid foundation (Matthew 7:24-27), one who is rooted and built up in Christ (Colossians 2:7). The choice is either to trust in myself and my plans or trust in the Lord. I choose to be the olive tree. Just please don’t make me eat its “fruit”!
Discussion Questions
1. What’s the food you hate the most? Why?
2. What or who is the source of your trust? Is it your pleasures, your bank account (your riches—Psalm 52:7), your job, or something else? Is it the steadfast love of the God? What evidence do you have to best answer these questions?
3. In Psalm 52:2-4, David makes several references to the tongue and our words. Read Ephesians 4:25-32. How are you doing specifically at building others up with your words instead of tearing them down (Ephesians 4:29)?
4. When do you find yourself struggling most with trust issues? If you find yourself having consistent trust issues in your life, then you might want to check out Watermark's incredible re:generation recovery ministry. If you find yourself struggling with trust issues in your marriage, please check out re|engage.