Poor Governing
Psalm 58
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not
Destroy. A Miktam of David.
1Do
you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man
uprightly?
2No,
in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.
3The
wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4They
have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5so
that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter.
6O
God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7Let
them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be
blunted.
8Let
them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who
never sees the sun.
9Sooner
than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he
sweep them away!
10The
righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in
the blood of the wicked.
11Mankind
will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God
who judges on earth.”
One of my greatest annoyances is
the constant barrage of information about the 2016 presidential election that
is happening in the U.S. right now. It’s only annoying because it’s been going
on for almost 2 years already. I’m over it. And – it has been an intense and
unusual political season. This year has been one for the history books.
While I’m not a very “political” person, I will admit to a certain fascination
with the whole process so far and not a small amount of concern as we face a
truly despicable choice in November. As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t going
to be a good option once we enter the voting booth. And that is something like
David was facing as he wrote this Psalm.
Psalm 58 bemoans the God instituted
leadership of Israel. Saul was seeking to end David’s life, so he had good
reason for his disgust with the king. But he still doesn’t take matters into
his own hands. David still entrusts the situation into God’s hands. But – he is
not happy with the king and expresses his sadness in harsh terms. He remains
truly honest about his circumstance and doesn’t hold back how he feels from
God.
I’m fairly certain (based on the buzz on
social media) that I am not alone in my angst over the leadership in the U.S.
But we are always and forever in the hands of God almighty. And all world
leaders are in those positions because of God’s divine will. I may not always
like it, but I am bound to that truth. Perhaps some of that angst can be
dispelled in our trust in God’s divine plan. Things may look like they have spiraled
out of control, but that is simply not true. God is still in full control and
we can relax in His care because “surely
there is a God who judges on earth.” It was true for David and it is still
true for us.
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