Is It Biblical to Pray for Vengeance?

The last couple of wees we have been studying the Psalms in my Old Testament Survey class.  One type of psal we have looked at are "imprecatory psalms," or the psalms in which the author is praying for a God's curse on an enemy.

The subject of our latest discussion board is:

In view of the New Testament teaching of “loving our enemy/neighbor,” discuss the role of imprecatory prayers (psalms) for today?  Can we pray “against” people or things today?  Take a view and defend your position (with love!) and use scripture.  Discuss.

As promised, I am posting my responses here. (Feel free to comment, as it is a discussion question.)

Though I have spent several hours studying this matter, I am still undecided. I have read not only outside of this board, but all of the responses and discussions within it. I believe there are strong arguments both for and against these imprecatory prayers.

Aside from all of the thoughts and information described within the discussion board, I have found another source which has some interesting and important points to consider.

In his sermon, “A Christian Manifesto – A Study of Luke 6,” Alistair Begg challenges us to the agape love Christ commands in both Luke 6 and Matthew 5.  He describes agape love thus:

 “Agape is the ONLY form of love that is not drawn out of the attractiveness of the merit of the one we love.  Jesus is calling for a love of people that is in no way related to the lovability of those whom we are to love.  That is precisely how God in Christ loved us. It was a self-engendered love for those who were His enemies.

“Agape love is not blind to their offenses against us. We see them exactly as they are in all of their ugliness, in all of their spitefulness, in all of their cursing.

“Seeing all that, Jesus says, ‘I want you to love your enemies.’

“This love is intelligent. It is a love that is marked by comprehension and it is a love that is purposeful in its application.”

Further, Begg reminds us:

“This kind of love will not go unrewarded, but the essence of this kind of love is that it must never be the motive for practicing it… because it is an expression of the character of God, who is our Father and kids ought to be like their dads.

“Indeed it is completely incongruous, if not impossible, for those of us who declare ourselves to be the Father’s children not to manifest the mercy of a merciful God and not to display a love for our enemies which is akin to the approach of Jesus that when He was reviled, He did not revile in return, but committed His cause to Him who judges.”

Finally, he makes the point the Jews of the Old Testament had taken out of context Leviticus 19:18 (“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people but love your neighbor as yourself for I am the Lord.”).  “They took the phrase ‘one of your people’ and diminished it to define a group who they had to love and if it fell outside of that defined group, it was ok to curse them.”

And so, taken together, a complete picture emerges wherein we are to love as Christ loved us, not because we deserved it when we also were enemies of God, but rather because He loved us enough to suffer and die for us. We are to forgive because we are forgiven.

Yet also, we do see in holy writ examples of godly men praying imprecatory prayers, not only in the Old Testament, but in the New as well.  In addition to the many examples cited throughout this discussion board, we see a prime example in the final book, Revelation. In chapter 6 verses 10 and 11 we read, “¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ^{11 ” (NKJV)}Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

These tribulation martyrs were not chastised for their cry to the throne for vengeance; rather, they were given a white robe and told to wait patiently until the time was right for God to carry out the retribution they desperately sought.

Consequently, I feel it necessary to conclude there are certainly occasions in which the Lord does not condemn imprecation. However, one must call upon the name and the power of God wisely and with great humility. It is wisdom to err on the side of love and forgiveness, for with the measure one uses to judge, one in turn will be judged.  Yet, let each man walk out his own salvation in fear and trembling.

I am Mephibosheth

How like Mephibosheth we all are. As a reminder:

^“1 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

² And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!”

³ Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.” ⁴ So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.” ⁵ Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

⁶ Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!”
⁷ So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” ⁸ Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

⁹ And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. ¹⁰ You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.” (2 Sam 9)

Once again we see in the Old Testament, an outward example of inward truth. We can draw a spiritual lesson from a physical situation.  Let’s assume God would be represented by King David, Jonathan represents Christ, and Mephibosheth you and I.

We would read it similar to this (similar, but I’m not trying to make doctrine here):

And God said, “Is there anyone left to whom I may show kindness for the sake of my Son?”

“There is still  _____ (fill in your name), a sinner who could not walk in your precepts without stumbling.” And God asks, “Where is she?”  (Such a tender question.)

 “(Cindy)? She is living in Sin, outside of the Kingdom, stuck in a pit of despair and destruction.”

And God sent and brought her out.

Now when (Cindy) came before God, she fell on her face and prostrated herself. Then God said, “Cindy?”
And she answered, “Here is your servant!”

So God said to her, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jesus’ sake, and will restore to you the inheritance that satan has stolen; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

Then she bowed herself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon me who am dead in my sin?”

Whereupon, He blessed her with an inheritance which she did not deserve.  Then, He proclaimed that she was to eat at His table, as one of His dearly loved sons!  So Cindy dwelt in the New Jerusalem, for she ate continually at the king’s table. And she was a lame sinner who found it hard to walk in His Way and not stumble.”

Through King David, we see the kindness and generosity of a loving God. Through Jonathan we see a picture of Christ. This type is seen in other stories of Jonathan as well. And through Mephibosheth we see a picture of man; entirely undeserving outcasts to whom the Lord shows His undeserved grace and mercy and loving-kindness.

However, may the comparison end there as later in the book of 2 Samuel, Mephibosheth believes he should be entitled to the entire kingdom during a battle from which he believes David will not return. Instead of being content with the restoration of his inheritance, he covets the entire kingdom.

As Beth Moore points out in “A Heart Like His,” we see several virtues of God through King David in this section of scripture:

·         His loving-kindness – He was looking for someone to whom he could show kindness.

·         His initiation of the relationship – He first pursues us.

·         His complete acceptance – He even loves the stumbling sinner.

·         His calming spirit – “Do not fear…”

·         His delight in restoration – He removed Mephibosheth’s shame of living in exile and poverty.

·         His desire for another son – although he already had many sons at his table he was willing to accept another.

May we always remember that it is God who pursued Mephibosheth (us), God who restored Mephibosheth, and God who satisfied the hunger and thirst of Mephibosheth.  He does this because of who He is.