God Break the Wicked

Psalm 52

Psalms of Imprecation

Imprecation: To invoke a curse upon someone or something.

Why they are prayed?

Seeking justice, vindication, the victory of God’s people when provoked by the horror of sin - expressing a longing for God’s justice, for deliverance, and a restoration of the righteous.

When a crime of extraordinary atrocity goes unpunished we feel that justice has been defrauded of its dues. We are indignant that such a wrong should remain unaddressed. While the crime remains un-atoned, we have a feeling, not only of insecurity, but that justice has been violated.

The imprecatory psalms are expressions of the infinite justice of the coming Messiah, of his indignation against wrong doing, of His compassion for the wronged.

This Psalm - When Doeg reported to Saul that David had gone to the house of Ahimelech - 1 Sam 22.
David is hiding from Saul, goes to the house of the priest, Ahimelech, who recognizes that David is the anointed of God, and shelters him. Doeg reports this to Saul, who sees this as a betrayal, and orders Ahimelech and his house put to death - 85 persons who wore the linen ephod; plus he put to the sword the city of Nob, man, woman, children and infants, even the cattle and sheep.

What they say? Calling on God to bring down the wicked.

Break, snatch, tear, uproot (vs 5) - utterly destroying the plans and the security of those who work evil.

Ps 10:15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer. Ps 58:6 Shatter the teeth in their mouths. Break the fang of the young lion, oh Lord.”

Often - bring them down in their own designs; Ps 5:10 - Bring them down by their own counsels, Ps 141:10 fall into their own nets.

What they teach?

The enemies of God’s people are enemies of God - vs. 7

Though David is persecuted, it is because his enemies would not put their trust in God, but trusted in their wealth and their own power.

vs 2-4: Pride and boasting, plotting destruction, a deceitful tongue - His words are weapons

I am like a green olive tree - vs. 8

Think back to Psalm 1 - like a tree by the river, fruitful in season - the Olive tree could weather drought, became a symbol of Israel

I will trust in God’s steadfast love - even when the

Praying for justice, waiting on God vs. 9

Giving thanks to God because he has done it… If God has promised, it is as good as done.

Waiting upon his name: Putting vindication in God’s hands.

David never asks that he be allowed to “get even” with or “pay back” his enemies. His prayer is that God would act justly in dealing with transgressors.

David’s passion was for the triumph of divine justice, not the satisfaction of personal malice. Not taking the action, not seeking revenge, but giving it to God.

How is the gospel proclaimed in imprecations?

God’s Justice and punishment of sinners

All fall under this judgment -

We are all Doegs: We trust in our own strength, we are people of unclean lips, we say and do cruel things, all to advance ourselves. The psalms of imprecation are meant to warn us of sin and God’s righteous judgment, and to drive us to the throne of grace.

God’s Blessing and God’s Curse are met at Christ’s cross.

God allows curses into this world for the glory of Jesus — to paint a dark and bloody and beautiful picture of his sacrificial love. Sodom and Gomorrah, the flood, Korah’s rebellion, Canaan’s ban, the cry over Egypt’s firstborns — all shadows compared with the tremendous doom of this one who cries, “I thirst,” from the cross. He plunged into the depths of hell itself. Curses exist to explain this good news to you:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)

Because of the gospel, through the death and resurrection of Christ, the righteous are vindicated not in retribution, but in reconciliation

The way God deals with broken man is to give His Son to reconcile the world to himself.

In mercy, God called Saul, brought the persecutor of the Church to his knees, so he would bear the gospel to the nations.

When Paul stood before as a prisoner before King Agrippa, his prayer was that Agrippa would come to salvation in Christ.

A Christian Response to Wickedness: vs 6 See, Fear and Laugh.

See it - Acknowledge Evil - Call it what it is.

Allow the psalms to let us name the evil of our age: Godlessness; Idolatry; Unfaithfulness, Immorality, Pride and Disobedience.

This is a NT model - not just OT

Jesus’ rebuke of wicked and perverse generation

The woes of Matthew 23 - esp vs 33 - Serpents, brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

Overturning the tables in the temple, and cursing the fig

Paul’s anathema, cursing false teaching - Gal 1:8 - even saying those who unsettle the church should emasculate themselves (5:12)

Alexander, who did Paul harm - God will repay 2 Tim 4:14

Rev 6:10 the voice of the martyrs - how long before you avenge our blood

Anytime we pray, Thy Kingdom come - we are seeking God’s justice

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 - they will suffer eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord

Fear - and trembling

Recognize the sinfulness of sin-

If you truly saw how beastly your sin is, imprecations wouldn’t be enough - the reason we struggle to pray these psalms is because we are too comfortable with sin, and think too lowly of God’s holiness.

Knowing not to play with fire lest you get burned

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling… (Phil 2:12)

Watch over our own words - that we don’t fall into the same judgment as the wicked in the Psalm

Jas 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Laugh - Mocking - highlighting the foolishness of a position

There are certain teaching that deserve outright rejection, even mocking - laughing at the folly of man’s delusion in his own riches and power

Elijah and the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel

Isaiah mocking the idolatry of the people Isa 44:16-19

Jesus mocked the Pharisees for tithing their mint & cumin, but neglecting weightier provisions of the law (Matt 23)

We laugh at the idea that the doctrine of man can stand against the truth of God, laugh along with God at the worlds attempts to overthrow him, not bothered by the futile rebellion of man.

Caution: we do not take joy in the downfall of our enemy, nor laugh at those who are caught up in the false teaching.

We place our hope and joy in Christ’s coming, as we pray.

Pray: The sticky question, should Christians pray imprecatory psalms?

Jesus said “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… (Mt 5:44)” Paul adds “Bless those who purse; bless and do not curse… (Rom 12:14)” How then do we pray and bless?

Pray for Salvation of the Lost, and Security of the Saved.

Do we pray for our enemies to succeed in their plans? No.

We pray they are confronted by the glory, goodness, and justice of God, led to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ?

Give them no rest until they rest in you - Augustine.

We love our enemies by praying for their repentance. But if they callously and consistently refuse, our only recourse is to pray that God’s judgment be full and fair.

We pray that God would open the eyes of those who work evil to the coming judgment of God, to see their own sinfulness and cry out for salvation.,

Pray that God would bring to salvation those who destroy families and hurt little children, or thwart all their efforts and keep them from doing further harm.

Trusting in His steadfast love; Waiting upon the name of God

Knowing that His love is ultimately victorious.

To wait on God is to patiently expect his mercy and to serve him while we are yet under affliction.

Ro 12:19–21 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.

We often feel helpless, or don’t know what to pray - that is what the Psalms are for, they give us place ourselves in the hands of God in the midst of unspeakable evil.