Psalm 109 is one of the imprecatory psalms and is the
harshest of all in its nature. To misunderstand this psalm is a serious
mistake. First of all it is not license to call down fire and brimstone on
those who we consider our enemies. We are New Testament Christians who live in
the age of grace and our goal is to be Christ-like in all our dealings with
people. Jesus was clear in Matthew
5:43-45, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust.” There will come a day of judgment, but we are
not in that day nor are we the ones who were sent to bring that type of judgment.
Secondly this psalm is a perfect example of how we must interpret scripture. We
do not pull out verses and sections and form theology on them. We must
interpret scripture with scripture. It is a whole picture that has to be deeply
and exhaustively studied under the careful guiding of the Holy Spirit. That
being said there are many different commentators who differ on what we do with
this psalm. I believe it seems to be the best fit to view this from the
perspective of David being the author but that it speaks of what was being done
to Him, as opposed to David praying this harsh prayer of cursing.
Psalm 109:1-5
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
As is his normal method David opens in prayer. Rather than
go on the attack David gives it to God. This is wise counsel. Rather than
seethe in anger go to the cross and lay it out to Jesus.
The middle part of this psalm is where it is likely David is
no longer speaking his own words, but those of his accuser. To say David was
praying this prayer seems to sharply contradict his forgiving nature as we see
in him throughout scripture. Observe some of the harshness of this psalm.
Psalm 109:7-15
When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!
When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!
It seems feasible that the psalm is demonstrating the lies
and the gossip that someone will do to destroy a godly man’s character.
Psalm 109:16-19
For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!
For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!
There will be times in most our lives when gossip will be
made against us. The temptation is to defend ourselves and to fight fire with
fire. That is simply not the behavior a Christian is to display. Instead we
fight fire with love. Romans 12:19-21 echoes
other wisdom from the Old Testament saying, “Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary,
"if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something
to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not
be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
David finishes with this prayer of praise and faith:
Psalm 109:30-31
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
I must confess I have at times in my life wanted to issue an
imprecatory prayer against those who are my enemy. But the longer I follow
Christ the more I understand that God will take care of the vengeance. I live
in an age of grace. I deserve the same things done to me but God instead has
been patient with me. He loved me so much He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die
for my sins. When I fully apprehend the message of the Gospel then it all
changes. Sometimes I still get angry and sometimes I just want to smack people,
but then I remember Jesus as He hung on the cross. We must forgive much for
much has been forgiven. No, really we must forgive all for if we are Christ’s
then all has been forgiven. So I close with a repeat of the final two verses.
Psalm 109:30-31
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
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