Just Judgment of the Wicked

Psalms 58:1-11
To the Chief Musician. Set to "Do Not Destroy." A Michtam of David.

1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
2 No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5 Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.

6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.

8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 So that men will say,
"Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth."

This wisdom song of David is sung to the tune of something called “Do not destroy,” whose meaning may be a play on words here, for this psalm is about destruction of the evil and wicked persons.  He addresses those who speak as if righteous in their judgment of others, but who do works of wickedness and violence.  These are those who can be self righteous at times, putting on an act of outward holier than you demeanor (Isaiah 65:5) and smug talk lacking in humility as they judge themselves better than others and miss their own sinful behavior (Romans 2:1, Luke 18:9, 13-14).  The psalmist says that the evil person is so born in sin, knowing how to lie in their fallen nature and ignoring God’s ways from hearing His word.  These he asks the LORD to take out their teeth by force to stop the biting attacks on the righteous who seek to do what God commands.  He asks for their utter defeat as a snail melting away or a stillborn baby, ending abruptly before continuing in their sin.  These are harsh desires for them to experience God’s loving and burning wrath as verse 9 describes.  But as for those who do right by God, they will rejoice in the vengeance of the LORD against the righteous, knowing their reward from the judgement of all men in the end as His wrath is poured out on them (Revelation 6:10, 11:18).  Certainly we are to pray for our enemies and forgive them, but we cannot deny that God as the Judge will certainly execute the due sentence on all who reject Him and refuse to repent and do the good works instead, having been regenerated from one born in sin to a new creation in Christ.  God alone is the avenger of the wicked and just judge of the wicked.  We are to then humble ourselves in the eyes of the Lord and live accordingly, not in self righteousness or pride, remembering that we have been delivered in His righteousness, for we have none of our own.