TLIC Psalms. October 14. May His Days Be Few.

Read Psalm 109:6-15 ⁶Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. ⁷When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! ⁸May his days be few; may another take his office! ⁹May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! ¹⁰May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! ¹¹May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! ¹²Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! ¹³May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! ¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! ¹⁵Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!

Undoubtedly these words should give us pause. Hopefully there is nobody in your life that is deserving of a prayer like this. A prayer of such forceful opposition, extending even beyond them to their family. A prayer that leaves no corner of the enemy’s existence untouched by harm.

But is this even a Christian prayer? Am I supposed to pray this way in Christ?

Maybe one reason we cringe at such prayers is that we lack a sense of God’s total justice and holiness. Is David’s prayer only vengeful, or is it a cry for God to act against evil with swift and powerful justice for the oppressed? If we are repulsed by this prayer, maybe it is because our hearts do not bleed for the innocent, the righteous victims of injustice. Maybe our heart is not in tune with the Christ who will destroy all the unrepentant wicked at his return.

Truly to live is Christ means that we are to bless and curse not. And this is possible as we more and more see ourselves as the enemy of God deserving this imprecation and Jesus as the one who became this imprecation for us – his days were few. He was cut off. He was seized, pitiless, and blotted out. For us. Now in Christ we are to leave vengeance up to the Lord himself, loving our enemies, seeking reconciliation, and striving to live in peace with all (Rom. 12:14-18). All while abhorring evil (Rom. 12:9), clinging to the hope of Christ’s coming wrath.

Revelation 19:1-2. Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just;

Prayer. Jesus, you are the God of justice and righteousness. Deep inside I know that your judgments are good and what this world needs. Help me to bless and leave the cursing up to you today. Amen.