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Imprecatory Psalms
The Imprecatory Psalms call on God to break the teeth of sinners, and other such punishments. I’m still working out my thoughts on this. Several of the following theories can be simultaneously true without contradiction, while some cannot be. I submit these brief thoughts for our mutual consideration.
1. They are honest. Every one of us have felt the rage found in cursing (wishing harm) others. Other emotions, such as doubt, are not sinful to feel. It is impossible to ecape experiencing these uncomfortable emotions which God expects as in Habakkuk. The key is dealing with honestly with the emotions. The other key is dealing with them through trust in God. The righteous will live by faith.
2. They are honest even if not right. What this theory says is the bible is filled with the inspired recording of uninspired concepts. Job’s friends are a prime example. Therefore the calls for God to curse are not holy thoughts.
3. They verbalize pain but are restrained leaving the retribution up to God. Compare this to Job, Elijah, and Jeremiah all despairing of life, but not willing to take their own life. “Vengeance is mine says the Lord”.
4. They are necessary. God’s justice requires punishment. If God does not execute vengeance, then God cannot be righteous. It would be comparable to a judge declaring everyone innocent. If that had happened then God would never repay the guilty for the pain caused to the outliers within society. Not on li y would God be unjust, He would be a promise breaker.
5. They are indicative of a different God in the OT vs NT. Marcion taught the heresy that the God who sent Jesus was a different God than that of the Jews.
6. They were allowed then, but now under the Christian covenant they are not. This sounds right, but there are imprecatory concepts in the NT such as Paul saying certain individuals should be turned over to Satan (1 Cor.5).
7. They are part of the Abrahamic promise – “I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the people on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).
8. They are part of the honor-shame culture. In the OT the imprecatory psalms were calling on God to defend his honor. In the NT, God incarnate came, not to defend, but to endure the shame on the cross (Heb.12). As Christians, we too bear the sins – not in atonement but in imitation – of the world. We carry the cross and are crucified (Galatians 2:20). In the OT, God’s honor was restored through punishment. In the NT, Jesus bearing shame, and us turning the other cheek, hopefully will lead sinners to repent; and that is how God’s honor is restored.
There are no doubt other thoughts on these uncomfortable psalms. Recognizing that is the first step in understanding them.
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