Dr. Timothy Tennent: We’re Not Supposed to Read or Sing THOSE Psalms, Are We?
Anyone who has spent time in the Psalms will know that there are regular parts of the psalms where the psalmist specifically calls down curses upon his enemies. How should we encounter these psalms in light of Jesus’ teaching about loving our enemies?
Broadly speaking, the church has read these psalms through four lenses.
First, the “enemies” of the church today are not flesh and blood, but the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” This first lens for the imprecatory psalms is perhaps the easiest to understand. We acknowledge with Paul, that behind all of the flesh and blood agents of evil and wickedness in this world lie powers of darkness, spiritual forces, and Satan himself. When we consider the evil spiritual power that is at work in this world, seeking to steal, kill and destroy everything that is good and right and holy (John 10:10), we can cry out with the psalmist for the Lord to put an end to these principalities of wickedness and to break their hold in the lives of people in this world.
The second lens through which Christians encounter imprecatory psalms is by seeing these texts as prayers that transfer our anger over to God. Deuteronomy 32:35, as quoted by Paul in Romans 12:19 says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” As those created in the image of God, we long for justice. However, there are times when wrong goes unpunished, when wickedness flourishes unrestrained, or when human systems of justice fail. When that happens, we can be tempted to take matters into our own hands, striking back with the due retribution that we desire to inflict upon those who have wronged us. But our desire for vengeance and vindication must be transferred into God’s hands, for he alone can dispense justice with true righteousness. When the psalmist calls down curses, this transfer is precisely what he is doing. He is asking the Lord to take vengeance rather than taking it himself; he is pouring all of the anguish of reprisal into a prayer rather than into actions of his own. These psalms are, after all, prayers – not the actions themselves. They provide the necessary and healthy channel for venting anger without erupting into violence, and they provide for the transference of that anger into the hands of God who has promised to bring about His holy judgment with perfect equity.
The third lens through which Christians encounter these particularly challenging parts of the psalter is by realizing that Jesus Christ has taken on all of these curses on the cross of Calvary. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” Just as the second lens enables us to transfer our anger and need for vengeance into the Lord’s hands, this lens reminds us of the terrifying reality that all of the curses that belong upon the wicked are transferred onto Christ. As we encounter the vivid descriptions of curses which are called forth in the psalms, we are suddenly caught off guard by the stark reality that these, even these terrible curses, have been laid upon Christ in the crucifixion. All the punishments that the wicked deserve fall upon Christ.
The fourth and final lens is understanding these psalms as foreshadowing the final end of all things. This lens is expressed in Revelation 11:15: “…The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” Many of the worst imprecations in the psalms carry an element of finality to them; they evoke vivid images of total and permanent destruction. These curses seem very frightening unless we remember that our great hope is that God will set all things right in the New Creation. The ultimate goal toward which all of creation is heading is the joyous rule and reign of God, where evil is destroyed and banished forever, never to rise again. The judgment of God that finally destroys all wickedness is not something to be feared – it is our greatest hope and comfort. Indeed, the final judgment of God against the wicked is the way in which God demonstrates His love and mercy for the world.
In conclusion, all 150 of the Psalms are designed to be 150 separate spiritual journeys for us. We should not avoid any of the Psalms, even these which express such deep pain, because this is also part of our journey. Christ himself is the great interpreter of every psalm, and it is through the lens of the cross and the final eschaton that they all finally come into full focus.
A relevant real reflection and application. Thank you.
If, in the simplistic view, the only enemies today are demonic, then it seems necessary to conclude that Jesus would be commanding Christians to love demons. That type of “easiest” exegesis seems irrational.
Thanks Dr. Timothy Tennent. Though a leader, you have maintained a deep Theological Reflection which always comes out in great sermons.
How does that square with what Jesus said in Matthew 15:18-19, for Satan and his demons operate through people for evil just as Christ does through us for good?