Psalms are a treasure for the Christian. All of them, including imprecatory Psalm 58, are the holy words of Scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit. Like the rest of Scripture, Psalm 58 is authoritative over and profitable for our lives. We can’t cancel them. So what do we do with them? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Sermons in the Psalms
TEXT: Psalm 58
TITLE:   The Gospel and Imprecatory Psalms
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: The gospel turns our imprecatory prayers into impassioned pleas for God’s saving mercy as we trust Him to do what is just in His eyes.

POINTS:
1. A Portrait of the Wicked
2. A Prayer Against the Wicked

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”We will walk through the passage to understand it in the original context, then look at a few ways the gospel shapes how Psalm 58 can function in our lives.”

“Who are the wicked? At the end of 1, the word gods is translated from a Hebrew word that can mean mighty one or ruler. In the immediate context, the inscriptions of the surrounding psalms lend to this; they are Saul and the officials who support his mission to murder David. In general, they are the ungodly rulers in Israel and, beyond that, leaders opposed to God and His people.”

“Notice how David goes from heart to hand. In their hearts, they devise wicked plans. Their evil actions are thought out. In other words, their wicked governance is who they are. And with their hands, they deal out—dispense, mete out—their evil hearts on others. David paints a picture of calculated evil executed with business-like ruthlessness and efficiency.”

“By the time we get to verse 6, David is outraged at the wickedness and evil he sees. He does not opt for a passive shrugging of shoulders or civil diplomacy. He reigns down curses from above using rich imagery.”

“So how should we think about David’s prayer? Carefully, humbly, and like every other part of Scripture and life, through the lens of the gospel.”

“There is great continuity between the Old and New Testaments. There is also appropriate discontinuity and for one overarching reason: The Gospel. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus changed everything.”

“As Christians, we don’t pray for the damnation of sinners; we pray for their salvation. We pray for the demise of their evil work, which, by the way, the gospel is the ultimate answer, but we don’t pray for their personal damnation. We pray God protects us from suffering at their hands, but we don’t pray He strikes them dead instantly. As far as we are concerned, no one is out of the reach of God’s saving grace. He alone knows and determines who he saves.”

“This is worth remembering. Hating sin is an act of righteousness. But do we hate our sin as much as we hate other's sin? We should have burned. We lived opposed to God in every way. Remembering the depths of our depravity produces a humility that produces gratitude for grace and compassion for the lost—yes, even the wicked who rule over and oppose our Lord and Savior with their position and power.”

“The gospel comes with a promise—eternal justice. Those in Christ will live forever with him in heaven as their reward. All who reject Jesus will pay the price of their sins forever in hell. We must keep our eyes on heaven. A day is coming, if not in our lives, when Christ returns, when the Lord will have His vengeance on the wicked.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 5:43-44
Luke 6:28
Galatians 6:9