Calls Against Wickedness | Psalm 58

As preached by John Keller.

1) Call out the wicked (1-5).

2) Call on the Lord (6-9).

3) Call for the righteous one (9-11).

Psalm 58: Calls Against Wickedness

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.

Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?

     Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

No, in your hearts, you devise wrongs;

     Your hands deal out violence on earth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb;

     They go astray from birth, speaking lies.

They have venom like the venom of a serpent,

     like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

so that it does not hear the voice of charmers

     Or of the cunning enchanter.

O God, break the teeth in their mouths;

     tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

Let them vanish like water that runs away;

     When he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.

Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,

     like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.

Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,

     Whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

     He will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

     Surely there is a God who judges on earth.” (ESV)

Prayer

Let us pray. God our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Let your kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Remove the wicked from the earth, render their attacks useless. Help us to confront those who are wicked as we confess and repent of our own wickedness. Jesus, we praise you as the true righteous one from God. We pray for your return to judge all the earth in justice. Help us make disciples of the nations as we proclaim the good news of your salvation. Holy Spirit, prepare our hearts this morning to hear your word. Help me to speak the truth from your word. Instruct us and empower us to be faithful sons and daughters of God Most High. Convict us of our wickedness and lead us to repentance. Give us courage and compassion. O Lord our God, yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Introduction

One of the first movies I ever saw in theaters was the Lion King. It had a huge impression on me as a kid. I sang the songs all the time in the car, drew art of the lions at home, and played out scenes from the movie with my sister. One of the lessons that movie impressed upon me was about what evil can look like. In the movie, the villain Scar deceives his brother and kills him to take the throne. Scar’s nephew, the true heir to the throne, manages to escape into exile but is unaware of Scar’s treachery. In fact, he believes the death of his father to be his own fault. At last, Simba returns and he confronts Scar as an adult years later. At this confrontation, we see that the beautiful land has fallen into ruin as Scar’s wickedness has led to unjust and selfish rule. There are lions who go to Scar and suggest that they should abandon their home and look for other lands, as there is no more food left. The violence done to the land has just been too much. Betrayal, murder, unjust rule, prolific violence, and lying are all aspects of evil we see not just in The Lion King but in the world today. We live in a world full of wickedness.

Students lie to their teachers and put forth work that is not their own. Leaders slander others anonymously online and deny it until the evidence is too much to ignore. It is not uncommon in certain business industries for contracts to be written in such a way to take advantage of those who sign them. There are leaders in government who accept bribes and favors to pervert or slant justice. There are rulers who actively think and plan ways to enrich themselves without regard to the harm done to anyone else. Since the sin of Adam, our world is filled with wickedness.

Psalm 58 is a song in response to our fallen world. It is a reflection on the wickedness we see from Genesis 3 onwards. Wickedness comes from before birth, not from puberty or a secret ceremony in the woods. The wicked cannot be mastered or tamed, and they will destroy as they have the means to do so. David wrote Psalm 58 as a response to the evil we see in the world. There are three main points of application we can take from this Psalm.

First, we are to call out the wicked. We should not be silent when we see or hear of evil deeds, but call people to repent. God gives us many tools to do this, but the important point is to be faithful no matter the cost. Calling out the wicked is rarely easier, but there will be times when God calls us to do so. We also should call out the wicked in such a way that it instructs God’s people both to avoid unrighteousness and to understand that we, too, are born wicked.  

Second, we are to call on the Lord. We pray that God will remove the wicked’s means of harm and destruction on the earth. Ask that the Lord will take them out of office, remove their authority and power, and ground their efforts into dust. Furthermore, we pray that God will destroy the wicked in his wrath, in his vengeance on the day of final judgment. This is a day that we can and should pray for. Even as we seek to make disciples of the nations, as we ask the wicked to repent, is it still right to ask God:  How long, O Lord, will you wait to avenge your martyrs? How long, O Lord, will you tarry before you come to judge the living and the dead? Come swiftly, Lord Jesus, come. This takes us to our last point of application

Third, we are to call for the righteous one to come. If we are now in this age ruled by the wicked, we have a need for a righteous judge to put things to right. We need God’s promised Messiah, who executes God’s judgment perfectly, to reign fully and finally on earth. This righteous one rejoices at the death and judgment of the wicked and even participates in it. We call for the day when all humanity will know and acknowledge God’s righteous one and that God does indeed rule the earth. 

That is the flow of our text this morning. Call out the wicked, call on the Lord, and call for the righteous one.

Call Out the Wicked (vv. 1-5)

So, where do we see this in the text? Verse 1 has a direct address to the wicked, specifically those who judge the children of men. Those who would be called gods. This address is in the form of rhetorical questions. Do you indeed decree what is right? Do you really judge people uprightly? It is the type of challenge that we can find throughout Scripture from prophets such as Elijah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist. These are questions that slap you in the face and lift you up by your shirt collar. Such questions can enrage, but they also can serve as a needed wake-up call. V. 2 answers these rhetorical questions for us. No, these rulers do not rule well. They plan wrongs in their heart, and their hands deal out violence on the land. They are wicked, even though they have the title of “god” and hold positions of authority. 

Vv. 1-2 are directed to the wicked rulers of the earth. The title of “god” could be referring to heavenly authorities or earthly ones, but in this context, it primarily has human figures in view. In either case, the application is the same: call out the wicked. Address them in their wrongs. Do not let them be deceived in their own conceit. 

The next section, verses 3-5, teaches God’s people important facts about the wicked. This theology is what we would call the doctrine of original sins and applies to all humanity.

From vv. 1-5, we can thus see two ways we are to call out the wicked. First, Call Out the Wicked so they repent. Second, Call Out the Wicked to inform God’s people. 

The Call to the Wicked to Repent

Some encounters with wickedness do require confrontation. There are times when you will deal with someone who will deny and excuse their own wickedness over and over until you directly address and show their behavior to be wrong. And even then, they may still deny it. It can be hard to rock the boat, but if a ship is going the wrong direction, you need to alert the other captain that they are going off course. 

If we are to call out the wicked in their wickedness, we should strive to keep our hearts sensitive to evil. Do not let callousness be a reason you fail to call out wickedness. What you hear, what you see, and who you spend time with can desensitize you to things. Be mindful of what you consume lest it consume you and your ability to call it out.

But how do we call the wicked out? Do I need to create a Facebook or Instagram post every time I see something evil? Do I need to slide into people’s DMs to let them know that they are wicked? Do I need to make a podcast where I can have a platform that influences broader culture? For some, that perhaps is what the Lord is calling you to do. That indeed may be how you are gifted and wired. But know that you cannot do it alone or without support. A soldier needs support in the battlefield, and he cannot fight every battle in the war. Seek wisdom in how you call out wickedness. Speak in love lest you become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

For others, though, you need to stay grounded and present in your immediate context. Calling out wickedness for you is an in-person event that you generally try to avoid. You don’t want to burn bridges. You don’t want to make enemies. And you certainly don’t want people to think less of you. If that is you, you are living in fear and believing a lie. It may be that you believe you are the only Christian witness in a particular person’s life and if you ruin the relationship then they will be damned to hell forever. The Lord loves that person more than you, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. If your heart is aching that this is true of you, confess and repent of this lie and call out that person’s wickedness. Know that God forgives you and is pressing you to say something that you need to say.

Or it may be that you believe you aren’t capable of calling them out on their wickedness because you don’t have all the facts. You are more than willing, but it doesn’t seem like it is ever the right time because you never know quite enough to call out someone. While there certainly are times for patience, it is never wrong to ask concerned questions over another person’s soul. If you lack in details, share your heart and ask the other person.

As Psalm 58 puts the spotlight on people in power, we are reminded that speaking against those in power can lead to consequences. John the Baptist was arrested and ultimately killed for speaking against Herod’s sexual immorality. In the UK, it is now illegal to pray near abortion clinics, let alone preach the gospel publicly near them. John Bunyan wrote much of Pilgrim’s Progress while being imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He would serve 12 years in jail because he would not refuse to preach. We should strive to have similar courage, but God also gives us His Holy Spirit to help us.     

The Holy Spirit is given to us as we are asked to call on the wicked to repent. Jesus tells his disciples not to worry when they are brought before rulers and authorities, but why? In Luke 12:11–12, Jesus says “[11] And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, [12] for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (ESV)

When Anaias and Sapphira lied to the church about giving all they had, it was the Holy Spirit who guided Peter in how to rebuke them, even unto death.

We are to trust in the Lord in calling out wickedness. For some, they will repent and believe as the crowds did for Peter. For others, they reject the message and the messenger as they did to Stephen before he was slain. 

We are also to call out the wicked to inform God’s people.

Call to God’s People

Vv. 3-5 give a brief theology on wickedness, which is the doctrine of original sin. This section teaches us several things about sin. First, the wicked are estranged from before birth. The sin of Adam in the garden carries through humanity even in conception. We do not come into the world neutrally towards God. One does not become wicked from their actions, their actions flow from their corrupt nature.

Second, the wicked walk in accordance with their evil nature and go further astray by speaking and believing lies. Not only do all people start as enemies of God, they continue on as they live and grow by suppressing the truth. Romans 1 is an excellent passage for further reflection on this truth, but even here in the Old Testament, David is making plain that wickedness is a deep problem for every person. 

Third, the wicked are dangerous and destructive like poisonous snakes. Their attacks are destructive in nature. The comparison to snakes points us back to the fall in Genesis, where God said that there would be offspring of the snake, and they would all be at war against the seed of the woman. The wicked are in allegiance with Satan and his destructive ways.

Fourth, the wicked are not able to be tamed or controlled through worldly means or “technique.” Their ears are stopped up, and they are immune to your charms. Yet, we can allow our hubris to deceive us when we think that we can utilize wicked people and direct them towards good ends. Despite what self-help books may tell you, no amount of technique or skill can master wickedness in yourself or in others.

We can end up saying things like “I know he’s not a Christian yet, but he really cares for me. I really want to try and make this work.” “I’m really concerned with how my kids are acting in public. Do you have any advice on how I can change their behavior to stop humiliating us? I know kids are kids, but there has to be something we can do to keep them in line.” “Work’s been really hard, there is this one coworker who has been out to get me from day one. Any tips or tricks on how I can deal with them?”

Are these questions bad? Not necessarily. But they reveal a surface-level concern that does not factor in matters of the heart sufficiently. That non-believer who has taken a fancy in you cannot be tamed apart from the gospel. Your rebellious kids need transformed hearts through the gospel more than you looking good in public. Your coworker needs Jesus more than you need comfort and peace in the workplace. 

Understanding the nature of wickedness is essential as we live in this fallen world. We cannot call out what we do not know. This is why we live in covenant together as a church. It is to help us see our wickedness and repent of it. It is to support each as we encounter wickedness in the world outside us and call it out.

So What?

We are to live in light of this truth. If your boss or company is acting in wickedness, you should call it out. If your neighbor is living in sin, you should call him to repent. If you are handing out flyers to the cookout or kid’s camp and a police officer sternly asks what you are doing, you should be able to speak sincerely and boldly about the gospel and how those community events flow from that. 

Likewise, we should talk to each other and confront our own wickedness within. We too have walked the ways of this world. No one does good, not one. We all have gone astray. But in Christ, we are restored and redeemed. We can now walk in ways of righteousness instead of wickedness. We do this not alone or in isolation but in community and covenant together in the church. 

As we call out the wicked, we are then to call on the Lord. This is our second point.

Call On the Lord (vv. 6-9)

Where do we see this in the text? In verses 6 and 9, we see calls on the Lord to deal with the wicked directly. V. 6 asks for the Lord to break their teeth and rip out their fangs. The teeth and fangs represent the wicked’s means of harm. What is a lion without its teeth? What is a snake without its fangs? While not necessarily fatal, this act makes these creatures impotent. In contrast, V. 9 calls on the Lord to sweep the wicked away, whether they have fully matured in their wickedness or still green in it. This is a clear call for destruction instead of mere disarmament. It is saying “Lord, destroy the wicked even before they matured in their evil deeds.” Verses 7-8 describe other pleas to the Lord about the wicked but the beginning and ending calls frame this section into two categories. First, call on the Lord to remove the wicked’s means of harm. Second, call on the Lord to remove the wicked entirely, leaving no trace of their existence. 

Remove Means of Harm

Call on the Lord to remove the destructive force of the wicked. We mentioned earlier that the wicked could not be tamed by technique or worldly means. Yet in v. 6, we see a prayer seemingly to that end. The teeth of snakes and the fangs of lions are their means of attack, and David clearly calls on God to take them away. Additionally, in v. 7, we see a request that their arrows be blunted. What the world attempts to do towards the wicked, God is truly able to do. V. 8 calls for the wicked to be thwarted before they even have time to thrive, in asking them to be like a stillborn child that never sees the sun. That is how we should hope all the wicked’s plans go, that God would destroy them before they escape the imagination.

In the time of King Hezekiah, the army of Assyria amassed itself before Judah to conquer it. They spoke to the people in Hebrew and belittled the Lord as though he were just like the local gods of the people they had already crushed. Before a single arrow was launched or a sword was swung, God had driven them back to Assyria and saved his people in Jerusalem. God removed the wicked’s means of harm by turning their armies back home. 

God blinded Paul as he was on the road to Damascus. This blindness directly removed his means of persecuting the church, even as the Lord was changing this wicked man’s heart. Praying against the wicked is not only praying for their destruction but also that God would thwart their wicked deeds and lead them to repentance.

How does this apply to us? Well, do you pray to God when you see wickedness? Are you praying towards the removal of wicked authorities from positions of power? Are you praying for their repentance and changed hearts? Are you speaking to them or just speaking about them? Are you talking to God about it or just talking with your buddies?

For some of you, you are not that aware of much wickedness going on right now. Either it is because you have a tight circle of relationships, or you are not that observant, or your heart has grown callous to many of the wrongs happening around you. In any case, you do not call on the Lord against the wicked. You may try to manage it, rationalize it, compartmentalize it, or just flat out ignore it when wickedness comes within sight. You place labels on top of your experience with wickedness to excuse your conscience from feeling repulsion by it. Wickedness should make you feel a sickening that leads you to call on the Lord to deal with it. If certain sins or evils do not make you feel that, take heart. The Holy Spirit is there with you to help you to see the world as God sees it. To see it with compassion, yes, but also with a desire for holiness, especially from our leaders and rulers. Pray that God would open your eyes and soften your heart so that when you see wickedness, you call on the Lord to deal with it as you also seek ways to wisely call it out.

For others, you see wickedness everywhere. You are plugged into the local, national, and global stages and know what is going on almost at all times. If that is you, be cautious of trying to remove the speck out of your neighbor’s eye before dealing with the plank in your own eye. We too were wicked. We, too, were far from God and deceived. When you mock the wicked, do you feel compassion for them? When you call them out among friends or on social media, have you first called on the Lord to deal with them? If we are not careful, we can talk about wickedness in such a way that it is inevitable, undeniable, and unassailable. It is just the way it is. Psalm 58 makes clear that the Lord can thwart the wicked, so call on him. Time and time again, call on the Lord to deal with the wicked by removing their means of harm. 

There is also another way to call on the Lord against the wicked. And that is to remove them entirely. Destroy, destroy, destroy.

Remove the Wicked

The calls for the destruction of the wicked in Psalm 58 are complete and final. V. 7 calls for the wicked to vanish like water running down a slope. Unlike syrup, ketchup, or honey, when you turn over a bottle of water, it all escapes and leaves no trace behind. That is how we are to pray against the wicked. Gone without a trace. 

Additionally, V. 8 calls for the wicked to dissolve into slime like a snail in the sun. My daughters enjoy capturing snails and putting them in different places in our backyard. One day, one of them held a snail in the sunlight and started giggling. I went to see what was so funny, and she was enjoying seeing all the bubbles coming from the snail melting in the sun’s heat. And while that may seem to some of you grotesque, that is a picture of how we should respond to the destruction of the wicked. Laughter of joy and delight is a rightly ordered response to God’s judgment of the wicked. When God destroyed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea, where thousands of people died, the Israelites danced and rejoiced in song. In V. 9, David calls for the Lord to sweep away the wicked, whether they are active in their evil or just getting started. We are to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that includes his perfect justice.

God will deal with all unrighteousness. While wicked rulers may look away from injustice, God will hold everyone to account. In this time of waiting for Christ’s return, we are still to call on the Lord’s justice against the wicked, which includes their destruction. 

For some, this is easy to pray for. You have firsthand experience with pain and suffering from wicked people. In God’s grace, you have forgiven them and yearn for their repentance. At the same time, you are also for their destruction and demise. You pray that the Lord will come in his glory and judge the earth, knowing that such a return will end the window for repentance. If that is you, I encourage you to press forward in prayer and to be vocal with others about what you are praying for. You can help us be better at calling on the Lord against the wicked, and that starts with talking about how you are currently doing so. 

For others, you find it difficult to pray against the destruction of the wicked. You weep for the lost and find it hard to desire that any should perish, let alone pray to God for it. If that is you, I encourage you to balance your compassion with a desire for the justice that will fully and finally come when Jesus returns. Think of the fact that when Jesus returns, the time for repentance will be over. Praying that Jesus would come tomorrow is another way of praying that all the lost will be damned to hell. So, is it truly compassionate to pray that Jesus will return quickly? Wouldn’t it be more compassionate to pray that he delays his return? Or not pray for it all? I hope you can hear how ridiculous that sounds! All creation is groaning and awaits for the return of Christ and the sons of glory to be revealed. Our unity comes in part from our shared desire for Jesus to return. If another desire is at odds with praying that Jesus would come quickly, that desire is misaligned. 

The cross shows that compassion and justice are not opposed to each other. You can pray for the death of the wicked while also praying for their repentance because we trust God to answer our prayers. 

One more point of this. If we are not careful, we can be withdrawn and avoid the tasks God has called us to do because of previous mistakes and sins. How can I confront someone’s wickedness when I am wicked? How can I call on the Lord when I am wicked? I am irredeemably stained, to pray against the wicked is to pray against myself! David knows this, he is well aware of his own wickedness. So what is his solution in Psalm 58? Is there any hope for humanity? Yes! It is by placing your faith and hope in Jesus as God’s righteous Son. This takes us to our final point.

Call for the Righteous One (vv. 10-11)

Verse 10 speaks of “the righteous,” which is best translated as “the righteous one” as the rest of the context uses singular verbs and pronouns with this adjective. This person will rejoice at the sight of what is simply called “the vengeance”. He also washes his feet in the blood of the wicked, God’s enemies, which seems to be associated with this vengeance. 

Verse 11 tells of all humanity acknowledging that the righteous one has a reward and that God indeed judges the earth. This seems to be a fitting end to this Psalm about wicked rulers who do violence all over the earth. There will be a day when God himself will rule and judge the earth, and everyone will acknowledge him and his righteous one. But there is a lot left unsaid here. Who is the righteous one? What exactly is this vengeance? If all are wicked, how will there be a mankind left to acknowledge God as the judge of the earth?

What David is doing here is using shared, common knowledge that his readers would either know or know someone who would know. What David is doing here is directing his readers to a key passage in the Old Testament, namely Deuteronomy 32, and hitting on a thread that comes up throughout the Old Testament called the Day of the Lord. We can see evidence of this connection through multiple shared words, the chief of which being the Hebrew word for vengeance. 

The Hebrew word for vengeance in v.10 of Psalm 58 appears less than 20 times in the Old Testament. While it appears several times in the Prophets, particularly Isaiah, it only occurs 4 times in the Book of Moses. In Deuteronomy 32, Moses uses this word in quick succession three times as he gives the people of Israel a song that will rebuke them when they turn to idolatry and are eventually exiled from the promised land. Near the song’s conclusion, however, it speaks of a day of the Lord’s vengeance against the nations, where the Lord will avenge his people. I believe this is the common knowledge that David is pointing us to when he speaks of the vengeance against the wicked. So let us briefly hear how Moses describes this vengeance in Deuteronomy 32:34–43.

[34] “‘Is not this laid up in store with me,

     sealed up in my treasuries?

[35] Vengeance is mine, and recompense,

     for the time when their foot shall slip;

for the day of their calamity is at hand,

     and their doom comes swiftly.’

[36] For the LORD will vindicate his people

     and have compassion on his servants,

when he sees that their power is gone

     and there is none remaining, bond or free.

[37] Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods,

     the rock in which they took refuge,

[38] who ate the fat of their sacrifices

     and drank the wine of their drink offering?

Let them rise up and help you;

     let them be your protection!

[39] “‘See now that I, even I, am he,

     and there is no god beside me;

I kill and I make alive;

     I wound and I heal;

     and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

[40] For I lift up my hand to heaven

     and swear, As I live forever,

[41] if I sharpen my flashing sword

     and my hand takes hold on judgment,

I will take vengeance on my adversaries

     and will repay those who hate me.

[42] I will make my arrows drunk with blood,

     and my sword shall devour flesh—

with the blood of the slain and the captives,

     from the long-haired heads of the enemy.’

[43] “Rejoice with him, O heavens;

     bow down to him, all gods,

for he avenges the blood of his children

     and takes vengeance on his adversaries.

He repays those who hate him

     and cleanses his people’s land.” (ESV)

Here we see that though God’s people have turned to wickedness and idolatry and God has sent the nations against them, God will avenge his children through the violent destruction of the wicked, of those who hate Him. This is the image David is referring to when he says the righteous one will rejoice when he sees the vengeance. This is the vengeance. Furthermore, David, through the Holy Spirit, is elaborating on this image by noting that the righteous one is participating in this vengeance. How do we know this? Because his feet are bathing in the blood of God’s enemies. A different image comes to mind here, that of a winepress. Just as one would step and crush grapes in a winepress and bathe their feet in the juice, so is the righteous one crushing the wicked and bathing his feet in their blood. This also explains why the righteous one receives a reward from God.

With this broader context in mind, we can better see what David is doing in Psalm 58. In light of all the wickedness in the world, David knows that his prayers against the wicked will ultimately and finally be answered on the day of the Lord’s judgment against all the nations. But instead of focusing on the Lord, who is executing this judgment, David is pointing us to one who is perfectly righteous. Just as the wicked are offspring of the serpent, God promised an offspring from Eve who would crush the serpent’s head at the cost of receiving a lethal bite from the snake. That is who this righteous one is: the seed of the woman, the son of David, Jesus the Messiah. 

Additionally, v. 11 implies that there will be people who survive God’s wrath to acknowledge the greatness and justice of God and his righteous one. Just as Deuteronomy 32 says that God will have compassion on his servants, he will vindicate his people, and he will cleanse the land, these promises are for the sake of God’s people. But how is this possible? How can the fall in Genesis 3 be undone so that the children from Adam can enjoy God’s presence again?

The answer is through the righteous one. In response to being cursed by God, Adam’s response in Genesis 3 is to name his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living. Even though death came through the fall, life would come through the seed of the woman, and that is where Adam and David placed their faith. There would be one who would be perfectly righteous and give life by defeating the serpent and his wicked offspring,g even at the cost of his life. 

Hebrew is an interesting language, and out of necessity, we translate words into English, which can obscure some of the wordplay going on in a passage. In v. 11, the word for mankind could be translated Adam and the word for reward could be translated fruit. In other words, the verse could be read as saying Adam will say, “Surely there is a fruit for the righteous one.” What fruit would that be other than the fruit of eternal life? The fruit that was barred from Adam and Eve after the fall. The fruit that we see again referenced in Revelation as a reward for the one who conquers. That fruit, that reward, belongs to Jesus, but he gives it freely to all who trust in him. God is one who wounds and who heals, he kills and makes alive again. Just as Jesus rose from the grave and defeated Satan, sin, and death, we take part in Jesus’ victory by placing our faith in him.

That is why we call for the righteous one, because he is the answer to all wickedness, including our own. He rejoices in God's justice, even at the cost of his own life. All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to him, now. As we wait patiently for his return, we call for him as our righteous one. We call for him as the one who will judge the living and the dead. All mankind will bow the knee and confess that there is a God who judges the earth, and his name is Jesus Christ. We call for his return.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Psalm 58 is a song against the wicked. We should not be surprised by evil people, especially in positions of power. However, instead of ignoring or placating them, we are to call them out. Call out the wicked! Speak the truth so that they may repent while there is still time. If Paul, a murderer and persecutor of the church, can repent and be saved, perhaps so can your neighborhood's LDS bishop or that antagonistic coworker. Call out wickedness to inform God’s people so that we can be humble in our walk in righteousness. 

As we deal with wickedness, call on the Lord. Do not grow callous towards evil, but be quick to pray. Pray that God would remove the wicked’s means of harm. Tear out their teeth, remove them from office, shut down their companies. Ask the Lord to do whatever it takes to stop their evil in the land. Pray also for the destruction of the wicked. Pray for Jesus to come and put an end to all wickedness, knowing that Jesus’ return shuts the door on repentance. 

As we pray against the wicked and are reminded of our own wickedness, we call for the righteous one. We ask him to come and to come quickly. Even as He reigns at the Father’s right hand, as God the Father puts all enemies under Christ’s feet, we pray for his return. We long for the day when all humanity will acknowledge the greatness of our God and our savior and say, surely there is a righteous one, God himself, who judges the earth. 

Yes, let us pray together for that day soon. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen