Psalm 5:4-6, 9-10 www.christconversation.com
Scott Downing Sunday, July 17, 2016
As we look at this passage within the prayer of Psalm 5, we come to what is known as imprecatory Psalms. These type of Psalms call for judgment. They curse the scoffer and the wicked. They plea for justice to be brought to bear upon evildoers. What are we to do with this? Are we to pray in this manner? A few things to keep in mind: 1. Most of the Psalms is not violent. And where you do have imprecatory Psalms, they come from the position of being suppressed or as victims of injustice. The crushed have no power to remedy the oppression – as such, the call if for God to act. Go alone is the is the Deliverer and Judge. 2. Jesus calls for us to love our enemies and to pray for them – even bless them! Luke 6:27-28. The apostle Peter took this charge to heart when he wrote (1 Peter 3:9): “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” 3. The above verses do not disallow, nor discourage us from naming evil as evil. We cannot on the one hand pray, “Hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth . . .” if we do not recognize the ongoing clash of spiritual kingdoms. The apostle Paul quotes verse 9 from Psalm 5 in his letter to the Romans in 3:13 (indeed, read Romans 3:9-18 and it reads like these verses in Psalm 5). Jesus was rather serious when, in Matthew 23, he uses the prophetic oracle of “woe” on the Scribes and Pharisees. When prophets spoke oracles of “woe” it was an exclamation of judgment upon the enemies of God. “Woe” was a rebuke whether on people or on a city. See Matthew 11:20-24. Opposite of the oracle of ‘woe’ is the prophetic oracle of weal which starts, not with ‘woe’ but with, “Blessed.” See Matthew 5:2-11; and John 20:29 where we are blessed by Jesus! 4. Our pursuit of justice against injustice is too often a mixed motive pursuit. We are faulty in our judgements. We are self-interested and biased – often wanting mercy for ourselves and justice for others. Our real understanding and knowledge of
things is finite and filtered through other biased and self-interested sources. We must be humble in calling out and naming evil (see # 5 below). The justice of God is different. God’s hatred of evil isn’t emotional; it’s judicial - it’s an expression of His holiness. His knowledge is infinite and His motives are pure and righteous. This is why it is important to note in Psalm 5 that David does not send out his troops to punish the evildoer. David does not go forth himself to avenge the blasphemies committed against God. David is not complaining about damage done to him in this Psalm; he is deeply angered about the sins that are against God. And it is from God that David seeks action. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “If the Jews cursed more bitterly than the Pagans, this was, I think, at least in part because they took right and wrong more seriously. For if we look at their railings, we find they are usually angry not simply because these things have been done to them but because these things are manifestly wrong, are hateful to God as well as to the victim.” - Reflections on the Psalms 5. Consider the apostle Paul’s writing to the Romans in 2:1-11. The “woe” that Paul warns of; the imprecatory Psalms David prays, are warnings to us all. God is not partial in His judgments. Nor His blessings. This present kindness of God, this present forbearance is nothing less than grace. It is grace meant to leads us to repentance. We recognize that we include ourselves in this kind of prayer. Like the Psalmist prayed in 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Our prayers for evildoers to be dealt with by God must be offered with pleas for redemption. Let the temporal judgment of God come in order that the eternal judgment of God will find each one safe in the arms of Christ.
David will end Psalm 5 with an invitation, of sorts. Let any – indeed, let all – who will take refuge in God, let them rejoice. The evildoer can repent. The one who is bloodthirsty can be cleansed. Look at the following from Psalm 5: 4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. 5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. 6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. 10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
Carefully read these verses. As you do, note: Is there any progression in the type of sin/sinners in these verses? • Is there any type of progression in the responses the Psalmist is declaring about God? • Who is the offended person? • Who carries out the judgments? • Is there a mix between inflicted and selfinflicted judgment? __________________________________________ •
Personal Application • •
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How do you respond to these imprecatory prayers? Are you troubled by Jesus’ prophetic ‘woes’ on people and cities? What do you do with these kind of passages? How do you balance the ‘woes’ and ‘weals’ of Jesus’ ministry? Have you ever prayed an imprecatory prayer? Why? Why not? On the basis of our discussion today, could you pray this kind of prayer? What do you do with your prayers when you or someone you know is severely mistreated and treated unjustly? What one vital thing do you take away from this discussion?
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Doodling Space:
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