Bad Hearts Equal Corrupt Words and Deaf Ears! Psalms 57-59

Psalms 58:3-5 (ESV)

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.

In these three psalms, David is being hunted down by King Saul.   He is fleeing for his life.   King Saul has lost his mind and sees David has a threat.  He is a threat since, through the Prophet Samuel, God anointed David as the next King, to replace Saul.   David is on the run and hiding out in caves.   In Psalm 58 he is crying out about the rulers who are corrupt. It might be the rulers, including Saul.  It might be the rulers doing Saul’s bidding.  It might, however, be the rulers in general who are corrupt in their leadership.   Perhaps in this song/prayer/lament David has gone away from the specifics of Saul to the general of wicked leaders.  In the above three verses he gives us three thoughts to consider:

1. Wicked leaders speak their nature.   It would be David’s son, Solomon, who tells us the tongue reveals the heart:

Proverbs 15:7 (ESV)

The lips of the wise spread knowledge;

not so the hearts of fools.

David didn’t need to wait for God to reveal this truth to Solomon.  Maybe Solomon read this psalm and wrote the above proverb.  Whatever the order, David is telling us that wicked leaders speak wicked words because they have wicked hearts.    It is the heart that needs to change, not the words.  

2.  The words wicked leaders speak are very dangerous and can kill.  We were taught in our youth a song that sticks and stones can break our bones but words can never hurt us.   David begs to differ.   He is telling us that wicked leaders have speech that is as dangerous as snake venom.    If you work with conflict long enough you will see that the words of corrupt leaders do have a powerful impact on their followers.  David knows that the spear King Saul threw at him would do more harm on contact, but he also recognizes the inward destruction words can have on people.  Our speech can kill just as well as the venom of an evil snake.    We might bring to mind the Snake in the Garden of Eden.  It was Satan’s words that led Eve to sin.   In the third chapter of James we read about the power and destruction of the tongue.  This verse sums it up:

James 3:6 (ESV)

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

3. The tongue of a wicked leader, or anyone who is spewing out evil with their words can’t be trained because at the same time they don’t listen.  They close their ears to hear truth.  David states, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter.  It is horrible that those acting wickedly speak in a way that is like venom.  But it is worse that in their speaking they shut down their hearing.   Even the charmer can’t control the snake’s ears.  Those who speak wickedness will often not want to hear righteousness.   Those who speak false do not want to hear truth.  They shut their ears.  Typically if you are talking you are no longer listening.   

This is the way of bad leadership.   They spew bad words that harm rather than use righteous words that would have grew the hearts and minds of those they lead.