Q: Matthew 5:44 tells us to love our enemies, and to treat them charitably. But in numerous passages in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, the Biblical authors pray and wish for the punishment, shame, ruin, and death of their enemies. Isnt this a contradiction?
A: Only on the surface. The big difference in the genres that are involved needs to be taken into account. Most of the references in the Psalms which are used in the SABs list of statements contrary to Love your enemies are from imprecatory psalms and laments, which are essentially personal prayers, not direct didactic instructions. The imprecatory psalms tend to state the authors preference, not necessarily Gods preference.
You might have had a reason to say, at some time, Police! Police! Man; theres never a police officer around when you need one. Well, if there /had/ been a police officer around, what would you have wanted him to do? Catch the bad guys, right? Arrest 'em! Lock 'em up! You want the law to be enforced, basically. Thats the feeling that fueled the imprecatory Psalms: theyre written by people on occasions of danger/oppression/disaster and their authors cry, summed up, is, LORD God, protect Your people and punish the bad guys! Its not that the authors hated their enemies (though there is a passage in Psalm 139 where David candidly affirms that he hates those who hate God); its that they wanted justice to prevail, preferably right away.
Also, the imprecatory psalms regard divine retribution upon their enemies as a means unto an end -- an end which is not necessarily detrimental to their enemies in the long run (though it can be, if their enemies insist that it be). That end is not personal revenge or hatred-ventilation. Its the glory of God. Consider Psalm 83:13-18. Theres a nifty message there: the Psalmist calls on God to make his enemies like dust, like a forest set aflame. He calls on God to go after his enemies with a fearful storm. But dont let the hyperbole fool you. The author is not pleading with God to literally pulverize people. He says, Fill their faces with shame. -- Why? With what goal in mind? That they may seek Your name, O LORD. And, Let them be put to shame and perish -- Why? That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. The psalmists desire is for God to deliver the level/extent of punishment which will bring the unrighteous to their senses and realize that the LORD is the one true God.
So, its possible to honestly cry out for God to punish injustice, and still love your enemies.
Theres a worthwhile article about imprecatory psalms at
www.growingchristians.org/dfgc/zap.htm . (It's not quite what I'd write, but it's worthwhile.)
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: Only on the surface. The big difference in the genres that are involved needs to be taken into account. Most of the references in the Psalms which are used in the SABs list of statements contrary to Love your enemies are from imprecatory psalms and laments, which are essentially personal prayers, not direct didactic instructions. The imprecatory psalms tend to state the authors preference, not necessarily Gods preference.
You might have had a reason to say, at some time, Police! Police! Man; theres never a police officer around when you need one. Well, if there /had/ been a police officer around, what would you have wanted him to do? Catch the bad guys, right? Arrest 'em! Lock 'em up! You want the law to be enforced, basically. Thats the feeling that fueled the imprecatory Psalms: theyre written by people on occasions of danger/oppression/disaster and their authors cry, summed up, is, LORD God, protect Your people and punish the bad guys! Its not that the authors hated their enemies (though there is a passage in Psalm 139 where David candidly affirms that he hates those who hate God); its that they wanted justice to prevail, preferably right away.
Also, the imprecatory psalms regard divine retribution upon their enemies as a means unto an end -- an end which is not necessarily detrimental to their enemies in the long run (though it can be, if their enemies insist that it be). That end is not personal revenge or hatred-ventilation. Its the glory of God. Consider Psalm 83:13-18. Theres a nifty message there: the Psalmist calls on God to make his enemies like dust, like a forest set aflame. He calls on God to go after his enemies with a fearful storm. But dont let the hyperbole fool you. The author is not pleading with God to literally pulverize people. He says, Fill their faces with shame. -- Why? With what goal in mind? That they may seek Your name, O LORD. And, Let them be put to shame and perish -- Why? That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. The psalmists desire is for God to deliver the level/extent of punishment which will bring the unrighteous to their senses and realize that the LORD is the one true God.
So, its possible to honestly cry out for God to punish injustice, and still love your enemies.
Theres a worthwhile article about imprecatory psalms at
www.growingchristians.org/dfgc/zap.htm . (It's not quite what I'd write, but it's worthwhile.)
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
