Psalm 52 - Huge Accusations

My kids are liars. Well, at least that’s what they say about each other. If you were to ask the accused, they would say they were actually “just kidding”. I digress. To call someone a liar is an amazingly strong accusation. We don’t let our kids get away with it (even when it’s true) instead we teach them to say, “I’m not sure you’re telling the truth” as a healthy alternative.

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

Your tongue plots destruction; 

it is like a sharpened razor, 

you who practice deceit.

You love evil rather than good, 

falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah

You love every harmful word, 

O you deceitful tongue!

Psalm 52:1-4

Plotting destruction, speaking deceit, and liking it: These aren’t small accusations in the eyes of God. To make them, you better be sure. And if it’s true, we better beware, especially if there is any part of us that enjoys it (See verse 4). David understood that. He knew both sides of that fence. His strategy? Chase after the heart of God and ask Him to search through his.

Our problem is that we are people of extremes. And we fool ourselves. We don’t understand that there are soft and secret words that can be just as harmful and deceitful as the loud and proud (vs.4). We don’t consider it evil when we stretch the truth or make assumptions about others, yet scripture tells us that any speaking falsehood is evil (vs.3). We think each word stands on its own although scriptures shows how each word builds on it self and can become even an unintentional plot of damage (vs.2). And we don’t even see how when we do this, even in private, we are a disgrace in the eyes of God (vs.1).

David understood what was at stake. Psalm 52 reminds us in verse 5.

“Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.” – Psalm 52:5

Wow, that’s serious. There are three things that stand out to me in this list of consequences: The first seems to be a personal consequence, whatever that may look like, the second of provision or position, and the third possibly the consequence of a full or vibrant life.

These things are significant. As believers, how we view others is significant. How we view ourselves impacts how we view others regardless of who they actually are. And it’s a big deal to God. So big that David has confidence that God won’t put up with it.

We need to invest more time into thinking how we treat one another.

Father, the hidden sins are the hardest for us. The irony is that they’re the most obvious to others. We easily fool ourselves. We indict ourselves only on what we think others see or know. And we begin to believe it ourselves. I’m reminded today that you know everything. And we could be indicted on every account. So we come back to Grace, the very thing that Christ came to give. Thank you for that act of benevolence. Amen.