The Faithful Love of God’s Adoption

God is characterized not only by faithful love but also by justice. And justice can’t allow something as good as God’s everlasting loving-kindness to be trampled forever. So the psalmist announces that Doeg’s self-exaltation will be relatively short-lived. God will vindicate himself and his children by condemning those who reject his faithful love. Doeg consciously chose to trust himself—his fleeting power, position, and possessions—for his security (“refuge”), as opposed to God’s faithful love. This foolish choice is amplified by a string of strong verbs graphically picturing God’s future judgment on Doeg’s rebellion. This judgment will be violent (“bring down . . . take . . . uproot”), permanent (“forever”), swift and unexpected (“ripping”), and ultimately resulting in eternal death (“from the land of the living”).

The horrible nature of this judgment can only be understood rightly in juxtaposition with the celebrative worship of the righteous. Their response to the judgment is one of both awe (“see and fear”) and ridicule (“derisively”). This language may at first surprise us when we read it on this side of the cross. It seems to advocate an attitude in which the righteous rub victory in the face of those facing judgment, contrary to the Christian ethic. After all, the New Testament is clear that Christians are to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors (Matt 5:44; Rom 12:14; 1 Pet 3:9). We should not assume an attitude of malicious and vindictive contempt (Job 31:29; Prov 24:17).

So what do we make of this laughter that’s coming on the day of God’s justice? First, on that day the forgiveness of sin will inspire greater worship. Right now we are only conscious of our forgiveness by faith; but when we see our forgiveness in contrast to the literal judgment against the unforgiven, and we fully and functionally realize we’ve escaped God’s wrath, it will prompt outbursts of jubilation like this one. Second, on that day the judgment against sin will involve greater consequences. Right now it seems as if the unrighteous always prosper and the righteous always get kicked in the teeth! However, the final judgment against sin will be so horrible that it can only be described rightly in contrast to the hyperbolic language of the laughter of the righteous (cf. Luke 14:26), with whom the unrighteous will be forced to switch places (Luke 16:19-31).

The Application of God’s Faithful Love

Psalm 52:8-9

The little conjunction but indicates a sharp contrast between the testimony of the psalmist and that of Doeg. David gives witness, not as one who rejects God’s loving-kindness but as one who receives it and extends it to others, just as he did to the orphan Abiathar. It’s here we see the gospel, God’s gracious adoption of us into his family. And we see its implications for our lives, not just in the future but right now while we wait in faith for God to vindicate his faithful love, and while there’s often nothing to laugh about. In the midst of our abandonment, loneliness, fear, and anxiety, we find joy and security in the good news of God’s loving-kindness. Our lives have four characteristics when we embrace the faithful love of God.

We Flourish in God’s Presence

The psalmist likens himself to an olive plant in verse 8, one of the longest living and most resilient of all trees. It was invaluable to the Hebrews not only as a sign of security and well-being but also as a source of food, medicine, and ointments. It’s no wonder they often domesticated it, bringing it into their homes and nurturing it as we do potted plants. However, this olive plant isn’t growing in your average Hebrew house. It’s “in the house of God”—the sacred courtyard—where it’s sure to get the best nourishment and protection. What a difference from the fate of the wicked who will be snatched away, torn from his tent, and uprooted from nourishing soil! We who trust in God’s faithful love will be planted deep in the life-giving soil of his dwelling, flourishing with abundant life.

In the Old Testament the house of God was first the tabernacle and later the temple, both representing where God dwelled. But when Jesus came, God stopped living in houses made by people and started living with people (John 1:14). God’s life-giving, eternal presence with his people through Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of these Old Testament houses of worship (John 2:18-22; 1 Cor 3:16-17; Eph 2:19-22; Rev 21:22). So we flourish forever in God’s presence through Jesus! This truth informs our responsibility as believers to bear fruit as well as our assurance of eternal security (John 10:10; 15:7). We flourish and bear fruit wherever we are because of Jesus, and we are secure for all of eternity because we are in relationship with him!

We Trust in God’s Nature

The psalmist expresses “trust” (v. 8). To trust in something is to depend on it, rest in it, hope in it, put confidence in it, bank everything on it. David was completely reliant on God’s faithful love in a way that stood in pointed contrast to Doeg, who trusted in “riches” and “destructive behavior” (v. 7). And David said he would trust God’s love “forever and ever.” How could he be sure? Because—by definition—God’s faithful love is eternal! Doeg’s trust was in something tangible yet transient. So his trust would peter out. David’s trust was in something unseen yet eternal. So his trust would last forever! The trust of God’s children is forever because the object of their trust is eternal—his faithful love!

And why would anyone trust in anything else, especially when they see God’s nature from this side of the cross. The New Testament indicates that God ultimately has manifested himself in his Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:1,14). The repeated references to Jesus being the very nature of God all associate that nature with the gospel (see 2 Cor 4:1-6; Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:1-4). Above everything, the divine nature is reflected in the one who came to incur God’s wrath and die for our sins that we might be reconciled to him. This is the gospel: God in faithful love pursued us in our sin and did everything necessary to bring us into his household. I appeal to you, if you’ve yet to trust Jesus, to cry out to God now in repentance and faith that you might be saved! Trust in the nature of God to be your refuge.

We Give Thanks Because of God’s Grace

Verse 9 straightforwardly mentions what God has “done.” David’s “I” statements in verses 8-9 (“am . . . trust . . . praise . . . put my hope”) are in such direct contrast with Doeg’s “you” statements in verses 1-4 (“boast . . . devises destruction . . . love evil . . . love any words that destroy”). What makes the difference? It’s the “this is why God” statement that opens verse 5! The unrighteous are exalted right now, but God—in due time—will do what’s necessary as the righteous Judge to levy justice and to vindicate his faithful love and his children. He loves us, assures us of justice, and promises us safekeeping and care. And nowhere in this text do you find any reference to the merit or capacity of the psalmist. It’s all God’s grace, and it merits the loudest and longest of thanksgivings!

On our side of the cross, thanksgiving remains the natural response to God’s unmerited actions and favor toward us. When God became flesh in Jesus Christ, we saw his glory “full of grace and truth” and “received grace upon grace” (John 1:14,16). In John’s Gospel the phrase grace and truth parallels the Old Testament ideas of faithful love and truth, which together convey the same idea of God’s grace that we find in Psalm 52 (cf. Exod 33:18-19; 34:6-7). While God’s grace is evident in Psalm 52 and throughout the whole Old Testament, the greatness of his grace is seen only in the person of Jesus Christ! So if God’s grace is fully manifest in Christ, then our thanksgiving should be fully rooted in Christ as well. And that means thanksgiving must permeate all we do (Col 3:15-17).

We Live Differently Because of God’s Goodness

There’s some debate about what the psalmist says he will do in the last part of verse 9. Some translations read, “I will wait,” indicating hope and trust in something. Others render it, “I will proclaim,” suggesting a verbal witness. Anytime this uncertainty happens it’s always best for us to start with what we know. Whatever David says he will do, it will be invested in God’s name, inspired by God’s goodness, and intended for God’s people. When we get that right, the first part is easily reconciled: people who trust in God’s faithful love live differently, in both word and action, as a witness to the truth that God is good!

And so it must be among the people of God on this side of the cross. In James’s letter he identifies God as the only and unchanging source of goodness (Jas 1:17). Then he describes God’s supreme act of goodness in all of history: “By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (Jas 1:18). He was referring to God’s glorious gift of salvation in Jesus. And immediately he launches into five chapters calling on believers to live out their faith before one another in tangible ways, including caring for widows and orphans, taming their tongues, speaking well of one another, suffering patiently, and praying a lot. God’s goodness in Christ demands we live differently, and that the difference is seen in the covenant community through the demonstration of our faith by our works.

Conclusion

Life can be fairly complex sometimes. Sin opens a Pandora’s box of messy variables. There are lots of gray areas. But in all of its complexity, life does have simple choices. Some things are black-and-white, a matter of two simple options. Psalm 52 presents one of those situations. One choice is to trust in God’s faithful love in Jesus Christ. It will never fail, and it reaps glorious benefits. The other choice is to trust in yourself. That lasts a short time and has grave eternal consequences. Hear our Lord’s gracious, compassionate offer in this psalm to give you rest in his presence: “Stay with me. Don’t be afraid. You will be safe with me.” Be careful to choose wisely.

Reflect and Discuss