Psalms 52-54

Psalms 52-54 - Click to read passage.

These have got to be the shortest three chapters we'll read. Still, there are things we can learn from this very brief reading.

Chapter 52 sounds a little odd, but scholars say it was a song written by David that addressed and condemned the disgusting actions of Doeg, the Edomite. You'd have to go back to 1 Samuel 21 to read what happened, but let me say this - if you wanted to put together a list of  the “bottom 10” people in the Bible (excluding Satan), arguably Doeg the Edomite would be in that list!  

Though little is divulged in the Bible about him, he was a loyalist to Saul and a traitor to David. In the subsequent chapter, Doeg the Edomite is mentioned only three more times – but his impact is tragic. He divulges the actions of David to the maniacal Saul, proceeds to kill the eighty-five Israeli priests of Nob, and then, without explanation, slaughters the entire city – man, woman, and child. He is the epitome of evil. That's why David attacks him sharply in Psalms 52.

But, here's why I find interesting. 

When you go back to 1 Samuel 21:7, you read something very interesting. You read how Doeg was "detained before the Lord." In other words, God intervened and caused Doeg to be detained so that he would see David and report him to Saul. While this seems very perplexing since as a result of this delay, not only was all the priests and men, women, and children of Nod slain (a horrible act), but David was subsequently hunted down like a dog.

The question I have is, "Why would God allow this?" If I were God (and I'm not), I would have forced Doeg out of there early so as to save hundreds of lives. However, we can't see what God sees, nor do we fully understand the loving purpose of God in the final end of this horrible tragedy.

My point is - God never causes evil, but he allows it to happen. It breaks His heart when it does. He hates evil. But in His infinite purpose, He uses evil people to accomplish something greater and better that we could NOT possibly understand unless God could explain it to us fully. God always acts in love and perfection. Yes, it's hard to understand this as a loving act of God, but it is. Just because we can't fully grasp the full scope of "why" this happened, it doesn't undermine the infinite love and perfect purpose of God.

You may be experiencing the success of evil people around you. But understand, God is seeing everything that's going on! He sees the evil and will one day punish according to the evil of that person. There will be payday some day! But, to understand the mind and heart of God is simple - He loves you and "all things work together for the good for those who love God."

What other things to you see in these chapters?