Psalms 58
Psalms 58:1-11 (NLT)
1 For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!” Justice—do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly?
2 No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land.
3 These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.
4 They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
5 ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers, no matter how skillfully they play.
6 Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O LORD!
7 May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands.
8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.
9 God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.
10 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”
It’s not just in the pouring out of blessings that God is glorified. He is also magnified in His justice when it is dealt on those who walk in wickedness as a way of life. This is more than just someone who messed up and has asked for forgiveness. It’s those who intentionally plot evil ways and flaunt their boldness for errant choices. When it seems the wicked persist and succeed in their unhindered deviousness, God can appear to diminish in His justice. There is always an imminent end to injustice, though, as God brings an end to the path of the wicked. In this movement, He is greatly glorified. When there is a consequence dealt on workers of iniquity, the God who is holy shines brightly as His ways are proven yet again.