ARROGANCE

This psalm and the three that follow it describe a person of arrogance and evil intent. In this first one, Doeg the Edomite (like Herod) is a man of evil intent who is a betrayer, a boaster, and a deceiver. These four psalms give an early description of the antichrist who will yet come with determined evil intent against the people of God. As a “maschil” psalm, it is given for our instruction that we will learn to look beyond what a person says of himself to what he does and the final outcome. The antichrist will be an inveterate liar whose words will bring evil to the suffering people of God during the tribulation. God will stop the antichrist, who will become the object of derision and divine judgment when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth in power. At the end of the antichrist’s evil reign, believers who suffered will worship and praise the Lord. This psalm gives an instructive prophetic view of the future.

The psalm does not appeal to the Lord for help. Rather, it is a blunt address like a prophet would give those who love evil. In contrast to the psalmist described in the last verses, it is directed to one person but applies to all arrogant people. It promotes confidence in God even when under attack from evil men and seducers who wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Verses one through four describe the character of the one who opposes. From five through seven, there is the retribution of God against that person, and the last verses tell of the trust of the psalmist. Doeg considered himself a hero, but his whole sense of morality was perverted. He loved evil and used his words as a weapon against those he wanted to bring down. He was a traitor who was exposed for what he really was. He told King Saul where David was, and Saul dispatched this herdsman of his to take men and kill the high priest, Ahimelech, and eighty-four other priests besides women, children, and animals.

This evil man was motivated by falsehood, treachery, and greed, as he used his tongue “like a sharp razor” to lie against the psalmist deliberately. He took pride in wickedness, loving evil rather than good. He lied rather than tell the truth to ingratiate himself with Saul. His character was one of deceit and evil speaking. Unlike the psalmist, he was a man of low character whose doom is certain.

What we approve of indicates where our values are. The pleasures of evil are loved by those who boast rather than expressions of appreciating the goodness of God that lasts forever. To love evil is moral perversity and will eventually lead to the judgment of God and punishment for sin. Righteous people will profit by learning from the bad example of the wicked. Our confidence in God must be strong even when under attack from evil. God will deal with the enemies who oppose, and righteous people will mock the arrogant person with holy laughter in the end. Boasting of evil committed is even worse than committing evil. Momentary self-glory fades and brings the inevitable consequences of judgment on the wicked. Those who are righteous can see the folly of such actions, so their laughing is not self-righteous smugness but rather rejoicing in the justice of God.

The middle section of this psalm tells of the retribution of God. God will snatch away the wicked man. He will tear him from home, uproot him, and deal righteously with him. Such arrogant people will be brought down like the rich fools described in other Psalms and Luke 16. When God brings down the arrogant person, he and all he claimed for himself will be taken from him. He will be gone. It is a good lesson to learn that not every accomplishment is good. Everything we do must be done God’s way and according to God’s rules, not ours.

Righteous people will learn from this psalm of instruction to trust in God like the psalmist. The psalmist's trust was absolute in the Lord and His mercy. In contrast to the arrogant man who says and does what he wants and suffers the consequences, the righteous trust in God. His mercy, lovingkindness, and grace are reasons for his thankfulness to Him.

The psalmist said he was like a “green olive tree,” fresh and fruitful. When he is in the house of God, vitality and productiveness continue when one “waits on the name of the Lord.” A flourishing tree is a blessing to all who are there to partake of its fruit. The wicked have only a tent that is soon gone. The house of God is a place of blessing. One who trusts in the Lord and waits upon Him is a blessing in the place of a blessing. Such a person is thankful to be there and publicly praises the Lord for His goodness and the goodness of His name. All we are, have, and hope to be is the Lord’s doings. It is always right to trust, wait, hope, and expect the Lord to fulfill His promises. This is one of the reasons we can rejoice ahead of time in the knowledge that divine justice is coming in God’s own good time.

PSALM 52 Judgment of the evil-doer - the Antichrist This is the first of four Psalms that give a prophetic picture of the coming Antichrist. The Lord Jesus spoke of him, Daniel and Paul both spoke of him, John described him, and these psalms are maschil

(instruction) psalms giving spiritual truths concerning the future. These give accurate instructions as to the Antichrist. In the title, Doeg is the deceiver who betrayed David. The Antichrist is a deceiver and betrayer.