Imprecatory psalms

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Scott

Puritan Board Graduate
What are people's views on how we should understand the imprecatory psalms and specifically, whether and how we should use or imitate them? Psalm 109 is one example.
 
John Brown of Haddington's notes on Psalm 109

"Probably David penned this psalm with a view to Doeg or Ahithophel, and hence it is much like the 41st, 52nd, 55th, 124th, and 140th. But the Holy Ghost herein hath a mediate respect to Jesus, and to Judas the traitor, Acts 1:20. Observe, (1.) The psalmist's bitter complaints of his enemies, as spiteful, deceitful, false, restless, unjust, ungrateful, ver. 1-5. (2.) His fearful denunciations of divine vengeance against his distinguished foe; that he should be delivered into the hand of Satan; should have his prayers rejected, his life shortened, his substance wasted, and his posterity rendered miserable, ver. 6-20. (3.) His lamentation over his inward trouble, his approaching death, his instability of condition, pining sickness, reproach of enemies; and his prayers for mercy to himself, confusion to his enemies, and glory to his God, ver. 21-29. (4.) His triumph in God, as his supporter and deliverer amidst all his troubles, ver. 30-31.

While I sing, let me be affected with the sufferings of my Redeemer, and with the misery of these Jews and others, who abandon themselves to be his obstinate opposers. Let me implore, and by faith foresee the complete ruin of all my spiritual enemies; and the full redemption of my soul, and of the whole mystical body of Christ, notwithstanding all our sinful poverty and plagues. "

http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/Psalter6.htm
 
Originally posted by Scott
What are people's views on how we should understand the imprecatory psalms and specifically, whether and how we should use or imitate them? Psalm 109 is one example.
I think in some cases we Christians don't have a choice. God Himself said that vengeance in mine, whilst in the Book of Revelation, the Saints under the alter asked God how long will He take to avenge their blood. I think these prayers are to be explicitly prayed in situations where God's vindicating you from those that perpetuate evil on you, will gave Him great glory.
 
WLC 191 is helpful here: "What do we pray for in the second petition? A. In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come,(1)) acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan,(2) we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed,(3) the gospel propagated throughout the world,(4) the Jews called,(5) the fulness of the Gentiles brought in;(6) the church furnished with all gospel-officers and ordinances,(7) purged from corruption,(8) countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate:(9) that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted:(10) that Christ would rule in our hearts here,(11) and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him for ever:(12) and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.(13)"

It is helpful to remember that our struggle under the New Covenant is no longer with flesh and blood as Paul says in Eph. 5. When we pray for the coming of the Kingdom, it is, in essence, a New Covenant imprecation. We ar asking God to destroy the kingdom of Satan and advance the gospel.
 
Kevin: I think that this approach to the imprecatory psalms is entirely legitimate. I think we can view the enemies in the psalms as (1) our own internal sin (Augustine, for example, interpreted the infants being dashed in Ps. 137 as fledgling sins deestroyed before they frew and became great enemies against us) or (2) the external demons who ravage the church. I am not sure if it exhausts their uses, though.
 
Originally posted by Scott
Kevin: I think that this approach to the imprecatory psalms is entirely legitimate. I think we can view the enemies in the psalms as (1) our own internal sin (Augustine, for example, interpreted the infants being dashed in Ps. 137 as fledgling sins deestroyed before they frew and became great enemies against us) or (2) the external demons who ravage the church. I am not sure if it exhausts their uses, though.

Agreed. Plus it avoids the difficulty of us praying God's curses on people under the New Covenant, a thing I believe Ephesians 5 militates against.
 
To pray or sing an imprecatory Psalm is to ask for God's justice to be done. It is not a prayer or song of personal vengeance against our enemies, but a proclamation of the right of God's justice and judgment against sin and sinners. The focus should be on the majesty and glory of God's justice, not the destruction of sinners - something that could very well happen to any of us.
 
Originally posted by Scott
Kevin: I think that this approach to the imprecatory psalms is entirely legitimate. I think we can view the enemies in the psalms as (1) our own internal sin (Augustine, for example, interpreted the infants being dashed in Ps. 137 as fledgling sins deestroyed before they frew and became great enemies against us) or (2) the external demons who ravage the church. I am not sure if it exhausts their uses, though.

:up:

When we sing the Psalm today, they have current relevence to us in the smae way they were relevant for any of God's enemies.
 
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