TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A MIKTAM OF DAVID, WHEN SAUL SENT MEN TO WATCH HIS HOUSE IN ORDER TO KILL HIM.
“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me;
deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
“For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
“Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
There they are, bellowing with their mouths
with swords in their lips—
for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
“But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
O my Strength, I will watch for you,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
“Kill them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter by your power and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield!
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
consume them in wrath;
consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob
to the ends of the earth. Selah
“Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
They wander about for food
and growl if they do not get their fill.
“But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.” [1]
“Do Not Destroy.” This particular tune must surely have been catchy, one so intriguing that anyone hearing the tune would be unable to shake the melody for years after. Of the six Miktams of David included among the Psalms, three are to be sung according to this particular tune. David wrote this Psalm, and he apparently believed it necessary to instruct the choirmaster that this particular melody was to be used when the Psalm was presented during worship.
While the Psalm itself presents information that will prove critical for the worshipper of God, especially when the opponents of the LORD are attacking, David wanted the Psalm to be easily recalled by the people of God. Therefore, he instructed that the Psalm was to be sung to the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” We are perhaps deprived, not knowing the melody, but we do have the Psalm itself. Because the Psalm has been included among the collection of prayers we know as the Book of Psalms, we are instructed, as were the ancient Hebrew worshippers, of how we should respond to the pressures that are sure to come to the child of God seeking the Lord’s glory.
The Psalms are often neglected by followers of Christ, but it is to our great loss to neglect these beautiful prayers. That is what the Psalms are, to a great degree—prayers. In some instances, they are simply expressions of praise as the Psalmist worships the LORD. At other times, they are cries of desperation. And as the Psalmist pleads for deliverance, he is brought to the place of confessing that the LORD alone is able to deliver him. The experience of the Psalmist mirrors our own experience, for when we are under assault by the enemies of the Master, as we cry out for deliverance Christ brings us into the safety of His oversight. Our hearts are comforted and our lives are delivered.
LIVING ON THE EDGE — A preacher who influenced my ministry to a great degree, was known to say during multiple vicious and frequent attacks against him and his service, attacks initiated and carried out by fellow Christians, “If you don’t want trouble, don’t say anything, don’t do anything, don’t be anything.” The admonition is somewhat earthy, but it bespeaks a significant truth. What he said holds especially true in the world of the faithful. The moment God blesses a person or a congregation is the moment those who pretend to follow the Lord attack God’s beloved saints. That was certainly the case for David, the man anointed by God and who was destined to be the king of Israel.
The Word of God informs us that from earliest days, while shepherding his father’s flocks, David was a man living on the edge. However, it was especially demonstrated to be true that David lived on the edge after God took him from watching those sheep to anoint him to be king over Israel. Almost immediately, the young man was engaged in battle. Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, and even Saul, King of Israel, were at various times arrayed against David. And most of his battles seemed unending; it was as if David would have no respite from war. Then, after all these battles appeared to have been fought and won, his own family rose against him. David made some serious mistakes in his response to the trials he faced—haven’t we all—but he made no mistake when he turned to the LORD again and again seeking divine help. Whenever he was assaulted, we witness David looking to God for help against those seeking to destroy him.
Unlike what is portrayed in the movies, few people experience multiple or constant life-threatening attacks. Life doesn’t consist of battles that continue for months, or even for years. It is actually unusual that a police officer will face extreme danger on an ongoing basis. The potential for trouble is always present by the nature of the job, but much of the work is monotonous, routine, even boring. Soldiers, sailors, and Marines speak of hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror. The repeated threats to his life mark David as living an unusual life. The Word of God carefully stresses David’s response to the attacks he experienced. When attacked, David’s usual response was to turn to the Lord, seeking His deliverance. And those times David hesitated to seek the mind of the Lord are precisely the times that he stumbled and found himself cast down.
Individuals who are under constant attack without an opportunity to recharge their batteries often suffer severe psychological crises. Women who are constantly assaulted by their spouses many times exhibit a condition in which they appear to zone out. Soldiers who have been in sustained battle for days, or even for hours, demonstrate a form of withdrawal that has been witnessed repeatedly for decades. The human mind can tolerate a finite amount of danger before it begins to protect itself or before it begins to demonstrate what can only be said to be noticeably aberrant behaviour. Psychologists identify such self-protection as PTSD following an individual’s withdrawal from threats. Such actions reveal the mechanism individuals must adopt in order to continue functioning. Constant threats wound as surely as do knives or bullets, but the psychological wounds inflicted often are more difficult to heal.
David was forced through the pressure arising from the constant assaults against himself to seek rest in the Lord GOD. Without the spiritual refreshment which he sought and found, David would have been quickly consumed by the pressure of his life. We focus on the life of David and see the man after God’s own heart. And that is a true assessment of David! Nevertheless, he was a man, and because of his fallen nature and the fact that he lived in the same world in which we live, David’s life could be described as one continuous conflict. As a shepherd, he knew the stress of defending the sheep against attack by wild beasts. As King of Israel, he knew the stress of defending the people against incursion by enemies intent on inflicting harm on Israel. As a man with incredible power and privilege, he knew the stress of guarding his own heart.
A life without risks is a life that has little meaning. It can be risky to stand with Christ. It is far easier to refuse to be controversial, but choosing the easy route will never accomplish anything of note. An old saying states, “The turtle only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.” Perhaps we need to hear the voice of the Master on this matter.
Perhaps you will recall that Jesus confronted mankind, saying, “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it. How narrow is the gate and how constricted is the road that leads to life, and there aren’t many people who find it” [MATTHEW 7:13-14 ISV]! As followers of the Christ, we can choose either to stand in the hard spot with the One Who gained victory at the cross, or we can race to the easy spot where no one will bother us because we will then no longer be an offence to the world. In a very real sense, for the one who follows Christ, life may be described as either risk or ruin. Either we are living on the edge, or we are resting on our beds of ease.
The message of Christ is at considerable variance with much of what is declared from modern pulpits. Our tendency is to emphasise the benefits of faith in the Son of God rather than the challenge of serving as a follower of the Christ. Seated in the pews of contemporary churches are a growing number of church members who are willing to take all that Jesus offers if the offering appears pleasant and demands little of them. Accordingly, we preachers know what is expected and we avoid unpleasant subjects.
I’ve heard the whine of pampered, spiritually colicky church members who plead for milk because the meat of the Word made them dyspeptic. These whiny religionists were described so many millennia past as the LORD instructed Isaiah to confront Israel in their sinful condition. God exposed the pettiness of Israel through His Prophet.
“Now go, write it down on a tablet in their presence,
inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it might be preserved for a future time
as an enduring witness.
For these are rebellious people—
they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the LORD’s law.
They say to the visionaries, ‘See no more visions!’
and to the seers, ‘Don’t relate messages to us about what is right!
Tell us nice things,
relate deceptive messages.
Turn aside from the way,
stray off the path.
Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.’”
[ISAIAH 30:8-11 NET BIBLE]
Often, it seems as if the message we preachers deliver leaves a thought in the mind of our listeners that if only they will believe the message of Christ all their troubles will be at an end. To be certain, there are great and immediate benefits accruing to the one who looks to Christ as Master of life. We who believe assuredly have peace with God. We have immediate access to the throne of the Father. And we have One Who stands as our Advocate when the wicked one accuses us before the Living God. We who are twice-born are made members of God’s great Family, with fathers and mothers, with sisters and brothers throughout the world. We are never alone, for the Spirit of Christ takes up residence in our lives. Without question, these are great and marvellous gifts that each follower of Christ knows.
However, it must not be denied that we will face opposition because we have believed. It is not without reason that Jesus cautioned those whom He sent out, and that He cautions us through having delivered those words of warning. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” [MATTHEW 10:16-22a]. Wow! You will be hated by all for My Name’s sake! There is a grand inducement to serve the Saviour!
Later, the Master would strengthen this warning as He says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” [MATTHEW 10:34-39]. In short, the Master is stating that being His follower will demand personal sacrifice, will demand that you be prepared to face opposition, will demand that you expect push back from every corner.
UNDER SCRUTINY BY WICKED MEN — Listen to the Psalmist as he opens this Psalm.
“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me;
deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
“For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah “
[PSALM 59:1-5]
David explains that every facet of his life was under constant scrutiny. It wasn’t merely that people had an interest in what David might be doing, they were watching to see if they could trip him up. They wanted David to fail, and they were ready to pounce when he did. If his steps were cautious, they were prepared to engineer his failure, agitating for others to ensure that he would not succeed in the work to which he was appointed.
Almost the entirety of the ministry to which the Master assigned me throughout the years of my service in Canada, has been conducted among a number of congregations that had fallen into a state of spiritual or ecclesiastical decay. Some of the assemblies were in spiritual tatters, even meeting in buildings that should have been condemned. Some of the congregations whom I served should have ceased to exist and I was viewed as the last hope if ecclesiastical death was somehow to be avoided. Other churches were racked by internal dissension as unspiritual factions opposed one another, ignoring the Master’s charge, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” [JOHN 13:34].
It would be easy for anyone to conclude that my service among these assemblies was the result of a lack of training on my part to meet the standards expected by the ecclesiastical elite of the several denominations. Those preachers who had been trained in the approved schools knew better than to accept the challenge of working to renew these churches. As one preacher snarled when asked to assist in planting a congregation, “God called me to pastor, not to plant churches.” Despite such a negative view, looking back, I accept that I received the divine appointment to pursue this service among the churches because this is the work to which the Lord assigned me. Therefore, I was not disobedient to the charge that I received. The Lord graciously directed my steps, and I can testify that He stood with me through all the battles these ministries experienced.
Many of the churches that I served throughout these decades had fallen into a state of spiritual senescence. These congregations were in need of renewal, which meant that continuing to conduct church as was done in the past would assuredly mean the imminent demise of those congregations. Some of these churches had a storied past, but as the old leadership passed from the scene, new leaders without the imprimatur of Heaven had promoted themselves only to lead the people into a dizzying slide into spiritual and social irrelevance. Consequently, with the ascension of the new, unholy leadership, the assembly could at best be characterised as resting on their lees. On several occasions and among different congregations, church members would complain because of all the strangers who were coming to the house of God! They needed to be reminded who they were and why they existed; and the reminder was painful for them.
In many of these cases, though I had been brought into the situation to turn matters around, there was vigorous resistance to change. The people did want to see growth, but they were willing to accept only growth that did not threaten their control over the little fiefdom they had created. In such instances I realised that I was under constant intense scrutiny. Some of the saints—I suppose they were actually followers of Christ—wanted me to fail. They watched for an opportunity to attack me, hindering the work. Others were suspicious that they would lose influence if too many new people came in, and again they constantly watched my steps in hopes that I would slip up.
I’m not saying these were wicked people, at least they did not intend to be wicked, but their actions can only be said to be detrimental to the advance of the Faith. I suppose they would have argued that they wanted what was best for the people remaining within the assembly, but their attitude seemed to reflect the attitude of the Pharisees when they were offended by Jesus, who complained, “This crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed” [JOHN 7:49]. I often heard these people argue that they only had the welfare of the church at heart. What was not said was that they couldn’t trust the Spirit of Christ to direct His own people; they had to take control to ensure the outcome they sought!
SNAPPING AT MY HEELS —
“Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
There they are, bellowing with their mouths
with swords in their lips—
for ‘Who,’ they think, ‘will hear us?’”
[PSALM 59:6-7]
How stunning is the description we are given of those seeking to harm the Psalmist! David likens those seeking to hinder him and his work to maddened dogs, and to the wild beasts. His description was apt since that is how they were acting! They were beastly, more like ravening wolves howling as they seek to corner their quarry than they were rational men. Moreover, David’s pursuers were persistent; they seemed never to give up.
The Psalmist’s words serve to caution us to be aware that the opponents of the godly are seeking to destroy those who look to the Lord GOD. This should be no surprise since the devil, the father of wickedness, wants to kill the follower of the Risen Saviour [see JOHN 10:10]. Those who oppose the righteous might never admit that they are attempting to harm them or to hinder their work, but they are harming them nevertheless. This was David’s observation as he reviewed the situation prevailing in that ancient day. And what was taking place in that day has continued until this present day.
No one ever accused the devil of being an innovator. The wicked one is able only to copy what has already been done, distorting and twisting what has been in order to bring about his nefarious ends. I am not suggesting that there is not a wealth of experience for the devil since he has been around for a long time and has witnessed the entirety of human history; but the devil isn’t capable of original thought. He is able only to mimic what God has done. God is the innovator; Satan is the copier. Therefore, evil, even evil that is not immediately driven by demonic acts, has but few avenues in which it can be expressed. Apparently, Solomon knew whereof he spoke when he wrote,
“What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
‘See, this is new? ‘
It has been already
in the ages before us.”
[ECCLESIASTES 1:9-10]
Child of God, take comfort in knowing that those who seek to harm you because of your walk with the Master are limited in what they can do to injure you. They imagine they can frighten you with their howling and with their bellowing. The wicked can make threats, but the wicked can do nothing that has not been permitted by your Father; and your Father is too wise to make a mistake and too good to needlessly hurt His child!
I know that the words of the prophets were primarily meant for Israel, but surely the promise of God applies to those who are the redeemed of Christ the Lord. God comforted Israel, and He comforts us with His promise,
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
[ISAIAH 43:1b-3a]
I witness the Lord speaking to comfort Israel through the words Jeremiah wrote. The LORD promised, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” [JEREMIAH 29:11]. However difficult the path may appear to be, I know that I have a Saviour Who will do what is best for me and what is assured to bring glory to His Name. I serve the Living God.
With the Psalmist, I have learned to pray,
“Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have been forgotten like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
“But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, ‘You are my God.’
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
O LORD, let me not be put to shame,
for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go silently to Sheol.
Let the lying lips be mute,
which speak insolently against the righteous
in pride and contempt.”
[PSALM 31:11-18]
DESTROY THEM, O LORD —
“But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
O my Strength, I will watch for you,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
“Kill them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter by your power and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield!
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
consume them in wrath;
consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob
to the ends of the earth. Selah”
[PSALM 59:8-13]
Facing the threat of failure in God’s work, David asks the LORD to destroy them. He pleads for God to not permit their nefarious design thwart the work He is doing. It is because of the evil that permeates their lives that David pleads with God to glorify His Name by removing them, thus removing their opposition to the work He is doing. David pleads for the wicked to be removed so that everyone will know that God rules, not the wickedness that characterises those opposed to His plan.
Do you not find it intriguing that David does not ask the LORD to kill those who torment him. In fact, David specifically asks God to spare their lives so that the people who are endeavouring to walk in righteousness will not forget their evil or the goodness of God. When the righteous see that the LORD has spared the wicked, God is glorified and those who acted wickedly are shamed for the evil they thought to perpetuate.
However, just because David pleads with God to spare their lives, he is not unaware of the need to hold them to account. He pleads with God to “consume them;” he asks God to return their evil upon their own heads. You may recall how elsewhere in the Psalms David recalls the wickedness of those who withstood him. He observes,
“He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it soak into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,
of those who speak evil against my life!”
[PSALM 109:18-20]
Again, the Psalmist views results for those who seek to harm the righteous, noting,
“His trouble comes back on his own head;
his own violence comes down on top of his head.
“I will thank the LORD for his righteousness;
I will sing about the name of the LORD Most High.”
[PSALM 7:16-17 CSB]
Don’t overlook the fact that David is seeking God’s glory, even as He judges evil men. The Psalmist wants God to be honoured by all who witness what God will do to those who have sought to harm him as one who walks with the Lord GOD. You will recall that when the LORD judged Nadab and Abihu, the rebellious sons of Aaron, Moses spoke pointedly to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified’” [LEVITICUS 10:3].
The people had witnessed God’s judgement that fell on Aaron’s two rebellious sons, and they were assured that God is holy. Because God held these two brothers to account, those witnessing God’s judgement knew that no mere mortal could disrespect the Lord GOD without severe consequences. There could be no further question that the LORD would not permit arrogance and disrespect to go unpunished.
Speaking through Ezekiel, the LORD prophesied judgement would be rained down on the land of Sidon. God commanded, “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:
‘Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the LORD
when I execute judgments in her
and manifest my holiness in her;
for I will send pestilence into her,
and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
[EZEKIEL 28:21-23]
God clearly states that by executing judgement on the wicked, all who witness that judgement will know that He is God.
God judges wickedness, and He is glorified in the judging. Therefore, David pleads for God to judge those wicked individuals who laboured to thwart the work of God, knowing that because the righteous will witness God’s judgement, they will glorify the Lord. In the same way, when God’s patience is at last exhausted, you may be assured that God is holy and that He is God. When the wicked are at last held to account, and they shall be held to account, you may be certain there is a God and that God is righteous. Evil will not go unpunished forever; there is a day when judgement is unleashed.
WICKED PEOPLE PERSIST, BUT THE LORD CONQUERS —
“Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
They wander about for food
and growl if they do not get their fill.
“But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.”
[PSALM 59:14-17]
If when we were attacked we prevailed in our fight against those who attacked us and that was the end of the conflict, I suppose it might not be so bad. However, doesn’t it seem that those who assail us because of our faith in the Risen Saviour seem intent on pressing their attacks until we are destroyed? They will not quit! Wicked people persist, even when it is obvious they have been bested. There is but one response to the attacks we experience as followers of the Risen Saviour, and that is to allow Him to defend us.
When the wicked persist in their attacks, David looks to the LORD as his deliverer. Notice that the Psalmist does not say that he will sing of his strength. Rather, David sings of the LORD’s strength. It is the LORD God who serves as a fortress for the Psalmist. Who can prevail over the child of God who has taken refuge in the Lord GOD?
Again, I am fully aware that the words Isaiah wrote were meant to comfort Israel, but I am so constituted that I am prepared to believe that we who follow the Risen Lord of Glory have every right to seize upon the promises of God. The LORD promises,
“If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you.
Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue
that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD
and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”
[ISAIAH 54:15-17]
What a powerful promise! “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed.” More than that, “You shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgement.” What we witness in these words is not merely a promise that God will defend us, but that He will defend us in such a fashion that we are vindicated before those who assail us. Here is the essence of what is written here—As one who is known by the Living God, I need not concern myself with defending myself when I am attacked. Nor do I need to be overwrought with the thought of defending my reputation when I am slandered by petty little people who seek only to destroy rather than building others up as is expected of followers of the Risen Saviour. This is your promise, child of God!
We saw in the previous study of the Miktams that are included among the Psalms, that God will vindicate His own. [2] Here, we see that He does so in such a fashion that those whom He vindicates will be exalted before those who sought to injure them. Those of this dying world imagine that they are striking out at the Living God when they lash out at His people. However, they are ignorant of the truth that they can accomplish nothing except that which God permits for His own purpose. Among the Black churches during the days I ministered with those dear saints in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, I heard ministers warn those who listened, “Your arms are too short to box with God.” Those are true words that we do well to take to heart.
We who follow the Risen Saviour have yet to take to heart the encouragement delivered by the Apostle to the Jews. Recall how Peter framed the matter of those who strike out at God’s people. The man of God wrote, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” [1 PETER 3:13-17].
Peter will then urge us as followers of the Saviour to look beyond this moment we call “now.” He is endeavouring to encourage us when he writes, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
‘If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” [1 PETER 4:12-19].
Make no mistake—wicked people will continue until God at last says, “Enough!” Again, reading the words Peter penned in his Second Missive, we are informed, “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” [2 PETER 3:1-13].
God delayed judgement on the inhabitants of the land that He was giving to Israel because “the iniquity of the Amorites [was] not yet complete” [GENESIS 16:16]. When mankind was multiplying on the earth before the Flood, God warned, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh” [GENESIS 6:3 NASB95]. God is patient, giving the wicked every opportunity to turn from their wickedness. However, there comes a day when at last God says, “Enough!” And that day surely is coming rapidly for this generation. The Psalmist is encouraging us who look to the Lord not to lose heart, but to know that our God seeks to lead wicked people to turn to Him in faith. He waited for me, and He waited for you. He patiently waits for some who hear my words even at this hour.
What should you do? You know that Jesus, the Son of God, has given His life as a sacrifice because of your sinful condition. He took your punishment upon Himself so that you do not need ever to face the wrath of God. He was raised from the dead and has ascended to the Throne of God. Now, the Lord calls you to believe on the Risen Son of God, confessing Him as your Lord. Believe and be saved. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Michael Stark, “Psalm 58:1-11, Songs of Lament: “Do Not Destroy” (Part 2), September 25, 2022, Do Not Destroy (Part 2) Sermon by Michael Stark, Psalms 58:1-11 - SermonCentral.com, accessed 30 September 2022
