In The Word
Read: Psalms 58-59
Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.
For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David.
58 Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods?
Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?
2 No, in heart you work unrighteousness;
On earth you weigh out the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
These who speak lies go astray from birth.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5 So that it does not hear the voice of charmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.
6 O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.
7 Let them flow away like water that runs off;
When he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts.
8 Let them be as a snail which melts away as it goes along,
Like the miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely there is a God who judges on earth!”
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.
For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.
59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from those who do iniquity
And save me from men of bloodshed.
3 For behold, they have set an ambush for my life;
Fierce men launch an attack against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord,
4 For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.
Arouse Yourself to help me, and see!
5 You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations;
Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah.
6 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And go around the city.
7 Behold, they belch forth with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “Who hears?”
8 But You, O Lord, laugh at them;
You scoff at all the nations.
9 Because of his strength I will watch for You,
For God is my stronghold.
10 My God in His lovingkindness will meet me;
God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes.
11 Do not slay them, or my people will forget;
Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield.
12 On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be caught in their pride,
And on account of curses and lies which they utter.
13 Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;
That men may know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And go around the city.
15 They wander about for food
And growl if they are not satisfied.
16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Psalm 59 is a psalm of David written when Saul sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him (I Samuel 19:11-18). Once again, David is facing the threat of death, and not for any guilt of his own (Psalm 59:4). This time, David’s wife, Saul’s daughter, helps David. She warns David about the plot of Saul and lets him down through a window so he could escape. Then she puts a statue in David’s bed and says that he is sick. I wonder if David is thinking about that as he writes Psalm 59:8, “but You, O Lord, laugh at them.”
David was a man after God’s own heart. We must guard our hearts against pride and other sins. That which is in our heart will proceed from our mouth. Do you find yourself speaking words from your lips that are not pleasing to God? It could be negative words or things like gossip, cursing, or lies. If you do, it is not a culture problem, and not a problem having to do with how you were raised. It is a heart problem. Our words matter. In Matthew 12:36, Christ says, “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” Our words should be pleasing to God. Use your words for Him today.