Psalm 58

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Summary

Psalm 58 reminds us that there are times when evil grows so large that we have no lawful power to stop it ourselves. Rather than encouraging personal vengeance or vigilanteism, God gives His people prayers that entrust justice to Him.

Discussion/Reflection Material

-Psalm 58 describes rulers who use their authority to spread violence rather than justice. Where do you see authority being used well today? Where do you see it abused?

-Jesus commands us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), while David prays for God to judge the wicked. How does Romans 12:19 (“Vengeance is mine, I will repay”) help reconcile these two passages?

-David describes the righteous as knowing God from the womb (Psalms 22 and 71). How can Christian parents cultivate homes where children grow up never remembering a time when they did not know and trust Christ?

-David prays that the plans of the wicked would become “stillborn” before they come to fruition. What present-day situations should Christians be praying against in this way?

-Think about a situation where you feel powerless to bring justice. How might Psalm 58 shape your prayers this week?

Family-Friendly Version

Big Idea: When bad things happen that we can’t fix, we trust God to make things right instead of trying to get even ourselves.

Talk About It: David lived in a time when powerful people were hurting others. He couldn’t stop them by himself, so he prayed and asked God to stop their evil.

Sometimes people hurt us too. Jesus tells us not to get revenge. Instead, we should pray for people who do wrong and ask God to help them repent. We can also ask God to stop the bad things they are doing and protect the people they are hurting.

God is the perfect Judge. He always knows what is right, and one day Jesus will make everything right.

Questions:

• Have you ever seen someone being treated unfairly or been treated that way yourself?

• Why is it hard not to get even?

• What does it mean to trust God to make things right?

• Can you think of someone who needs to stop doing wrong? How could we pray for them today?