Don't Be Like Doeg the Edomite

READ PSALM 52

Psalm 52:2-3 "Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah.

Doeg the who?

Yeah, I had to look him up too. You don't hear much about Doeg the Edomite, but let me tell you, this guy made some pretty poor decisions when it came to attacking the people of God.

Doeg was King Saul's chief herdsman. He was also Saul's "ear to the ground" when Saul was trying to hunt down David. When word spread around town that David had visited the priest Ahimelech, Doeg ran and saw it with his own eyes. He then ran to Saul and spoke all sorts of evil about David. He told Saul that David was receiving help from Ahimelech the priest and the people of Nob.

David was God's anointed, and King Saul knew that his reign over Israel was coming to an end. Instead of stepping down gracefully Saul did everything he could to cling to power. Which was interesting because Saul had done nothing to deserve the honor of "King" in the first place. God chose Saul even though Saul knew he was unqualified.

How quickly power corrupts! The full disturbing story of Doeg the Edomite's evil can be found in 1 Samuel 22:6-22. But for the sake of time let me give you a quick synopsis.

When Doeg the Edomite saw that David was helped by Ahimelech, he ran to Saul to share the news. Saul was so furious with Ahimelech and the other priests he decided to condemn all of these holy men to death. At first Saul ordered the Israelite guards to kill the priests, but the guards feared God more than Saul and refused to lift a hand to God's anointed priests.

Doeg the Edomite jumped in and said, "No problem!" He proceeded to kill 85 priests on that day. But that wasn't enough for evil old Doeg. He went on to kill all of the men, women, and children (even the animals) in the town of Nob. Which was the town that gave David help when he fled from Saul. (Hebrew tradition sees Doeg as one of the most evil men who ever lived.)

Doeg was a sick, twisted man! The Scriptures say he boasted about his evil acts, and he often lied, told half-truths, and spoke deceitfully about God's chosen people. (Remember, an Edomite was not a Jew.)

David wrote Psalm 52 to call out this self-seeking, bloodthirsty enemy of God. The 9 verses of this Psalm are worth reading. They should serve as a warning for anyone who thinks it's okay to attack God's anointed.

The end result of Doeg the Edomite's deceit and evil doesn't often play out in the same horrific ways today, but in our time we often see the destruction that is caused by deceit, gossip, half-truths, and outright divisive words that are spoken against God's anointed.

A true devoted follower of Christ should not take part in conversations that cause division in the body of Christ. We should never be party to deceit or outright lying that is intended to harm or tear apart the unity that exists in God's Kingdom.

That's not to say that we shouldn't call out blatant sin if we become aware of it. We should! But if you find yourself speaking deceitfully about people or things in your church that are not "sin" but simply things you disagree with, please be careful. You don't want to be anywhere close to following in the footsteps of Doeg.

James 3:1-12 gives a definitive word on how powerful the tongue can be. Use your words wisely. Don't speak evil over others or seek to cause destruction through your words.

I'll say it one last time...Don't be like Doeg the Edomite.

Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of Crosswalk Church in Brentwood, TN.

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