A Preference for Hell

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? 

The steadfast love of God endures all the day. 

Your tongue plots destruction,

Like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 

You love evil more than good,

And lying more than speaking what is right. Selah 

You love all words that devour,

O deceitful tongue. 

But God will break you down forever;

He will snatch and tear you from your tent;

He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

-- Psalm 52:1-5

The context of this Psalm is found in 1 Samuel, chapters 21 and 22.  David fled from Saul’s jealousy.  He had to leave without weapons or provisions and asked the high priest, Ahimelech for assistance.  David deceived the priest, indicating that he was on a mission for the king, and Ahimelech gave him some of the holy bread from the Tabernacle as well as allowing him to take the sword of slain Goliath that had been placed there as a trophy.  The events that transpired were witnessed by an Edomite named Doeg who promptly reported it to Saul.   

Saul demanded that Ahimelech and his entire house come to him and explain their actions in enabling David’s escape.  Despite Ahimelech’s rightful claim of innocence, Saul ordered that all the priests be executed.  His Israelite soldiers refused to raise a hand against members of the priesthood.  Doeg, however, had no such inhibitions and carried out the murders.  Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons, managed to escape and carried the report to David, prompting him to compose this invective against an evil man.

I don’t know what happened to Doeg.  It’s possible that he died along with Saul and Jonathan in their last battle on Mount Gilboa.  However, it is just as likely that he ran from that battle if he had not already gathered his loot and departed.  One can imagine a man like Doeg cynically switching sides whenever it seemed convenient, always looking out only for himself.  David, despite his own sense of guilt at having instigated the deaths of Ahimelech and most of his family, did not feel compelled, as far as we know, to hunt down the Edomite and exact revenge.  His response was to offer protection and support to the surviving son, Abiathar. 

People like Doeg the Edomite are all too common these days – as they always have been.  Evil is an old business that, throughout history, often seems to have the upper hand.  We can easily become both frustrated by and fixated on those who “love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right.”  A certain female Secretary of State comes to mind at the moment, but, in a year or ten, it will be some other servant of Satan celebrated by the world system.  Every Doeg has his day.   

Like David, we can trust that the Lord is aware of evil people.  We can wonder if the Doegs of the world are not, indeed, bodies without souls.  We need not wonder about the reward of such wickedness:   God will forever be breaking them down.  It is hardly a pleasant (never) ending for malefactors and miscreants.  David goes on to say, “The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him ….” 

But I am like a green olive tree

in the house of God.

I trust in the steadfast love of God

forever and ever.

I will thank you forever,

because you have done it.

I will wait for your name, for it is good,

in the presence of the godly. (vv. 8-9)