Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. Psalms 58:1-2
Psalm 59 just goes to show us that what we are experiencing with our current governmental leadership isn't new. It has been happening since people were in charge!
This is a community lament that God’s people sing when they are confronted with injustice among their own rulers. Singing this in worship (1) helps the faithful to pray more earnestly for godly leadership; (2) helps form in the leaders themselves a true moral compass for their leadership; and (3) celebrates the prospect that—one day, sooner or later—God will vindicate his justice in the world, and those who trust him will rejoice exceedingly.
The song calls these unjust rulers wicked. This term, when applied to an Israelite, describes someone who does not honor God. They are Israelites who are using their position to squeeze the life out of their fellow Israelites (employing lies as well as “violence,” v. 2). By doing this they destroy the community, every bit as much as the venom of a dangerous serpent destroys the one it bites.
Consider Saul's actions in 1Samuel 22. In his pursuit and anger towards David, he destroyed an entire village and killed priests appointed by God. Poor, unjust, evil leadership is not new, and we aren't experiencing something unique in history. As this Psalm shows, our reaction is to pray for deliverance and the destruction of the evil leaders.
Join me in reading Psalm 59 and be encouraged!
