Post by Josh on Oct 9, 2011 14:02:20 GMT -8
Cursing Psalms: When the Psalmist’s express a desire that something negative befall their enemies, that evil be returned to them for the evil they have done, when the Psalmists gloat over the fate of their enemies- these can be some of the most troubling Psalms from a Christian perspective.
Here are some of the most potent examples:
Psalm 109
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, 2 for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. 3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. 4 In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. 5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. 6 Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. 8 May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. 9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. 10 May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. 11 May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. 12 May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. 13 May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. 15 May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. 16 For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. 17 He loved to pronounce a curse-- may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing-- may it be far from him. 18 He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. 19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. 20 May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. 21 But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. 25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God; save me in accordance with your love. 27 Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O LORD, have done it. 28 They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice. 29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. 30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng I will praise him. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill]. 6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. 7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it down to its foundations!" 8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-- 9 he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
Psalm 58
For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A "miktam."
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? 2 No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. 3 Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. 4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, 5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be. 6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! 7 Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. 8 Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel [the heat of] the thorns-- whether they be green or dry--the wicked will be swept away. 10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth."
Curses even seem to break into some of our favorite Psalms, almost unexpectedly: Psalm 143:12 (and of thy goodness slay mine enemies) and Psalm 139:19, where in the middle of a hymn of praise, the author throws in a petition for God to slay his enemies, as if it were surprising that such a simple remedy for human ills had not occurred to the Almighty.
C.S. Lewis discusses some ways of dealing with these troublesome cursing Psalms.
We could try to ignore them, but cursing sentiments are often entwined with the most beautiful and praiseworthy segments in the Psalms. This also rubs against the grain that “all Scripture is God-breathed and useful….” 2 Tim 3:16-17
Or, we can face these facts squarely: 1, there is real hatred in these portions of the Psalms that cannot/ must not be explained away, and 2, it must not be condoned, approved of, or used to justify similar passions in ourselves. 3) Nevertheless, their presence in the word of God is beneficial to us in some way.
It's interesting to note that such hatred, gloating, and a desire for vengeance upon one's enemies is elsewhere, even in the Old Testament, strongly spoken against:
(Read Leviticus 19:17-18, Exodus 23:4-5, Proverbs 24:17, 25:21)
Lewis says that one thing that helped him with these Psalms was to recognize the childlike freedom with which these Psalmists expressed their resentments and anger to God, without feeling the need to put a pious gloss over their feelings.
In addition to an affirmation of God's willingness that we be honest with him in our prayers, in reading them, we can more easily recognize similar feelings in our own hearts. Even though our hatred might be expressed in more modern, civilized terms, there is still the same temptation within us to wish ill for our enemies, to want to gloat when they meet what we consider to be their just desserts.
Lewis also goes on to say that we must recognize that in these Psalms there is real cause for anger and resentment: betrayal, abuse of justice, murder, etc.. That the Psalmists are angry is no sin; what they do with that anger seems about ready to border on sin if not dealt with, but their anger at evil is something God Himself feels.
Lewis turns the tables and suggests that instead of putting ourselves in the place of the Psalmists, we think about how we have often been in the place of the perpetrators of other's anger. And reading the Psalmist's angry outbursts shows us that we tempt others to the sin of resentment when we treat them unjustly or cruelly.
Do we realize how serious it is when we injure someone? We set off a chain of resentment that, even in the best of people, can be hard to resist.
We must remember though the things these bitter Psalmists say are indeed at times devilish, the injustices they are reacting against are all the more devilish.
Lewis gives an example of British soldiers he overheard who were downplaying, doubting the real horrors of the Nazis and chalking all the news of their evils up to mere “propaganda” on the part of the British government. But it seemed to Lewis that “the most violent of the Psalmists—or, for that matter any child wailing out “but it’s not fair!” was in a more hopeful condition than those young men.”, because if they really believed that their government was making such things up they should have been pissed!
At least the Psalmists took right and wrong seriously!
God does not hate their enemies the way they do, (he desires not the death of a sinner), but has for the sin of their enemies just the “implaceable hostility which these poets express”.
Here are some of the most potent examples:
Psalm 109
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, 2 for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. 3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. 4 In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. 5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. 6 Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. 8 May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. 9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. 10 May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. 11 May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. 12 May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. 13 May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. 15 May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. 16 For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. 17 He loved to pronounce a curse-- may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing-- may it be far from him. 18 He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. 19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. 20 May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. 21 But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. 25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God; save me in accordance with your love. 27 Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O LORD, have done it. 28 They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice. 29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. 30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng I will praise him. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill]. 6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. 7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it down to its foundations!" 8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-- 9 he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
Psalm 58
For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A "miktam."
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? 2 No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. 3 Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. 4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, 5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be. 6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! 7 Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. 8 Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel [the heat of] the thorns-- whether they be green or dry--the wicked will be swept away. 10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth."
Curses even seem to break into some of our favorite Psalms, almost unexpectedly: Psalm 143:12 (and of thy goodness slay mine enemies) and Psalm 139:19, where in the middle of a hymn of praise, the author throws in a petition for God to slay his enemies, as if it were surprising that such a simple remedy for human ills had not occurred to the Almighty.
C.S. Lewis discusses some ways of dealing with these troublesome cursing Psalms.
We could try to ignore them, but cursing sentiments are often entwined with the most beautiful and praiseworthy segments in the Psalms. This also rubs against the grain that “all Scripture is God-breathed and useful….” 2 Tim 3:16-17
Or, we can face these facts squarely: 1, there is real hatred in these portions of the Psalms that cannot/ must not be explained away, and 2, it must not be condoned, approved of, or used to justify similar passions in ourselves. 3) Nevertheless, their presence in the word of God is beneficial to us in some way.
It's interesting to note that such hatred, gloating, and a desire for vengeance upon one's enemies is elsewhere, even in the Old Testament, strongly spoken against:
(Read Leviticus 19:17-18, Exodus 23:4-5, Proverbs 24:17, 25:21)
Lewis says that one thing that helped him with these Psalms was to recognize the childlike freedom with which these Psalmists expressed their resentments and anger to God, without feeling the need to put a pious gloss over their feelings.
In addition to an affirmation of God's willingness that we be honest with him in our prayers, in reading them, we can more easily recognize similar feelings in our own hearts. Even though our hatred might be expressed in more modern, civilized terms, there is still the same temptation within us to wish ill for our enemies, to want to gloat when they meet what we consider to be their just desserts.
Lewis also goes on to say that we must recognize that in these Psalms there is real cause for anger and resentment: betrayal, abuse of justice, murder, etc.. That the Psalmists are angry is no sin; what they do with that anger seems about ready to border on sin if not dealt with, but their anger at evil is something God Himself feels.
Lewis turns the tables and suggests that instead of putting ourselves in the place of the Psalmists, we think about how we have often been in the place of the perpetrators of other's anger. And reading the Psalmist's angry outbursts shows us that we tempt others to the sin of resentment when we treat them unjustly or cruelly.
Do we realize how serious it is when we injure someone? We set off a chain of resentment that, even in the best of people, can be hard to resist.
We must remember though the things these bitter Psalmists say are indeed at times devilish, the injustices they are reacting against are all the more devilish.
Lewis gives an example of British soldiers he overheard who were downplaying, doubting the real horrors of the Nazis and chalking all the news of their evils up to mere “propaganda” on the part of the British government. But it seemed to Lewis that “the most violent of the Psalmists—or, for that matter any child wailing out “but it’s not fair!” was in a more hopeful condition than those young men.”, because if they really believed that their government was making such things up they should have been pissed!
At least the Psalmists took right and wrong seriously!
God does not hate their enemies the way they do, (he desires not the death of a sinner), but has for the sin of their enemies just the “implaceable hostility which these poets express”.