Psalm 52 is highly relevant in these troubling times as we hear daily how power-hungry leaders deny truth, tell outright lies, brag about things they claim to have accomplished, and make false accusations against their opponents.

The Psalm is a prophetic critique of deceptive speech aimed at gaining political power. It is rooted in the story of Doeg the Edomite, who witnessed David’s humble request for help from Ahimelech. This priest from Nob, who offered David and his hungry men consecrated bread, and gave him Goliath’s sword—with no awareness that he was fleeing from king Saul, who was out to kill him (1 Sm 21). 

Later Doeg, trying to please Saul, falsely accused Ahimelech and David of conspiring against him. Saul then summoned Ahimelech, commanding Doeg to execute him and all 85 of God’s priests. “And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword” (2 Sm 22:19). 

Jesus associates himself and his disciples directly with David and his men in this story as he’s accused by the Pharisees (Mk 3:23-28), who then conspire to kill him. The Psalm continues to speak truth today.

“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?” asks the Psalmist—and no answer is given. We know that such boasting intimidates, threatens, humiliates and subjugates—giving the impression that the speaker is successful, in control, dominant, and even all-powerful.

In contrast the Psalmist presents only “the lovingkindness of God” as permanent (“enduring all day long”).

The Psalmist speaks with prophetic directness to powerful people who boast:  “Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking what is right” (vs. 2-3).  

Next the Psalmist highlights the powerful person’s tongue—signifying his/her communication system. This exposes and denounces that the mighty person designs sharp, effective messages to deceive or threaten hearers, intimidating and silencing opponents, while flattering allies with false praise.

We see this happening now in the USA through Truth Social, the White House press secretary, X, Fox News and myriads of other mediums that manipulate public opinion—distracting, deflecting, bluffing, humiliating. Negligence and gullibility make too many people easy prey.

The Psalmist then speaks directly to the tongue (media), exposing it as a deceitful, consuming power: “O deceitful tongue, you love all words that devour” (v. 4).

Later in the New Testament, James talks about the tongue this way, comparing it to a consuming fire.  

“And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell” (Jas 3:6).

Suddenly, the Psalmist turns the tables, announcing that this tongue and all channels of deception will be destroyed and eternally doomed by God:
    
“But God will break you down forever; he will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah” (v. 5).

Here God distinguishes the tongue, that is the means of communication, from the powerful person who is speaking or in any way communicating. God will snatch and tear out the tongue from its tent—a metaphor for the mouth (all messaging, tweets, posts, adds…) of the powerful person. The non-human systems with which we struggle which deceive and take over (consume) will be destroyed.

Truth-starved onlookers despondent before what seems like an unstoppable force of lies and destruction are told they will be vindicated.

“The righteous will see and fear, and will laugh at” the powerful whose communications have been sabotaged by God. The word “fear” here could be translated “be amazed”—which makes sense, especially now, when evildoers seem to be getting away with whatever they want to say or do.  What the righteous say offers a crystal-clear critique of the underlying issues:

“Behold, the [fate of the] person who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and was strong in his evil desire.”

Now more than ever in the USA and around the world the rich and powerful appear to be getting everything they want at the expense of everyone else. This “success” makes them trust even more in their money and communications systems. 

But the Psalmist states with prophetic clarity that when people trust in money, in that idol Jesus named “Mammon,” and go after evil desires rather than making God their refuge they will go down in the end. The tongues that express all the pompous boasting, threats and lies will finally be torn from the mouths of the powerful by God himself, rendering them mute and impotent.

Mary the mother of Jesus declared the future as if were a present reality: “God has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts and brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who are humble” (Lk 1:51-52).

The Psalmist’s confidence in the victory of God’s lovingkindness, truth and justice is so attractive that I’m choosing to lean in and say yes to it now. Instead of succumbing to rage, despair, or indifference the Psalmist takes a humble stand that we too can take.

“But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever. I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it, and I will wait on your name, for it is good, in the presence of your godly ones” (vs. 8-9).

The Hebrew word translated “green” here, raanan, also means “fresh, flourishing, luxuriant.” Becoming a “green olive tree” happens as we meditate on the Word of God “day and night.” This deliberate contemplative and prayerful reading of Scripture sends invisible, spiritual roots deep into the streams of living water of God’s life-giving presence, refreshing and empowering (see Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17:8). Olive trees produce the oil that keeps the lamps lit continually, bringing light (Ex 27:20; Lv 24:2).

Instead of despairing, may your soul and spirt flourish like a green olive tree in your body, which is the house of God—the temple of the Holy Spirit. May the light of God’s truth illuminate you, giving you clearer and clearer discernment between truth and falsehood as you look out on the world and read the news. May you step into an active posture of thankfulness and radical trust as you anticipate in communion with the saints the final fulfillment of Jesus’ victory. 

Check out my recent podcast on Psalm 49 on “Disciple: Word, Spirit, Justice, Witness” on Apple or Spotify.