Serious students of the Bible labor over the imprecatory Psalms. These are Psalms that either in their entirety or in selected verses freight strong language in condemnation against the enemies of the Psalmist, even imploring for their fierce destruction. The passages are not easily explained in a Christian context, a context in which believers are to be forgiving, to pray for their enemies, even love them and be charitable in their behalf. The Christian option is that when a person is treated in a Christ-like manner, that person is made the recipient of a witness from God in forgiveness. If judgment is an appropriate response, it is left to the province of God. This is proper to humility, consistent with godliness, allowing for lack of understanding or proper attitudes, and fulfills meekness relative to the will of God. This is New Testament modification from naturalism.
Almost daily, consumers of media news are bombarded by the contradictions of political enemies. The assertions, the hatreds of some of the party faithful, become repulsive to sensitive ears. One often wonders if society has adequate sensitivity for conflicting ideas. Can it get worse? It may be better currently than once it was, but that is faint praise. Of late, my reading of history has focused on the fathers of my country. One book referred to them as brothers rather than fathers, with the leading example the John Adams/Thomas Jefferson exchanges in the latter years of their lives. They were trying to heal the wounds that had ruptured the early friendship they enjoyed in forming the nation. The ugliness of the feelings, the conduct of lies, and the distrust of one another appear to reveal anger at nearly every turn. Hamilton and Jefferson hated each other. Franklin was sometimes a scandal, especially to Adams. Aaron Burr killed Hamilton in a duel. Andrew Jackson killed a man also in a duel, and was bloody in warfare. Other national fathers were anything but gracious and objective. Some of these men were Christians, and they were uncommonly astute about issues in their dedication to the nation. Many were all too human. Without the firmness of George Washington, the Revolutionary War would certainly have been lost as much for the conduct of the Congress as the enemy. The formation of the country was troublesome. One is favorably astounded about prayer answers that seem to have attended.
King David is a pivotal figure in the Bible. The Messiah was born of his line. Jesus is identified, in part, as the son of David. H. G. Wells, in his history of the world, wrote to this point that one would hardly want to be remembered as descended from such a man as David, a bloody fighter in battle, a cause for the murder of a devoted friend, an adulterer, a casual husband/father, but he became the identifier of the Messiah. We know David’s skills as a leader, a musician/poet, a friend of God, an attractive personality, a hard worker, and a caring spirit for the people. Do the virtues cancel the sins? They do not. God works to mankind’s benefit in contradictory cultures. Some have many stains, and some have fewer. The quality of righteousness is measured by God in the balances. We cannot do it. My salvation is not in goodness, and my loss is not in badness. Some of both will come to me in my creature-hood. But the eternal benefits are found entirely in an acceptance of the gift of God to me, even Jesus Christ. He is just in judgment, and forgiving to believers. Faith and love triumph in the omnipotence of God. It must not be forgotten that God can do anything he wants to do – except deny himself. These last three words tell us more than we may surmise. God is, in his nature, perfect in all factors related to him. In that perfection he made a plan that did not deny any conflicting factors (such as compassion and judgment) so to provide for our redemption in Jesus Christ. His faithfulness is inescapable. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020