A Green Olive Tree:Psalm 52-Supplication through the Scriptures

A Green Olive Tree

Psalm 52

Eternal mercy is my present confidence.

Charles Spurgeon

In Scripture, the picture of a flourishing and fruitful plant is often used to express the one who belongs to the Lord and is walking in obedience to Him. In Psalm 1, the one who delights in the Lord and meditates on His law day and night is like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, yielding fruit whose leaf does not wither. Jeremiah says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). And Christ Himself uses the imagery when He says, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

In our psalm today David declares, “I am like a green olive tree in the house of my God” (Psalm 52:8). Despite David’s extreme difficulties, he is trusting the steadfast love of the Lord. He is filled with thankfulness because he knows it is God who has performed all the good which has come to David. He is waiting expectantly and relying on the trustworthy name of God. And so, he can be fruitful in the land of his affliction, he can bear fruit in times of drought, he can pass through the Valley of Baca (Weeping) and make it a spring (Psalm 84:6). He is a green olive tree in the house of God. 

Psalm 52 was written at a pressing time in David’s life. When David was fleeing from Saul, he sought help from Ahimelech the priest. Doeg, Saul’s chief shepherd, saw the help Ahimelech gave David and he reported it to Saul. Saul responded by ordering the killing of Ahimelech and the other priests, which Doeg did not hesitate to do. Psalm 52, written by David, expresses his thoughts about Doeg the Edomite, who killed 85 priests of the Lord and then also attacked their city and killed men, women, children, infants, and animals (1 Samuel 22:18-19). 

There is a stark contrast in this psalm between the evildoer, Doeg, and David, the one trusting the Lord. Let us pray to be one who is abiding in Christ, bearing much fruit for His glory, resting all on His grace, becoming like the tree planted firmly by streams of water, not fearing when heat comes or anxious in times of drought.

The Steadfast Love of God

52:1-4 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. 

Let’s pray:

▫️We would trust in the steadfast, faithful, covenant love of our God, which will endure for us all of this day and never come to an end.

▫️We would keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:13).

▫️We would depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:14).

▫️We would put away all lying and only speak truth (Ephesians 4:25). 

▫️Whatever our situation may be, we would never lie, deceive, or manipulate to turn things our way.

God, Our Refuge

52:5-7 But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!” 

Let’s pray:

▫️We would remember the end of the evildoer and take warning that God is coming soon to judge the living and the dead, and we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

▫️We can rejoice and be comforted that if we are in Christ, we face no condemnation, for He bore the wrath of God on our behalf.

▫️We would make God our refuge and not the abundance of our riches, or the wisdom and knowledge we think we have, or our own strength and abilities. We would rely on God.

A Green Olive Tree

52:8-9 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

Let’s pray: 

▫️We would be like a green olive tree in the house of God: productive, useful, fruitful, and steadfast.

▫️We would trust in the steadfast love of God and be like a tree planted by streams of water, not fearing when heat comes, but with green leaves, and not anxious in a year of drought, nor ceasing to yield fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

▫️Our hearts would overflow with thankfulness knowing that every good and perfect gift is from the Lord; He has done it.

▫️We would trust in the goodness of our God and wait for Him.

▫️In our waiting, as we abide in Christ and His Word abides in us, we would continue to bear fruit, much fruit, for His glory.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 52 quoted from the ESV.

Photo credit to reo