Some time ago the public was infuriated when the discourse on increasing the salaries of officials was voiced in the midst of the majority of people who were still having difficulty meeting their basic needs. There are also cases of criminalization of small citizens who are defending their land from mining projects or large plantations. When people are struggling to deal with the environmental crisis caused by floods and pollution, the policies that come out often favor corporations rather than the safety of the people. Many people feel that their voices of protest are like the wind, never truly heard by those in power.
In the midst of such a situation, Psalm 58 becomes a strengthening voice in the midst of such a chaotic situation. The psalmist begins with a direct challenge, "Do you judge justly, O rulers?" (verse 2). This criticism is still very current. The leaders, who are supposed to safeguard the truth and the common welfare, are instead portrayed as ‘snakes that cover their ears’, deaf to criticism, unwilling to hear the cries of the people. Therefore, the psalmist had no more hope in the broken system. He calls on God to intervene radically, to break the power of the wicked, to wipe them out like water that disappears, like slugs that become slime. This strong language is not just an emotional curse, but a prayer of resistance: a cry of faith that refuses to submit to oppression. It culminates in the belief that God, not man, is the true Judge. It is He who will establish justice on earth (verse 12).
Friends of the Bible, in the psalmist's view, the groaning of the people is not simply the voice of social unrest, but an honest prayer from a wounded heart. When the voice of the people is silenced, prayer becomes a form of resistance. When laws and policies favor the strong, faith affirms that God never favors injustice. By praying, we not only put justice in God's hands, but also give ourselves the shape to dare to speak out, side with the weak, and maintain hope in the midst of darkness. For though the justice of the world may be silenced, hope in God will continue to resound.
