Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Imprecatory prayers are difficult.

Glad I do not address them often.

[Chart]

One explanation says the curses are actually the words of the enemy.

This would help in one area but is problematic in others.

We will see an example of how Peter does not quote these verses in that way.

Important to remember.

This prayer ceases to be personal vengeance as he turns all his wishes over to the LORD in a prayer, thereby leaving it to the LORD to deal in justice with his adversary.

The difference in an imprecatory prayer is similar to the difference of murder and the killing that is part of a just war between nations.

David was well known, even praised, for being a nonvindictive, long-suffering, and merciful man.

We have only to think of the two occasions when David could have killed his archenemy King Saul if he had wanted to (1 Sam.

24, 26).

David did not even think of killing Saul. 1 Sam 24:10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.

All the imprecatory psalms have the intent of Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Psalm 109 (KJV 1900)

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; And fought against me without a cause.

4 For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

6 Set thou a wicked man over him:

And let Satan stand at his right hand.

7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned:

And let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few;

And let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless,

And his wife a widow.

10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath;

And let the strangers spoil his labour.

12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him:

Neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord;

And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the Lord continually,

That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him:

As he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, So let it come into his bowels like water, And like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, And of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: Because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

22 For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I became also a reproach unto them: When they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; That thou, Lord, hast done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; Yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those that condemn his soul.

Exegetical Outline: A Commentary on the Psalms

An exegetical outline traces the thought-flow of the passage.

A teaching/preaching outline should not deviate from the content but would be develop in a manner to help the listener better understand and apply the text.

I. David calls for help from the LORD against his malicious enemies who surround him with evil (1–5).

A. Call: He calls for help against the deceitful enemies who opened against him (1–2).

B. Complaint: He complains about the evil enemies (3–5):

1.

They have surrounded him with words of hatred (3).

2. They are his adversaries who repayed friendship with malice (4).

3.

They have rewarded his kindness with evil hatred (5).

II.

David pours out his imprecations upon the enemy, appealing to God to make the wicked desolate and dispossessed because of their love for destruction and cursing (6–20).

A. Curse: He details his desire for the enemy to be cursed (6–15):

1.

Let an adversary be against him and let him be judged as guilty (6–7).

2. Let his days be few so that his wife is a widow and his children fatherless beggars (8–10).

3. Let him be ruined by the creditor (11).

4. Let no one pity him (12).

5. Let his posterity be cut off by the next generation (13).

6.

Let the ancestral sins be remembered on him (14–15).

B. Cause: He explains the reason for the curses (16–19):

1.

He hounded to death the broken-hearted and the needy (16).

2.

He loved heaping curses on other people (17–19).

C. Conclusion: This is the punishment from the LORD on the wicked (20).

III.

David prays to the LORD for help in defending against his enemies because he is in great need (21–31).

A. He prays for help since he is in great need (21–25).

1.

The LORD should deal with him according to love (21).

2.

He is in need since he is weak and perishing (22–25).

B. He prays for help so that they will know the truth (26–27).

C.

He anticipates the outcome (28–31).

1.

They will be cursed and shamed (28–29).

2.

He will rejoice because the LORD will save the needy (30–31).

Turning to God is the only safe option when we have been offended

David has been feeling the weight of this attack.

David is under an all out, malicious attack on his character, which, as the psalm will show, has taken a great toll on him.

Their deception came from the hate in their hearts.

But their attack is completely unwarranted.

Psalm 109:3-5 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; And fought against me without a cause.

4 For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

Even though he hath acted loving toward them they have rewarded him with.

Accusers is the same basic Hebrew word that we also translate Satan – the accuser.

God appears to be “silent” when he does not answer; he “speaks” when he intervenes to save and to judge.

Turning inward brings a self-destructing bitters.