(4) The words of verses 6-20 are actually the words of David’s enemies, which David quotes as evidence of their evil attacks against him. There are good reasons for this. Let me tell you it must have been some experience to gather as a congregation in days of old and sing Psalm 109. Peter pronounced sentence on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). 12-13) of his enemy. in 1971. 130:3-8; 143:2). No matter how perplexing the problem of imprecatory psalms may be, we cannot easily dismiss them. This same principle was expressed in the Book of Proverbs: The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous (Prov. The nature of the sin of the wicked against David is especially informative. When you think of God’s mercy you automatically think about grace. Likewise, those who are worthy of divine wrath are carefully defined. David asks that a wicked man be set over his foe and that an adversary accuse him (v. 6). We must love others wholeheartedly and treat them well. 27-29). 16). Remember, the psalm was written for public worship. Let those who oppress those under them taste what it is like to have an evil man over them. Let his children wander about and beg; and let them seek sustenance far from their ruined homes” (vv. Jesus Christ came to the earth to take upon Himself our sins and our punishment. The biblical age seems to have been quite a brutal time in human history. 6 Appoint a wicked man over him; And let an accuser stand at his right hand. also 11:18ff. Judgment is one theme, one aspect of God’s dealings with men, but not the whole. How could anyone be so evil and wicked? Imprecations such as those found in Psalm 109 have caused some Christians to question the value of the imprecatory prayers of the Bible for New Testament believers: It is surely a debatable question as to whether the church should retain the whole Psalter in its worship, including these troublesome passages, or whether the Psalter should be censored at those points which seem to be inconsistent with God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. However, are all acts of violence considered equally condemned? This is the basis for his petition for the punishment of the wicked. 1:15). There are soul-stirring psalms which inspire us to worship and praise such as Psalm 103. 69:4). They have engaged in character-assassination. However, one of the ways that we know God is real […] They therefore deserve God’s retributive judgment. Matt. We are thus judging the whole by one part. 18:5-10; cp. Justice was based on the principle of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” (Exod. 13-14), but when he was afflicted they rejoiced, smiting and slandering him (vv. The problems which the imprecatory psalms have raised for the Christian have been answered by a variety of explanations, most of which seem inadequate or inaccurate.201 Before we become too critical of the psalmist and this type of psalm, let us make several observations which must be taken into account. 58-66; Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72, pp. 20 Let this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, And of those who speak evil against my soul. 5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good, And hatred for my love. The wicked strut about on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. 61-62. Cp. All over the web you see people writing blasphemous things about Christ and when the time comes they’re going to wish they had a time machine. 28 Let them curse, but do Thou bless; When they arise, they shall be ashamed, But Thy servant shall be glad. The solution was not to separate the sin and the sinner, but to commit both to God. Let all who would accuse David stand accused before God (v. 20). God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. They apparently were closely associated with David. Skeptics use evil to disprove God. And do I not loathe those who rise up against Thee? When Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount he was not teaching a new law, but was reiterating what the law had always taught. According to Perowne, there are no less than 30 anathemas pronounced upon David’s enemies in this one psalm.184 David not only seeks the punishment of his enemy but also the painful consequences brought on his family: “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. And those who hate the righteous will be condemned. What does the bible say about evildoers and their reward? Either the psalmist is self-deceived, a hypocrite or a liar. 100 Bible Verses about Evil And Wicked People Proverbs 6:12-16 ESV / 667 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. Continuing In Sin Last Things Death Of The Righteous Universality Of Death. 5:38-42). For they speak against Thee wickedly, and Thine enemies take Thy name in vain. ); others are general professions of purity of purpose and single-hearted devotion to God (xvii. The wicked whom David wishes to see punished are those who have shown no mercy to others, but have instead persecuted the afflicted and needy man, even putting him to death (v. 16). Yet Thou, O Lord, knowest all their deadly designs against me; do not forgive their iniquity or blot out their sin from Thy sight. Colossians 3:25 - But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Proverbs 14:32. A Psalm of David. Even the wicked should be regarded as objects of redemptive search. Joseph Hammond entitled “An Apology for the Vindictive Psalm,” contained in the Expositor, vol. According to verse 5, they had been the recipients of David’s love, which they had spurned and showed him hatred instead. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Verses 23-25 move from the wounded spirit (v. 22) of the psalmist to his pathetic physical condition, which is a result of oppression at the hand of his enemies. This is expressed in a variety of poetic terms. 1-5) to that of the singular in the following verses (vv. The whole verse is repeated in Proverbs 27:12.St. David’s imprecation is certainly fierce and forthright, but I believe that it is not excessive. Job 16:11. They withheld blessing, so blessings should be withheld from them (v. 17b). (5) The expressions used are poetic and figurative, and not to be taken literally. You will remember that God is not without anger, but rather “slow to anger” (cf. 1). Yet David absolutely refused to take personal revenge, even when he had the opportunity. For a study of imprecatory psalms and a fuller explanation of the views mentioned above (and others) consult: Bernard Anderson, Out of the Depths, pp. David is accused by his enemies but is innocent of their charges. 139:19-22). for the sudden transition lv. Bible verses about evil women Scripture lets us know to stay away from evil women. The three examples cited by St. Peter show that the Lord knows (and with the Lord knowledge involves power) how to deliver the righteous and to punish the wicked. Matt. In the Bible an imprecatory prayer is the prayer of a righteous man petitioning God to carry out justice by bringing punishment or destruction upon evildoers, especially those who have mistreated him. The imprecatory psalms were not merely the passionate pleas of one man (spiritually or carnally motivated), but were rather a pattern for the worship of Israel. v. 44. Why is hell a place where people go? God offers mercy and forgiveness to all, but He also promises justice and judgment to all who reject His Son. The Lord supports the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground (Ps. Acts 1:20). However, even as sinners we are still giving a conscience that helps us not give into evil urges. Yet they committed the wicked to God to deal with according to His word, in His time and in His own way. Proverbs 17:13 is especially relevant to David’s imprecations in Psalm 109 because it speaks of the penalty borne by those who return evil for good, precisely the sin of David’s foes (Ps. 18:19-23; cf. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Exod. God knows that greed will destroy us. Because ancient Israel did so, we must look very carefully at this passage to learn its message to us. As the apostle Paul put it, “Behold then the kindness and severity of God” (Rom. Who will rouse him up? No one who places his trust in the solution to sin—the Savior, Jesus Christ—need suffer the consequences of sin. —See “ Bible verses to comfort victims of natural disasters.” God helps victims by means of his worshippers. 26 Help me, O LORD my God; Save me according to Thy lovingkindness. God placed upon His Son the punishment which David petitioned God to bring upon his enemies. In Zechariah 3:1 he is seen standing at the right hand of the man on trial, as the accuser does here …” Kidner, Psalms 73-150, pp. (5) The psalmist claims to be “spiritual” in his petition that God take vengeance on his enemies. Imprecatory prayers must only be made by the righteous. In fact, we have developed very subtle and spiritual-sounding means of committing the sin of character assassination. 8 Let his days be few; Let another take his office. No one dare implore God to act as David does in Psalm 109 unless he himself is innocent in the sense that David was: innocent of the charges of the wicked, and in right standing before God. 25-32; Leupold, Psalms, pp. What does the Bible say about violence? - A prudent man foresesth the evil, and hideth himself. 16). First, God is a God who is characterized by “lovingkindness” (vv. I am not trying to challenge here any of the items which may be on your particular list (though they made need challenging!). We are soft on sin. The inference seems to be that they have chosen to interpret David’s suffering as the evidence of his sin, just as Job’s friends reasoned about his condition. Bible Verses about Punishment - My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary… A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple… As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent… For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without… Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:… God comforts victims with his Word, the Bible. There is no denying that evil exists in the world. 189 Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150 (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), p. 388. 7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; And let his prayer become sin. Rather, by using conventional language he affirms that his situation is typical of every man who struggles with the meaning of his life in the concrete situations of tension, hostility, and conflict. David has thus asked no more than for God to do as He has promised and as the wicked deserve. 2:30-32). God said that the sins of the fathers would be visited on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate God (Exod. also 12:5; 18:27; 35:10; 69:33; 72:4). vv. The problem we face in Psalm 109 is not restricted to this psalm, however. Ezekiel 18:20 - The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of … While the psalmist is innocent, his enemies are not. … The spirit of Jesus spoke of forgiveness even upon those who did him to death. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Most of us know that we are not O.K. Why do you think cults go after the naive? 69:27-28). In so doing each individual was reminded of the seriousness of sin and the dire consequences which accompany it. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. Why then are we so uneasy about them? Instead of reading Scripture to find out if the teaching was accurate they would rather believe it and live it out. When they were afflicted, he fasted and prayed for them (vv. The Bible tells us that we are all born with sin, and that even some of God's people are wolves in sheep's clothing. Let us not strive so hard to separate the sin from the sinner as to separate the sin from our attitudes and actions toward the sinner. Luke 19:41-44, esp. 9-10). A brief word should be said about the identity of the wicked. Not Helpful. Consequently a greater urgency is to be expected on the part of the psalmist. Bible verses about America. These verses describe the three characteristics of the wicked which have caused the psalmist great consternation: (1) their well-being or their “shalom” (vv. Why should he name the individual when God knew who it was? John W. Ritenbaugh Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Eleven): Paradox, Continued 22:22-24). They are not to be compared with the self-complacency of the Pharisee, who prides himself on his superiority to the rest of the world, but with St Paul’s assertions of conscious rectitude (Acts xx. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock (Ps. For they have dug a pit for me. Read these selected Bible verses about humility below and they will sh0w you the way to be a humble and obedient person. 18–31).190 While it is tempting to try to identify the name of the culprit, it seems obvious that the psalmist did not intend for us to know the individual’s identity. Not Helpful. Bible Verses About Getting Rest and Taking Care of Your Body. “O God, it is Thou who dost know my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from Thee” (Ps. ... from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible). He shall not lie down until But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. Punishment and vengeance belong to God. 11:22). Paul cursed Elymas for resisting the gospel (Acts 13:6-11) and damned any who would pervert it (Gal. David requested retribution for his enemies.195 Retribution is simply getting what you give. 5:9). saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, and live? 28), His conduct (e.g., in the destruction of Korah and his entire family, Num. In religious terms an imprecation is a prayer for evil or misfortune to befall another. 195 Derek Kidner says of verses 17-20: “The terrible logic of judgment, whereby what a man chooses he ultimately and totally receives, and indeed absorbs and is enfolded in, is expressed nowhere else with quite this vivid intensity.” Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 390. While God is a God of wrath, He is also a God of mercy. Ps. Anderson’s words here do not reflect his position, but are intended to bring the problem of the imprecatory prayers of the Bible into focus. 10:35). ; Rev. Verses 1-5 are the basis of David’s imprecation. Ps. 6ff.). With such contradictory elements in our worship, we shall not be surprised that the spread of Christianity is slow. The problem we face in Psalm 109 is one that is far broader than just one passage, or even one book of the Bible. Let those who would pray for the destruction of their enemies be as quick as David to have God search their own hearts and to deal with them in justice, just as they would have Him judge their enemies. 10:21; Jer. 13 Let his posterity be cut off; In a following generation let their name be blotted out. 32:35), as well as a quotation from Proverbs 25:21ff. Jer. “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Q. They have “opened the wicked and deceitful mouth” and spoken with “a lying tongue” (v. 2). Let me tell you that if we had the courage and the conviction to pray as David did, we would be very ill at ease in regard to our own sins.
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