Bite the Dust

I had a bad fall over the weekend. You might say, “I bit the dust”, but it was more carpet fibers than dust. It hurts!

I lost track of where my feet were, and my feet lost track of the next step and down I went. I skinned one knee nicely and jammed both of my big toes, hard. In fact, they are all black and blue this morning and chances are I will lose the nails.

Bite the dust.

To bite the dust is to come to an end, as in died, ended, failed. But, did you know this idiom is from the Bible? Well, a loose translation anyway.

“May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!” Psalm 72:9 ESV

Let’s turn to that chapter, text specifically attributed to King Solomon.

The psalm begins with a call for God's blessings and justice to be bestowed upon the king. It talks about how the king's rule should bring prosperity and abundance to the land, ensuring that even the poor and oppressed are cared for. The king is envisioned as a defender of the weak, a deliverer of the needy, and a judge who upholds justice.

“Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to the royal son!

May he judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice!

Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness!

May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the children of the needy,

and crush the oppressor!” Psalm 72:1-4 ESV

Solomon prays for the king's reign to be characterized by righteousness and peace, where even nature itself rejoices in harmony. There's a focus on the king's influence extending beyond his own kingdom to other nations, where he is seen as a source of blessings and honor.

“May they fear you while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth!

In his days may the righteous flourish,

and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

May he have dominion from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth!

May desert tribes bow down before him,

and his enemies lick the dust!

May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands

render him tribute;

may the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring gifts!

May all kings fall down before him,

all nations serve him!”” Psalm 72:5-11 ESV

King Solomon is painting a picture of an ideal ruler who governs with integrity, compassion, and wisdom. Under that sort of leadership, society flourishes and people live harmoniously with each other.

Yes, King Solomon envisioned a king, a ruler, as a defender of the weak, a deliverer of the needy, and a judge who upholds justice. That is what our God does for us. In the form of Jesus Christ, our heavenly Abba provided a deliverer; the only Deliverer.

Next time you hear “bite the dust” remember King Solomon and the wise words of Psalm 72

“For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.” Psalm 72:12-14 NIV

by Jeanette Stark – Monday, August 14, 2023