Understanding the Imprecatory Psalms in a Christian Context

Join Reagan as he delves into the complexities of the Imprecatory Psalms in the Bible, which include prayers for curses upon enemies. This requested lesson explores how these seemingly harsh passages relate to the Christian teachings of loving one's enemies. Reagan examines specific Psalms, their historical contexts, and how they align with New Testament teachings. He also shares a personal experience from his youth to illustrate the emotional weight of such prayers. Lesson to this sermon to understand how Christians can reconcile these challenging texts with their faith.

00:00 Introduction and Overview
00:56 The Challenge of Reconciling Biblical Texts
02:23 Understanding Imprecatory Psalms
03:26 Personal Reflections and Modern Context
05:43 Biblical Examples and Interpretations
19:11 New Testament Perspectives
25:36 Practical Applications for Christians
38:49 Conclusion and Call to Action

Transcript

Well, good evening. There's a couple of young men who are going around. If you did not receive a handout and you'd like one, uh, raise your hand and they'll bring one of those to you.

Appreciate very much the presence of all has, as has been said. And, uh, the lesson tonight is gonna have some uncomfortable things in it. Now that could go a lot of different ways, couldn't it? Um, but I hope that it'll be helpful to us. Uh, this was actually a requested lesson, uh, by a number of people as we've gone through the book of Psalms.

And this is our last lesson that we'll have from the Book of Psalms for some time since we've studied it. Uh, but maybe this will provide kind of the end cap for our study. Hopefully answer some questions that people have. So turn those. Psalm 1 37, Psalm 1 37. We'll read verse one here in just a moment of Psalm 1 37.

Before we do, I want you to consider. A couple of statements from the Bible. One is found in Psalm 1 39 in verse 22, where the psalmist says, now this is inspired by the Holy Spirit. I hate them with complete hatred. I count them my enemies. Now that doesn't sound, uh, very familiar to us as Christians. When you consider things that Jesus said, like in Matthew chapter five, verses 43 and 44, you have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. How do we harmonize? How do we rect, uh, rec, reconcile, or rectify these two verses, both inspired by the Holy Spirit and the Old Testament and the new and even more as we see so many of these kinds of statements in Psalms.

Uh, like what we see in Psalm 1 39. Do these statements inform our prayers ourselves? That's what we're reading, the prayers of others. And the psalmist. Praise to God. I hate them with complete hatred. I count them my enemies. I want you to raise your hand if you've read anything in the Psalms like that that's made you a little bit uncomfortable at some point in your life and in your personal Bible study, if you haven't.

I, I think that we're gonna read some tonight that maybe will make all of us a little uncomfortable. What do we do with these kinds of statements in the Psalms? Have you ever prayed anything like that? Uh, maybe our answer is never. But prayers like this are found in the Bible, and we call these kinds of psalms in preparatory Psalms or Psalms of curses.

Uh, we talk about clickbait sometimes. If I entitled my lesson tonight, love Your Enemies. And we put that out on, you know, Facebook and everywhere else, everywhere else, nobody would bite an eye. But, but if we entitle it as I have Hate Your Enemies. Maybe there's a little clickbait in that, right? What in the world is the preacher talking about that?

So I want us to think about that for a few minutes tonight. Again, this is requested, several of you ask, Hey, what do we do with Psalms like this? And so as it relates to us, not them, not in the Old Testament though, we will talk about that, but us as Christians in the New Covenant who believe in Jesus and what he says, that we're supposed to love our enemies.

What do we do with the Psalms of curses? The Imprecatory Psalms. Well, let's think about that. And again, maybe you say, uh, I don't know if I could ever pray that sort of thing about somebody when I was, uh, a sophomore in high school. Uh, school had been going for a little less than a month, and there was an event that shaped the, uh, really the world, um, for a number of years since then.

We still see ripple effects from this, uh, occasion on September 11th. I was in Ms. White's math class, uh, when over the intercom. Uh, we were told for all teachers, uh, in junior high and high school to turn on their TVs. And so I saw the second tower hit. I saw the towers collapse, and they brought all of the high school and junior high kids into a big assembly in the gym so that we could all be together.

Um, and people were milling about and some of the upperclassmen said, well, we ought to have a prayer about this. And so they got us all in like a big circle there in the gym. Uh, and one of the seniors asked me, a sophomore, would you lead the prayer now for, it was interesting 'cause this is somebody that kind of like bullied me about being a Christian, that sort of thing.

But in that moment of need, he was like, Hey, we need Reagan. We need somebody that's gonna, you know, has a connection to God to pray a prayer right here. And so I prayed a prayer. About lots of things, but in that prayer, I prayed for God's swift justice against the people who had made this attack that God would be just and holy, and that he would vindicate those who had been killed by bringing justice upon the people who had killed them.

Now, some of the students, and even some of the teachers were surprised by that prayer. But I think it was absolutely appropriate even with the fuddled emotions of a sophomore in high school. Not for personal vengeance sake, but because righteousness should prevail, evil should be punished, and God's holy judgment should be seen against those who are against his way and his law.

Do you believe that to be true? Maybe we're a little closer to the Imprecatory Psalms than what we thought we were. This kind of language is not limited to just the Psalms. This idea of the Psalms of curses, we find this kind of language, uh, throughout the Old Testament numbers, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and other places on your handout and on the screen, you have examples of these things.

We won't turn to all of these passages tonight, but you have them there for reference on your handout. But we do see it, especially in the Psalms. The Psalmist call on God to break the teeth of their enemies, break the arms of their enemies, allow the righteous to bathe their feet in the shed, blood of the enemy for the enemies, the unrighteous to be like a snail, which dissolves into slime for the enemies of God's people to be beaten as fine as dust and thrown into the streets.

That's from Psalm 18 that we studied this morning, and for their little ones to be dashed upon the rocks. I mean, that is extreme language found in the Psalms. We see a number of Psalms, eight Psalms, where this is the primary focus of the Psalm, not just that we see this language appear, but this is what the Psalm is about.

God's curses upon the enemies of the psalmist. Psalm 35, 55, 58, and 59. 69, 79, 1 0 9 and 1 37. That's what the psalms about. The whole Psalm basically is about this, but we see 56 Psalms over one third of the Salter. Includes this kind of language where there are curses being, um, called upon the enemies of the psalmist and the enemies of God.

Um, and I've given you that list of those 56 Psalms in your handout. So what do we do? It's not just like, you know, three or four verses. We gotta figure out what to do with these verses and maybe we can just bury it and find somewhere. This happens a lot. So what do we do with this kind of language in our Bible?

Well, here's some thoughts to consider. Um, these are explanations that are made regarding the imprecatory passages and, and I think it's wise for us to not just have one answer. I'm gonna kind of get to that at the end, but I think there are a number of explanations. That when taken all together help us to put these things in their proper context.

Number one, these texts contain a certain amount of venting on the part of the writers. Now, you've, you've read this past week from the Book of Job and the fifth chapter job certainly vents a good bit. We see other places in the Bible like the Book of Proverbs, where there's venting, where the one who is wise, the one who is godly.

Is upset about those who are ungodly, especially as they try and persecute the people of God. If you're there in Psalm 1 37, look with me in verse one, uh, as to where this psalm takes, takes place. So here's the context of the Psalm in verse one by the rivers of Babylon. There we sat down. Yay, we wept. When we remembered Zion.

So I want you to imagine for a moment that you are in Sie by the Babylonians. You go through a terrible siege with terrible things taking place. Uh, you and your children and family are starving. Finally, you're taken into captivity. You're marched a thousand miles, and you find yourself by the rivers of Babylon.

How would you feel toward the Babylonians in that moment? Not warm and fuzzy, not wanting God's blessings upon them for certain. And so in these circumstances, it's appropriate for the people of God to pour out their hearts to God. And so there is a certain amount of venting that we see here. There's a sense in which we should tell God how we feel and what's in our heart, even if we need to grow beyond those feelings.

That's what Job did. That's what the psalmists certainly do as well. Secondly, these texts take what we might call poetic license. Maybe they use hyperbole, which is exaggeration to make a point in order to describe judgment on the un unrighteous, we think about prose and poetry. The psalms are poetry and, and so many of this, these places where we find imprecatory language, almost all of them are found in sections of poetry.

And so when poetry is used, we should expect, uh, some, some degree of exaggeration, hyperbole, or poetic license to be used. So if you're there in Psalm 1 37, let's get uncomfortable verses seven through nine. Remember oh Lord, against the sons of Edam, the day of Jerusalem, who said, raise it. Raise it to its very foundation.

So we find people who are, um. Neighbors to Israel and they are rooting for the destruction of Jerusalem o Daughter of Babylon who are to be destroyed happy, the one who repays you as you have served us happy. The one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock, and you read that, you might say, well, I don't know if that's really exaggeration or hyperbole.

It just seems like he's calling for that to happen. Well, we'll come back to that here in a moment, but there are certainly places where it's clear there's hyperbole being used. Turn to Psalm 58. Turn to Psalm 58 in verse three. Again, exaggeration, not for lying or being dishonest, but this is exaggeration to make a point.

That's what hyperbole is. So this is one of these Psalms of curses, Psalm 58, and. Describing God's just judgment against the wicked. He describes how wicked these people are and notice what he says in verse three of Psalm 58. The wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they are born.

Now some people. Try and use this verse in verses like it for, uh, the Calvinistic doctrine we're born in sin, uh, that we are totally depraved, that sort of thing. But the last line tells us that this is hyperbole, it's exaggeration because they go astray as soon as they are born. Speaking lies. Now we've had lots of babies here recently, which is a great blessing.

They've done a lot of speaking even in this auditorium, right? But have you heard any of those babies Speaking lies? No, why not? Because they don't have the capacity yet to speak words of any kind, much less lies. And so there is this idea of there is some exaggeration. This is poetry. If we're honest with ourselves in reading these passages, it is clear that there's more than just poetry and hyperbole going on in these passages.

Um, a third idea that I think is helpful to us, these texts are quotations often of what the enemies are saying about the psalmist. So we read the psalmist saying this and we say, whoa. How could a person of God say that sometimes what he's doing is quoting what the other people are saying about him. And then what the Psalmist does is the things that they've said should happen to me.

God, I want you to make those things happen to them. I want you to punish my enemies in the same way they want me to be punished. Um, again, we see some examples of this. Turn to Psalm 1 0 9, Psalm 1 0 9, you say, okay, how do we know? How do we know that he's just quoting from what other people are saying about him?

Well. Psalm 1 0 9 beginning in verse one. Um, I want you to look here at the pronouns. Are we talking about the enemies, plural or enemy singular. Okay. So read beginning in verse one. Do not keep silent. Oh god. Of my praise for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me.

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. Clearly we're talking about enemies, plural, right? They, my enemies, the psalmist enemies are doing this. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred and fought against me without cause in return for my love. They have become my accusers, but I give myself to prayer.

Thus, they have re rewarded me. Evil for good, and hatred for my love. So plural, enemies. And we notice what they say there in verses two and three. Uh, they have words of hatred that they've spoken. They've spoken against me with a lying tongue. So the things that they have said has made them my enemies.

Now I want you to keep reading in verse six, set a wicked man over him and let an accuser stand at his right hand. We switched from the enemies to the singular enemy. This is what David was talking about when he said, they've spoken evil against me. My accusers and enemies have done this. So we keep reading.

When he is judged, let him be found guilty and let his prayer become sin. Let his days David's days be few and let another take his office. And let his children be fatherless and let his wife be a widow. And that continues all the way down through verse 19, quoting the things that they say, we curse David.

We want these things to happen to David. And so what's David's response? Verse 20. Let this be the Lord's reward to my accusers, to my enemies, and to those who speak evil against my person. What is their reward? The things that they have said about him, the curses that they have placed upon him. David says, may those curses apply back to them, and certainly we think about the New Testament.

Jesus says in Matthew chapter seven, verses one and two, judge, not that you be not judged with what judgment you judge, it will be judged to you. Right? There's an appropriateness to this idea of those who have persecuted God's people. May the punishment fit the crime and the things that they have done.

May those same things come back on them in Psalm 1 37, if you wanna turn over there in verse eight, not only does he call on God to judge them with a curse, he puts a curse on himself if he forgets Jerusalem and his God. So. Verse eight Oh daughter of Babylon who are to be destroyed happy, the one who repays you as you have served us.

So you're gonna get what you've dished out, right? You gotta have to take what you've dished out. But he also calls a curse upon himself if, if he is not faithful, verses five and six. If I forget you owe Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.

So there is this idea of, well, the, they're saying in doing this, may that same judgment come upon them. We also see that sometimes these texts are prophecies and not prayers, and sometimes they are prayers asking God to fulfill the prophecies that he has made. I want you to turn to Isaiah chapter 13.

Remember what we read there about the children being dashed and all those sorts of things, and it was the Babylonians that they were talking about on that occasion. Well, Isaiah early in his ministry has this proclamation, this judgment against Babylon that people would've read long before they went into Babylonian captivity.

So Isaiah chapter 13, notice beginning in verse one. To begin with. Isaiah chapter 13, beginning in verse one, the burden against Babylon with Isaiah, the son of Ams, Saul, verse six. Well, for the day of the Lord is at hand. It will come as destruction from the Ight and what's gonna happen? Well notice verses 17 through 19.

Behold, God says I will stir up the meads against them who will not regard silver and as for gold, they will not delight in it. Also, their bows will dash the young men to pieces and they will have no pity on the fruit of the wood. Their eye will not spare children and Babylon the glory of kingdoms. The beauty of the Chaldeans pride will be as when God overthrew, Sodom and Gomorrah.

So the Psalmist in exile in Psalm 1 37 has clearly read Isaiah 13, and what is he asking God to do, fulfill the prophecy that you have already made. We see other examples of this. Um. Uh, this idea of God fulfilling what it is that he has promised he will do, but still all of that maybe doesn't fully explain these things.

We're, we're on the right road. It's helpful but doesn't fully explain it. And so what some people have said, I think well intended is that these texts are acceptable in the Old Testament, but they are not acceptable for us today. They're acceptable in the Old Testament. You can pray that way in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, there's no place for this sort of thing. So, uh, this is the interactive part. Hopefully you've been filling out your, uh, your handout, but if you'd like to just draw a line through that, you can do that, because I don't think that's the case for a number of reasons. We see, yes, Christians are held to a higher standard under Christ, but God's people in the Old Testament were told to love their enemies too.

And Exodus and Leviticus and Proverbs. And Jesus himself seems to condemn this understanding of the old law in his sermon on the Mount that you love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Jesus says, no, that's not the way it was supposed to be. And what Jesus is doing, yes, he's calling us to a higher standard, but he's also protecting their misunderstanding.

It's not the idea that you hate your enemies in this same sense. And what the new Old Testament, condemns, as well as the new, but the Old Testament condemns, taking personal vengeance where you take matters into your own hands. This is what they deserve, and this is what I'm gonna do for them. A number of places, exodus and numbers, uh, talk about the avenger of blood and that there's a law to follow in regard to vengeance.

But just in terms of, uh, declaring it wrong, look in a couple places in Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 20. Proverbs chapter 20. Verse 22, Proverbs 20 and verse 22.

Do not say Proverbs 2022. Do not say, I will recompense. I will repay evil. Wait for the Lord and he will save you. Or Proverbs 24 29. Again, these are just representative of a lot of other verses. Proverbs 24, 29. Do not say I will do to him just as he has done to me. I will render to the man according to his work.

Why? Because as we'll see in the New Testament, that's God's job, not ours. Maybe most impactful to this idea of saying, well, you can do it in the Old Testament. You can't do it in the New Testament, is that the New Testament uses? Curses implications as well, and a and a few different places and acts in First Corinthians, but I want you to turn to Galatians chapter one, Galatians chapter one, verses eight and nine to start Galatians chapter one.

This is probably the first. Paul's letters that he wrote that we have in our Bibles. And so even though he's just preached to these brethren, there are some people who are preaching a different gospel. So he says in verse eight, to those who pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you, then that which we have preached to you let him be a cursed curse is on him.

He's anathema. Someone who preaches a different gospel. Verse nine, as we have said before. So now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than that which you have received, let him be a cursed curses on him. And one of the issues was that there were Jews who were coming saying, you had to keep the old law, you had to be circumcised in order to be a Christian.

And what does Paul say about people who preach that false doctrine? Well, Galatians chapter five in verse 12. Remember this is talking about circumcision. I'm not gonna say anything more than what Paul says. I could wish that those who trouble you with this false doctrine would even cut themselves off.

That sounds a lot like some of the wording we find in the Psalms. Why? Because these false teachers were bringing the souls of the Galatians into danger. Well, it's not just bringing souls into danger. What about physical harm that takes place because you're a Christian? Turn to two Thessalonians, two Thessalonians, chapter one, beginning in verse three, two Thessalonians chapter one, beginning in verse three.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly in the love of every one of you, all abounds toward one another. Woo. Back in the New Testament. That sounds better, right? Well keep reading so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith and your persecutions and tribulations which you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation, those who trouble you.

And give you who are troubled rest with us. When the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, inflaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power when he comes in that day.

That's harsh language. These aren't the only places these kinds of curses are found in the New Testament. First two Timothy, of course, the Book of Revelation, a number of different places, and even more the New Testament quotes from some of those places in the Old Testament where these curses are found in Acts Chapter one in verse 20, applying to Judas in Romans 11, 8 10.

And so I can't, I don't think we can say, well, this is just one of those Old Testament, new Testament things. They did it in the Old Testament, we, but we can't do it today. Instead, the answer is, these texts should teach us something about how we should view evil, how we should view God's judgment, and they are still applicable to us today, even if we understand and see them and should see them through a New Testament lens.

So what does that lens look like? Well, here are some New Testament lessons from the Imprecatory Psalms. By way of application lessons we should learn from Imprecatory Psalms. Lesson number one. We must cast all our cares on God. Turn to one Peter chapter five. If you would. Uh, if you're there in two Thessalonians, you're pretty close.

Just keep going right in your Bible one Peter chapter five and verse seven. Peter commands us as Christians to humble ourselves before God. Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. The things that are in our heart, things that we wish weren't there. We need to, we need to throw those things, cast those things before God.

You know that word cast there? We've got fishermen, right? That way that word cast really is, is to throw with emphasis. It's the same word that's used when Judas cast the money down before, uh, the Sanhedrin court. You're throwing those things on God, I don't want 'em anymore. Get 'em outta my heart. So I'm gonna give them to God.

We must cast all our cares before God in the psalmist. Show us that good, bad, and ugly. This is in my heart. I'm gonna give it to God. But if we're in that same passage, we see that evil is real, and evil is working. Be sober. Verse eight. Be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

Resist him steadfast in the faith knowing that your sa the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. We're pretty insulated, um, from not from evil. We see evil all the time. But the extreme evil that those psalmists had to deal with were pretty insulated from, but there is a spiritual battle out there.

Loved ones, an evil is real, and evil is working. And as Christians, we should despise that evil. We must be outraged by evil and by evil people. That is the appropriate response. Turn to Romans chapter 12, if you would. Romans chapter 12. I'm afraid sometimes. I'm afraid sometimes that that evil is not something that we truly abre that we hate because it sort of washes over us over a period of time as we see evil around us.

But this, this transformation of the Christian and, and the fruits of that transformation starts with love and hate. As the apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 12 and verse nine, let love be without hypocrisy. You need to be someone who genuinely loves other people as a Christian. But the other side of the coin, same verse of whore, maybe your translation says, totally hate what is evil, clean to what is good.

You love without hypocrisy and you hate evil. That is what a Christian does. Now, I want you to mark your spot there in Romans chapter 12. We're gonna come right back here in just a second, but what constitutes an evil person? I think that's a question that we need to answer. I want you to turn back to, uh, Psalm 59, Psalm 59.

Lemme give you a few examples of what an evil person looks like. Now, again, this is poetry. Think not just about the image that is being used. Think about what that image represents. Psalm 59, notice verse first in verse six. So this is David. The tune to which this Psalm was set is do not destroy. We don't know what music that was, but we know the name of it.

Do not Destroy. Why? 'cause people are trying to destroy him. And the image David uses in verse six. At evening, they return, they growl like a dog. They go all around the city and at evening they return, they growl like a dog. Verse 14, they go all around the city. It's repeated what is being represented there.

Um, we live in a safe nation, safe state, safe county safe, relatively safe city. Uh, and yet what do we do at night? Well, the Brooklyn especially checks me, are the doors locked? So I'll go and I'll, I'll lock the doors, make sure they're locked. But I don't think a lot about that. If for some reason they were left unlocked, that wouldn't be a big deal to me.

But what if like, David, there were evil people looking to kill me in my sleep. There were maring gangs going around looking for me and my family at night. How differently would I view evil and evil people? If that was the cir, those were the circumstances in which I found myself. How about this? We started in Psalm 1 37, turned back there again.

Psalm 1 37.

Remember, they're found on the river of Babylon. They're weeping there, right? And then they say, fulfill the prophecy that you made in Isaiah to destroy the Babylonians for what they've done. Well, what have they done? Read with me beginning in verse two and, and we'll read verse two and three. So, we remembered Zion.

We hung our hearts upon the willows. In the midst of it. In the midst of this, the willows that were there by that river. Why for there, those who carried us away captive, asked of us a song. Those who plundered us requested MPH saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion. Do you imagine a conquering army, as we talked about earlier, comes and sieges your city, kills your loved ones, marches you a thousand miles, and you've brought this harp apparently from the temple.

And there by that river. When you finally reach the place of your enslavement, they say, Hey, you got any good songs from where you came? Why don't you play us one of those songs of Zion that we just destroyed? How would you feel in that moment? I think you would see what evil is and how evil acts, and perhaps in your heart feel what it is.

This psalm is felt. One reason we have such a hard time with this idea is because we're around so many decent people and we have little dealings with utterly wicked people. I say we, there's some people in here who have, who have had dealings with utterly wicked people. We have law enforcement officers here.

I've heard some of those stories, but I imagine going into a house where. You know, the man is abusing his wife and kids. His family's starving because he's spending his money on alcohol and drugs. I think that law enforcement officer would be justified in praying, Lord, please destroy this man for justice sake, for his innocent family.

I think his wife would be justified in praying that, or imagine living in Africa or the Middle East where Muslim extremists commit all kinds of atrocities in the name of their God. I don't think anyone in that situation would feel guilty praying for their utter destruction. There are those here who've served in the military and have seen and have seen people use women and children as human shields.

It's sent them to slaughter on the battlefield. That's evil. We should pray for God's destruction upon such evil. If we were to apply these Psalms to our comparatively much, much smaller problems, my coworker is criticizing me, my classmates gossip about me. My family isn't treating me very well right now.

That is the worst enemy we have. Of course, we would feel guilty praying like David prays, and we should feel guilty about that. But someone who is truly evil, our prayer is appropriate to be. May they repent or be destroyed in such a way that it is an example to all who would live in that same way. And the standard that we read about in Romans chapter 12 and verse nine applies to us too, to abor what is evil.

We should abor ourselves when we commit evil things. We need to be careful. If we are calling on God to curse his enemies, we need to make sure that we are not the same enemies. Of God by the way that we live, that these curses come upon our own head. If we judge others in that way, so know that that same standard applies, but also when it comes to vengeance, we must not avenge ourselves, but commit our cause to a righteous and holy God.

Go back again to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. Turn back there for just a moment. Romans chapter 12. That's in the New Testament Reagan in the New Testament. Romans chapter 12, notice in verses 19 and 20. Romans chapter 12 verses 19 and 20. In verse 18, verse 17, he said, repay no one evil for evil.

Verse 18, if it's possible, as much as depends on you if peaceably with all men. But in verse 19, he says, beloved. Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. That is God's wrath. For it is written. Vengeance is mind. I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. He's thirsty.

Give him a drink for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. We should commit our cause to God, that God is gonna make all things right, that God is gonna be the one who judges. Our motive, even in this idea of implication on those who are evil, should be a desire to see God and his truth vindicated in all of these things that that evil is not that that good is not overcome by evil, but that evil is overcome by good, by God's goodness and by extension, whatever goodness we have that we might share with others as well.

God's righteousness is revealed when he judges the unrighteous. So go back to these psalms one more time. Let's see if we can bring it full circle. Go back to Psalm 58 for just a second, Psalm 58 and verse 11, as we bring our lesson to a close. Psalm 58 in verse 11. Why did the psalmist write this psalm and pray this prayer?

Verse 11, last verse of that psalm, so that men will say, surely there is a reward for the righteous. Surely he is God who judges in the earth. So that God is vindicated, that in the end righteousness is rewarded eternally and wickedness is punished the same way. Psalm 59 and verse 13. Consume them in wrath, consume them that they may not be, and let them know that God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth that God is the one who is in control and God sees the plight of the righteous.

And then finally where we started with that idea of, I hate them with a perfect hatred. Let's get the full context of that statement. In Psalm 1 39, beginning in verse 19, Psalm 1 39, beginning in verse 19.

Oh, that you would slay the wicked. Oh God, depart from me. Therefore, you blood thirsty men for they speak against you, wickedly against who? Not the psalmist against God. Your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate them? Oh Lord. Who hate you? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I, I hate them with, with perfect hatred.

I count them as my enemies. Why? Because these things are against God. God's righteousness will be revealed when he judges, and we should rejoice in that. And yet at the same time, we as Christians don't desire anyone to be lost or to be judged in one sense. But in another sense, we should desire for those whose hearts are seared, who refuse to do what is right to receive justice from the Lord.

We should desire for good to triumph over evil. I hope you've gotten the lesson, but may I say, any discussion of hating your enemies should be tempered with this reality. I talked about the filter of the New Testament. Here's the filter. Here's the reality, first Timothy chapter two and verse four, that God desires all men, anthropo all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

Is that your desire? It's mine. If they refuse that salvation, yes, God will judge, and there's a sense in which we desire that righteousness, that judgment. Our desire should match God's desire before that, that our desire is for all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, and that includes you and that includes me.

If we can help you with that, even this evening, I hope in understanding more clearly, these passages from the Old Testament, you don't understand, don't misunderstand our desire. That whatever you've done in times past, if you have a heart that is willing to make things right and come to God, you can and will be forgiven.

And if we can help you with that, even tonight, come while together, we stand and sing

this world.