Message Notes

SSS 4 27 November 2022
Book 2
Psalms 42-72

Text: Psalm 58

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.
1Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?

2 No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,

5 Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skilfully.

6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.

8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

11 So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

Psalm 58:1-11

NATURE OF THIS PSALM

1. Strongly imprecatory

2. Praying for divine judgment on the unrepentant wicked

THE FOCUS OF THIS PSALM

1. Directed at the appointed judges of Israel

2. The Judges should have upheld the law and justice

3. Some judges were wicked and corrupt

A REBUKE TO THE WICKED JUDGES

1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?

2 No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

Psalm 58:1-2

1. The courts of ancient Israel

a) Judges were appointed by the ruler

b) A group of judges would work together

2. Some problems:

a) They appear to speak righteously

b) But some remain silent

3. David’s rebuke

a) This kind of work is “wickedness”

b) Violence would not be quelled in the land

c) They are causing more violence by the way they were functioning

ESSENTIAL LESSONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF WICKEDNESS

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,

5 Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skilfully.

Psalm 58:3-5

1. The Original sin

a) It comes when one is born

b) Sin is compared to poison of a serpent

2. Children

a) They do not need to be taught to lie

b) They do not need to be taught to go astray

c) From birth, they are capable of:

i) Being estranged

ii) Of lying

iii) Of going astray

3. The unrepentant

a) They cannot be tamed

b) They will not listen

c) They cannot be charmed like some snakes may be charmed

A STRONG IMPRECATORY PRAYER

6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.

8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun

Psalm 58:6-8

1. Vivid imagery employed

a) Breaking of the teeth/ fangs of the lions

b) Flowing of water

c) Breaking of the bow

d) Snail melting away

e) Death to the unborn of the wicked

2. These express:

a) The feelings

b) Thoughts of David concerning the problem of sin in the land

PROFOUND REFLECTIONS

9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

11 So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”
Psalm 58:9-11

1. A Hope expressed

a) That God will take away the wicked soon

b) He believes in God’s “living and burning wrath” against the wicked

2. The righteous

a) He will rejoice when he sees the wicked destroyed

b) The blood of the wicked would be so thick, the feet may be washed in it

c) They will then acclaim:

i) Surely, there is a reward for the righteous;

ii) Surely, He is God who judges in the earth