How to Talk to the Sons of Man

The poem in front of us strikes us at first glance as a prayer. But on second glance, we see that while the composition begins and ends in prayer, most of it is not actually a prayer but instead an address to the sons of man. This composition, then, tells us how to talk prayerfully to the sons of man.

This, I trust, is something that has long occupied your attention. How, exactly, are we supposed to reach the nonbeliever with the good news about Jesus? While this psalm does not present a universal formula for making converts, it certainly does present a deeply prayerful approach to that difficult process. It also specifically states some half-dozen truths that we need to communicate to the sons of man when they seek to attack and denigrate the glory of Jesus Christ. Yet in all of this, it does not urge you to get up and evangelize because you feel guilty — and even though it asks the question "how long?" it doesn't project an aura of exhaustion. Instead, in this psalm the king presents a perfectly balanced account of energetically confronting the sons of man with their sin and evangelizing them, yet doing so from a place of prayer, peace, and rest. Does that sound good to you? It sure sounds good to me. Let's dive in.