Mmm, Green Olives

Psalm 52

Sometimes it can be a little difficult to see the roses through the thorns. Our Psalm today is a rosebush filled with thorns. Of course, one needs to look at the history behind the Psalm to understand why that's true. 

Doeg was an Edomite who went to Saul (who at that time was very angry towards David) and told the King that David was hiding in and being taken care of the priest of the city of Nob. However, what Doeg had left out was that David had lied to that priest about why he was there. As a result, Saul led an invasion against the town David was hiding in and killed the priest. David felt remorse for how his actions led to the destruction of others, but assigns blame to Doeg for his role in it as well.

Doeg wasn't a nice guy. He even turned against Saul and so has gone down in Hebrew history as someone who did and said things towards his own benefit. Since this is a Psalm attributed to David's words against Doeg's actions in the death of the priest of Nob, we hear words against deceit; especially deceit towards personal gain.

Hidden in this Psalm is the verse, "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God." With those words we are given a glimpse of the budding rose hiding within the thorny bush. Sometimes our lives are just like this bush. It might seem that everywhere we turn we're confronted with deceit and/or people who want to use us for their personal gains. And, sometimes we feel that way with good reason. The truth is, however, we're more like that rose, hidden among the thorns, just waiting to come to full bloom.

As our passage reminds us we are like the green olive tree, which one day will be full grown and bear much fruit. David, in the end, praises God for all that happens. It is for that knowledge we should live the final verse of this Psalm - "I will thank you for ever, because of what you have done." 

God never leaves our side.