The Mighty Will Fall

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Psalm 58

There was a time in the not too distant past where the words recorded in the 58^th Psalm would have seemed unreal in American politics and society.  Psalm 58 is all about evil rulers.  Those of you who are fortunate enough to remember the pleasant days of the American political scene will recall also that America was blessed with many leaders, who, for the most part at least, seemed to have the best interest of the American people in mind.

I think we can all agree those days are far behind us now.  And therefore, Psalm 58 seems to be a fitting, prophetic description of our times.  In fact, even those outside the Christian faith see it.

In the year 1991, Chuck Colson gave an address on ethics at the Harvard Business School.  Just a

short time before Colson spoke, the business school established a Chair on Ethics, which recognized the moral decline of American leadership as a significant social issue.  Colson was invited to speak before this highly intellectual and critical body.  He expected the worst.

It was a few short years before that the Nobel prize winning neurobiologist Sir John Eccles was lampooned when he dared to suggest that while human brain cells could be accounted for through evolution, human consciousness of the mind is something that must come from God.

But, as Chuck Colson began to review moral failures amongst the political leaders of the day, he was given a surprisingly respectful opportunity to be heard.

Colson mentioned the Keating Five, who were 5 U.S. senators tried by a tribunal of other senators for the “savings and loan” scandal.  Senator Dave Durenberger, who was censured by the Senate, Marrion Barry, the then mayor of D.C. who was arrested for drug use; congressional leaders who have been implicated, indicted and found guilty of various crimes by the droves.  Then Colson mentioned what was perhaps the most unethical incident of the time, the HUD scandal in which people were embezzling large amounts of money from funds intended to help the poor and disadvantaged.

Well, coming into our present day, Mr. Colson would be rolling over in his grave.  In the last several months, the governor of New York has been implicated in a terrible scandal involving the deaths of hundreds of elderlies in nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.  The current president’s son has credible allegations of drug use, child trafficking and corruption against him.  Both political parties have a seemingly endless laundry list of fraud, corruption and general bad ethics plaguing them.

This “Culture of Corruption” permeates our society from the top down, a corruption which is an epidemic, during a terrible pandemic.  This same corruption forced the Harvard Business School to recognize the problem even though they had no answer for it then, nor do they now.

Today, we have throngs of people, some of whom are followers of the Democratic Party, others Republicans.  Both of which seem bent on blaming the political policies of their opposing leaders for lack of proper employment, declining prosperity, poverty, corruption etc.

It seems the common person perceives political leaders in power, who are usually wealthy with jobs, housing and plenty of food, are directly responsible for the ills of our society.  Many people feel powerless to change anything for the better.  This has led to national despair for those on both sides of the aisle.

What we must remind ourselves is power and prosperity accompany each other as do powerlessness and neediness, regardless if the people in power are democratically elected, or if they rule as unelected autocrats.  

Very often, people who are at the “bottom of the totem pole” of our culture simultaneously overestimate their leader’s ability to fix the ills of our society while grossly underestimating the true forces which really dictate what happens in our world.

Paul the apostle says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” — Ephesians 6:12

David is speaking of a similar truth in Psalm 58.  Paul and David both suggest something supernatural is behind the scenes of our world and directly influencing the events around us.

1. The Supernatural Worldview
   1. The Various Translations — The NIV renders verse 1 — Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity?  But, the proper translation is probably the ESV.
   2. See Deuteronomy 32:8 — When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
   3. See I Corinthians 10:20 — No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
   4. Conclusion — Our world is being run by very powerful beings in the unseen realms who directly influence people and events.  These Beings also hate God and humanity and are doing everything they can to stop God’s redemptive purposes.  This is what Psalm 58 is all about! 
2. A Description of the Unjust gods in Verses 1-2
   1. The main charge against them — Do you judge the children of man uprightly? These Beings are not doing what God wants, i.e. judge righteously.
   2. Notice the Contrast—With verse 11 — “Surely there is a God who judges on earth”
   3. The reason for their disobedience to God —” No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.”
3. A Description of Fallen Humanity in Verses 3-5
   1. They are evil from birth in Verse 3
   2. They are likened unto “serpents” in verses 4-5
   3. The twin concept of “serpents” and humanity being “evil from birth” appear in Genesis 3:15 — I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
   4. The Conflict of the Seeds — The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent have been at war with one another since the Fall in the garden.  This is a huge part of what is wrong with our world.  
4. An Imprecatory Prayer in Verses 6-9 — The Psalm moves into a prayer that God would overthrow the wicked.  David employs 5 images in what he is asking God to do:
   1. The Lion in Verse 6 — David asks for God to defang his enemies.  God did actually do this when He caused Saul’s armies to be defeated by David.
   2. The Water in Verse 7 — David asks God to make his enemies pass by and vanish like water into the parched soil.
   3. The Arrows in Verse 7 — David prays for God to blunt the effect of his enemies’ arrows.
   4. The Slug in Verse 8 — Snail and slugs represent the lowest life forms the Psalmist can think of.  Let the wicked be like these lower life forms who simply fade away.
   5. The Stillborn Child in Verse 8 — This is a play upon verse 3, if the wicked are born evil then David asks God to keep them from being born.
5. An Encouraging Conclusion in Verses 10-11 — In the midst of a world being directly influenced by very powerful beings in the spiritual realms, there is a God who brings His perfect justice to fruition.