Psalms

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech."

See 1 Samuel 20 & 21.  As David was fleeing from Saul he went to the temple and Ahimelech the priest.  He took the showbread for food and the sword of Goliath for a weapon.  Doeg the Edomite saw that Ahimelech had done this.  Saul was paranoid and felt as if everyone had sided with David and no one would be faithful to him.  That is when Doeg spoke up.  Saul then proceeded to have all the priests killed.

David was angry at Doeg and Saul when he wrote this Psalm.  God's people will get angry but its important that we deal with anger correctly.

¹Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
         The goodness of God endures continually.
 ² Your tongue devises destruction,
         Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
 ³ You love evil more than good,
         Lying rather than speaking righteousness.  Selah  
 ⁴ You love all devouring words,
         You deceitful tongue.
Doeg was the chief of shepherds for Saul.  He had an important job but it wasn't a job that got a lot of glory.  Doeg saw a chance to rise above others by reporting to Saul what he had seen.  This wasn't done out of loyalty to Saul but out of selfishness for Doeg.  Even when Doeg was telling the truth he did it with evil and selfish purpose in mind.

Though this man devised evil and acted on that evil, it didn't change or thwart the plans of God in any way.  The goodness of God endures.  God is not surprised by these things.  In fact he allows them, yet he doesn't have to allow them.  This man used his tongue to devise evil.  The work was verbal and though his words were delivered by deceit they still cut like a razor.  This man loved evil.  He had no problem mixing lies with the truth and working his story to play on the paranoia of Saul.

Ahimilech had always inquired of the Lord on behalf of David.  Doeg reported this as if it was something new, as if the priest were getting God on David's side instead of Saul's.  Doeg left Saul with the impression that the priest was conspiring with David to lay a trap for Saul, when in fact the priest simply offered David provisions and a weapon for self defense.  Doeg had twisted the story to make it sound as bad as possible so he would look more heroic in the eyes of Saul. 

         
 ⁵ God shall likewise destroy you forever;
         He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
         And uproot you from the land of the living.  Selah  
 ⁶ The righteous also shall see and fear,
         And shall laugh at him, saying,
 ⁷ "Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
         But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
         And strengthened himself in his wickedness."
David declares to his enemies that God is sovereign and that he is in the hands of God.  David declared that God would remove them from the land of the living.  He would be snatched out of his comfortable life.  This action by God would be a testimony to all others.  And to the righteous, they will laugh at him because he knew better but didn't listen.  Doeg didn't make God his strength.  He trusted in the idols of the world, in abundance and riches and in his methods of evil to work people and situations to his best interest.

How many times do we see this happening and wonder how God allows these things to continue?  How does God allow the Doeg's of the world to continue on?  God is patient, He operates on His timeline.  Some of us were once Doeg's and are thankful for God's long suffering and willingness to deliver us from our evil ways.

         
 ⁸ But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
         I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
 ⁹ I will praise You forever,
         Because You have done it;
         And in the presence of Your saints
         I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

This simile of the green olive tree probably had more meaning in that day than it does to us.  It is the sense of growing and thriving under the protection of the God of mercy.  It is placing our trust in Him alone as we are rooted in the things of God for all our provision and all of our sustenance. 

For those in the Lord, we praise Him forever.  God is sovereign and whatever is done is done before the eyes of the Lord.  God is not surprised by the evil performed by the Doeg's of the world.  Even when the Doeg's aren't judged right away, we will wait on the Lord.  We know He is just and righteous and will judge in that fashion on his time.  To wait on the God's name is to rely on His reputation.....for it is sure and right and good.