Afterwords -- week 29
"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 ESV)
July 9, 2022
Dear friends,
According to its superscription, Psalm 52 was written by David in the context of events recorded in 1 Samuel 21-22. The paranoid King Saul, and his servant Doeg, assumed the worst about David and his contact with the high priest Ahimelech, namely, that they were conspiring to overthrew Saul's regime. The wicked are prone to twist, misrepresent, and malign others in order to exalt themselves and justify violence. In this case many innocent people died as a result of what Saul and Doeg thought were treasonous actions.
The root of the problem is that people love evil more than good (v 3), refuse to seek refuge in the Lord (v 7a), and trust in their own power and affluence (vv 1, 7b). This psalm focuses on the destructiveness of arrogant and deceitful language, declaring that such speech will be judged by God. Today, we tend to blame deceptive and inflammatory speech on the internet. But the media is merely the arena and amplifier of evil speech, which originates in the pride of the human heart.
David, however, confesses that his trust is in God's faithful covenantal love for him (חסד vv 1, 8). He himself will not raise a hand to harm King Saul. Though he is in exile from Jerusalem he basks in the Lord's care as if he were an olive tree in the temple courts. He manifests his trust by giving thanks, by patiently waiting for God's name (his character and reputation) to be vindicated at the proper time, and by remaining in fellowship with God's people (v 9; cf Heb 10:24-25).
Two of the Ten Commandments relate to speech, and specifically, to truthfulness in speech, about God (the third) and about others (the ninth). "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight" (Prov 12:22). There is no place for truth-twisting or story-shading, or for gossip or slander from God's people: "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another" (Eph 4:25; see 4:25-32). We must ask ourselves, when we repeat what others have said or done, do we do so fairly, giving the benefit of the doubt to their words and intentions? Are we quick to pass on what may be later discovered to be misinformation or a partial truth, especially if it makes others appear in a bad light? Let's pray that each of us would have what Martin Luther called a "curative tongue". And take a moment to enjoy this little chorus based on Psalm 52:8, "I'm Like a Tree", as sung by the Kingdom Kids.
BIBLE READING. I wrote a Scripture reading guide based upon the M'Cheyne schedule, divided over two years. Here are links for this weekend: Readings in Jeremiah and Matthew are here. Readings in Joshua and Psalms are here.
RECENT ARTICLES.
-- "A believer has two principles at work within him. In his natural estate he was subject to one principle only, which was darkness; now light has entered, and the two principles disagree..." Read Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, "An Internal Disagreement" here.
-- Here's an important difference between Albert Einstein and Billy Graham.
-- Read Jonah Goldberg on the "mind police", both on the right and on the left.
PEN TRIVIA. Kaspar Faber, a nobleman from Nuremberg, Germany, founded one of the oldest manufacturers of writing instruments still in operation today. Established in 1761, this family concentrated on the manufacture of quality pencils, and later added fountain pens. Great-grandson Eberhard Faber moved to New York City and opened a stationery store, following in the family footsteps. He would introduce the famous Blackwing pencil, as well as a line of fountain pens. I have two Eberhard Faber pens from the 1930s/40s. My newest modern pen acquisition is the Faber Castell Hexo, an aluminum black (aka "stealth") pen manufactured in Germany (photo below). It writes beautifully and would be a great entry-level, every-day-carry pen for those who want to write like our ancestors! :)
FINAL QUOTE. "I have never understood how people can blithely disregard the damage they do by following their hearts. Who was it said that following your heart is a good thing? It is pure egotism, a selfishness to conquer." (Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train)
That's it for week 29!
Sandy
Image credit. At top, photo of olives by Nazar Hrabovyi on Unsplash.