Wow! Have you ever gotten on someone's "bad" side? You did something that really got them angry with you and then they were on your case for what seemed like forever? Well, someone/someones was/were being rather hateful to David - without cause - and David really blasts them. The footnotes in my fancy Holman Christian Standard Study Bible call this an imprecatory psalm. So of course I had to go to Merriam-Webster.com to see exactly what imprecatory meant. Imprecation means "curse." Yep. That sums up the major sections of this psalm.
"Let his children wander as beggars, searching for food far from their demolished homes." Wow!
It's hard for us to wrap our minds around wording like this because we have experienced grace and are following Christ's commands to love - our neighbors, our enemies, the Lord (with all our heart, mind, soul, strength) etc.
So how do we explain a psalm like this? I think it shows us the seriousness God placed on the Davidic covenant. David and his descendants were His chosen leaders. To fight against David was to fight against God Himself. It also shows God's hatred of sin and of those who live their lives in defiance of God. God's mercy is extended to everyone, but to those who reject Him there are grave consequences. David was pointing out what would become of those who are against the Lord.
This should encourage us - not to curse the wicked (if they don't repent their judgement is certain), but rather to pray for them that they would repent and turn to the Lord.
I couldn't add the pictures that came up when I googled for images of Psalm 109. You'll have to check them out yourself.
1 comment:
As I was reading through this Psalm, I thought - Boy have I ever felt like that at times! Rare, to be that full of animosity, but it has happened. The Message translation has some great word pictures:
"May the bank foreclose and wipe him out, and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean. May there be no one around to help him out, no one willing to give his orphans a break. Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name. ... Since he loved cursing so much, let curses rain down; Since he had no taste for blessing, let blessings flee far from him. He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes; he drank curses, took his baths in curses. So give him a gift—a costume of curses; he can wear curses every day of the week!"
You had a good take on this about realizing the seriousness of God's hand on His people. I also realize, though, that no matter how I feel, I can express that to God. He will usually bring to mind contrasting verses (or incidents in my own life where I wasn't the best of people). I'm thankful to have a God who listens, and also a God who loves me too much to leave me as I am. May I continue to shape to His image in my life.
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