A Difficult Psalm
A Difficult Psalm
Sept. 22 – Psalm 58
To the leader: Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam.
1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you mighty ones? Do you judge people fairly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked go astray from the womb; they err from their birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter.
6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;
like grass let them be trodden down and wither.
8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime;
like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10 The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done;
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 People will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
This is a very difficult Psalm. The anger, the desire for vengeance, the wanting the opponent to be destroyed are very uncomfortable for us. But it is also incredibly honest.
When we are hurt by another person’s actions, by another person’s words, we often just keep on going, trying to ignore the pain, trying to pretend the hurt was not that bad. This psalm gives us permission to say that when we are hurt, when we are wronged, it matters, it is in fact a big deal. The anger and desire for revenge that are often part of our response to that hurt, needs to find voice. What better place to give it voice than in prayer to God (the psalms are prayer)? God already knows what we are thinking and feeling so why not talk to God about those feelings as David does here?
Speaking words of anger and even revenge is not the same as doing what we say we want to see happen. Talking it out may in fact stop us from acting. Talking it out, in the safety of prayer allows us to express our feelings, and then with God’s help recognize that vengeance is not our responsibility.
Vs. 11 is important in this process – “there is a God who judges on earth.” The workers of injustice will be held to account. The cry of those who have been hurt and harmed has been heard by God, the judge has heard and will respond. Even though he is in pain and angry, David can leave the judgment to God. We too are invited to name our pain, to be honest about it, and then to trust that God will act with justice.
PRAYER:
We have been hurt, O Lord, by the words of others, by the actions of others. That hurt is a deep pain in us, a pain that we bring to you – the anger, the hurt, the desire for revenge – we bring it to you. We trust you to act, to do what is right. Hold on to us even as we are in pain. In Jesus’ name. Amen.