For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Psalm 52

1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
    Why do you boast all day long,
    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practise deceit,
    your tongue plots destruction;
    it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
    falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
4 You love every harmful word,
    you deceitful tongue!

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    he will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh at you, saying,
7 ‘Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
    and grew strong by destroying others!’

8 But I am like an olive tree
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
    in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
    for your name is good.

A. Find Out:    

1. What was the evil man doing? v.1,2
2. What did he love? v.3,4
3. What will God surely do? v.5
4. What will others then think? v.6,7
5. How did David view himself? v.8a
6. What did he say he did? v.8b,9

B. Think:

1. Read 1 Sam 22:6-23 for the background of this psalm
2. What unholy alliance of heart & tongue is revealed here?
3. How was David not put off by this?

C. Comment:

     From the heading at the top of this psalm, we see David is referring to Doeg, and unrighteous man who sided with Saul and betrayed David in such a way that the priests who had helped him were put to death. Doeg – v.7 – trusted in his wealth – in his station in life to curry favour in an unrighteous way with Saul. This man reveals his heart by the words that come out of his mouth. He boasts, he plots evil, he tells lies. The mouth speaks what is in the heart (Mt 12:34 ), the mouth reveals what we are really like on the inside! This man is revealed for what he is by his words.

     David is sure that this man will not be allowed to go on, God will deal with him. The righteous onlookers will fear, understanding the wrath of God has brought judgement.

     But David isn’t put off by all this. He sees himself as an olive tree, flourishing in the house of God, as one who is growing in the presence of God. In that presence he can say he trusts in God’s unfailing love. As a result of that he will be able to praise God and place his hope in God’s goodness for whatever is to come.

D. Application:

1. The mouth reveals the state of the heart. What comes out of your mouth  each day? Does your heart need dealing with?
2. Do we trust in God’s unfailing love, despite whatever is happening?