IMPRECATORY PSALMS: SEEKING JUSTICE 

1. A Captivity Psalm (Psalm 137:1-9) 

2. Prayers for God’s Vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35, 41, 43; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; Psalms 69:22-28; 109:6-20) 

3. Old Testament Morality (Exodus 23:4-5; Leviticus 19:14-18; Proverbs 24:17; 25:21-22) 

Central Truth: God commands that we do right, and that we trust Him to do right. 

Focus: Ascertain the true nature of the imprecatory Psalms and leave vengeance in God’s hands. 

Evangelism Emphasis: Christ’s saving grace more than compensates for wrongs suffered in life. 

Text: “O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause” (Jeremiah 11:20). 

INTRODUCTION 

At one time or another, each of us has experienced betrayal and mistreatment. Someone has lied to us, cheated us, abused us, or persecuted us unjustly. What should we do when we are treated unfairly? In this lesson, we will learn the appropriate Christian response to these and other kinds of mistreatment. 

Jeremiah the prophet was faithful to God and preached the word of God; yet he was ridiculed, criticized, and even thrown in jail for no good reason. His response to the schemes that had been devised against him was to pray and turn them over to God. Jeremiah prayed, “O Lord of hosts, You who judge righteously, testing the mind and the heart, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have revealed my cause” (11:20 NKJV; see also Dan. 6). 

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us how to respond to evil treatment: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:43-45 NKJV). 

Not only does Jesus teach us how to respond to evildoers, He also demonstrated the proper response in His own life. The apostle Peter tells us we should look to Jesus Christ as our example whenever we have been treated unjustly. Whenever we are suffering, we must remember Christ suffered for us. Peter describes the suffering of Jesus this way: “When he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).

Like Jesus, we are able to respond to abuse in constructive ways. Our Christian response is guided by two primary convictions. First, we believe God is our heavenly Father and He will take care of us. Second, we believe God will judge both the righteous and the unrighteous and give them their due rewards. Everyone will reap what they have sown (Gal. 6:7). 

1. A CAPTIVITY PSALM 

A. The Suffering of God’s People (Psalm 137:1-6) 

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

The Babylonian Captivity was, for the people of Israel, the most difficult and distressing event of the entire Old Testament. Psalm 137 is a prayer that looks back on the deep and enduring pain that Israel suffered at the hands of the enemy. Their nation was invaded by the Babylonians, who destroyed the city of Jerusalem and burned the Temple to the ground. The rulers of Israel were either executed or taken captive with all the rest of the population. In one moment, the Israelites lost their independence, their land, their way of life, their house of worship, and their hope for the future. 

As captives in Babylon, they sat and wept beside the canals of water (v. 1). Their faith in God was shaken to the very core. They had suffered many difficult situations and challenges over their eight-hundred-year history, but the captivity in Babylon was different from other periods of suffering. The total destruction of their nation called into question their belief in God’s promise to Abraham and in their self-understanding that they were the people of God. All they had left was a memory, and they wept as they remembered Zion, the mountain on which stood the holy Temple. 

The Babylonians demanded that the Israelites entertain them with Hebrew songs, but the Israelites refused to sing the Lord’s song in the strange land of Babylon (vv. 3-4). The psalmist declares they hung their harps on the willow trees (v. 2), which is a poetic way of saying they refused to play their instruments. 

The Israelites grieved over their loss, but they were a strong people who were determined to retain the memories of Jerusalem. Verses 5 and 6 constitute an oath in which the psalmist calls down two curses upon himself if he should forget Jerusalem. The first curse is that his right hand would forget its cunning, and the second curse is that his tongue would stick to the roof of his mouth. Clearly, the psalmist considers the memory of Jerusalem to be of the highest importance. Perhaps he knows how quickly we tend to forget God’s blessings. 

• How can we “sing the Lord’s song” (v. 4) when the enemy is oppressing us? 

B. Prayer That Justice Will Prevail (Psalm 137:7-9) 

8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.  

After pronouncing an oath against himself if he should ever forget Jerusalem, the psalmist turns toward the enemies of Jerusalem and prays against them. In the same way that he wants to remember Jerusalem, he calls upon the Lord to “remember” two of Jerusalem’s recent enemies, Edom and Babylon (v. 7). Edom, one of Israel’s neighbors, refused to come to their aid when the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem. Instead, Edom rejoiced in Jerusalem’s downfall and cheered for the Babylonians as they destroyed the Holy City. 

Next, the psalmist makes three statements concerning “daughter of Babylon” (v. 8). It is common in the Bible for the population of a city to be represented by the word daughter, as if the city were a person (Ps. 9:14; Isa. 1:8; 47:1). The first statement regarding Babylon is that it will be “destroyed” in fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isa. 14:22; 21:9; 47:1; Jer. 51:8). The second and third statements are blessings pronounced upon whoever would punish Babylon. The punishment sounds brutal, but the psalmist is asking only that the punishment be equal to the crime. The phrase “rewardeth thee as thou hast served us” means Babylon should receive the same treatment with which they treated Israel. This is in accord with God’s law, which states, “You are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Ex. 21:23-24 NIV). 

The third statement of the psalmist selects one element of ancient Near Eastern warfare (the killing of infants) and uses it as a dramatic conclusion to this prayer for judgment. The Israelites had watched helplessly as the Babylonian soldiers had slaughtered the innocent babies of Jerusalem; and now, the psalmist prays that God will enact the appropriate punishment upon the Babylonians. 

This kind of violent prayer is troubling to us as Christians, because we have been taught by Jesus Christ to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us (Matt. 5:44). It is difficult for us to understand how we can love our enemies and, at the same time, pray for their destruction. However, is that not what we are doing when we pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, which will include divine judgment upon evil people? 

Although there is a tension between love and justice, the two are not contradictory. The very nature of God himself includes both the characteristics of compassion and of justice (Ex. 34:6-7). Furthermore, the same Jesus who teaches us to love our enemies also teaches us that our every action and our every word will be judged (Matt. 5:22; 12:36). He stated it would be better for anyone who offends one of His little ones that a millstone be hung around their neck and they be cast into the sea (Mark 9:42), a punishment almost as violent as the punishment of the Babylonians in Psalm 137:8. Let us consider six points to help us understand the value of prayers like this psalm. 

1. The Psalms reflect every kind of human emotion and condition, both positive and negative. Psalm 137, and others like it (commonly called imprecatory psalms) reflect the deepest desires of the oppressed and suffering community. The psalmist cries out against the exploitation of the needy and against the violence that has been done to those victims of war, the weakest of society. In these prayers, the people of God ask for His help in dealing with the worst of human behavior. These imprecatory psalms are found throughout the Psalter (Psalms 12; 35; 40; 58—59; 69—71; 79; 83; 109; 137; 139—140). 

2. The violence of 137:8 must be understood in its cultural context as a poetic exaggeration that was never intended to be taken literally. This kind of exaggeration is common in the Bible and also in our own daily communications. For example, the language of violence is common in our society, and we use it metaphorically in sports. Competitors do not really beat, crush, or slaughter one another. We do not take sports headlines like “Red Sox Destroy Yankees” literally, and neither should we take similar statements in the Psalms literally. The apostle Paul, for instance, talks about “heap[ing] coals of fire” on the heads of our enemies, but he does not mean it literally (Rom. 12:20). 

3. These are prayers offered to God by the people of God. There is no indication that God has called for this kind of prayer, and we are never told to imitate this prayer. 

4. These psalms reflect the world of violence; and they articulate a hatred of injustice and a hunger for a proper world order. Yes, these prayers are brutal, but they express a deep desire for the destruction of evil forces. They are similar to the prophets’ messages against the nations, in which God pronounces the judgment and destruction of His enemies. The most violent of these prophetic judgments is found in the Book of Nahum. 

5. The psalmist does not intend to personally harm any babies. The prayer for vengeance is stated in general terms and left up to God. This prayer acknowledges the evil and places it in God’s hands. We often avoid the acknowledgment of our own center of anger and our vengeful sentiments, but ignoring these painful realities doesn’t make them go away. It is helpful to utter these needs to God in prayer and let go of the pain, giving it completely to God. The imprecatory psalms allow us to express our deepest emotions while acknowledging God as the judge and executor of justice. 

6. We should pray for the destruction of evil institutions and practices. Is it not right to pray for the destruction of pornography, drug cartels, human trafficking, and terrorism? Is it not right to pray for the end of government corruption and bribery of public officials? These prayers belong in the believing community, where they express the desire for God’s justice to be done “in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). 

2. PRAYERS FOR GOD’S VENGEANCE 

The prayer of Psalm 137 is based on the belief that God will punish all evil. Before we study two more prayers for vengeance (Pss. 69; 109), we will examine the Bible’s teaching on divine vengeance. 

A. Vengeance Belongs to God (Deuteronomy 32:35, 41-43) 

Deut. 32:35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. 

43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people. 

In today’s usage, the words vengeance, revenge, and avenge take on negative connotations. In the Bible, however, they are positive terms that describe God’s maintenance of lawfulness, justice, and salvation. In the Bible, vengeance is God’s punishment of evil, and it refers particularly to the vindication of His holiness and/or the protection of His people. God is merciful, loving, kind, and compassionate toward those who repent and turn away from evil; however, His justice demands that He punish those who will not repent. Old Testament scholar E. B. Smick writes, “God cannot be true to His character of holiness and justice if He allows sin and rebellion to go unpunished” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament). 

Because God rules over the world and ensures justice, He will bring to an end the prosperity and security of the wicked. When the Lord says “their foot shall slide in due time” (v. 35), He is saying the wicked will eventually be punished. The day of their judgment, which is referred to here as “the day of their calamity,” is nearer than they think. Evildoers always believe they will escape justice, but the punishments that are coming upon them “make haste” (v. 35), meaning the Lord will bring their judgment sooner rather than later. Because of His justice, God will “recompense” both the good and the wicked. Recompense means to “pay the wages that are due,” and we know the “wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). 

The Lord states, “I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand” (Deut. 32:39 NKJV). Once God begins carrying out His righteous acts of judgment, no one is powerful enough to stop Him. 

The fact that God will judge the world and make everything right is a cause for great celebration (v. 43). The world is ruled by the wisdom and power of God, not by random chance. Therefore, the Lord calls upon all nations to rejoice along with His people. God will “avenge the blood of his servants”; that is, God will punish everyone who caused harm to the people of God (cf. Rev. 6:10). God’s “adversaries” are all of the nations and people who have refused to serve Him. God’s justice, however, exists in parallel to His mercy. As surely as He will punish evil, God will “be merciful unto his land, and to his people” (Deut. 32:43). 

• How are gods compared with the God in verses 37-40? 

B. New Testament Perspective (Romans 12:19-21; Hebrews 10:30) 

Rom. 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 

The apostle Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 32:35 in his letter to the Romans, and he adds further insights regarding the vengeance of God. Because vengeance belongs to God, Christians should not attempt to “avenge” themselves (Rom. 12:19). Instead of seeking vengeance, Christians should do good toward the “enemy” (v. 20). Christian kindness will confuse the enemy and cause discomfort. To “overcome” (v. 21) means to be victorious; therefore, by doing good, the Christian defeats evil. 

In addition to the fact that vengeance belongs to God, Hebrews 10:30 says God’s justice extends also to His own people. The writer, after quoting from Deuteronomy 32:35, adds, “The Lord will judge His people” (NKJV). Peter says judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). Christians are not exempt from God’s judgment (Rom. 14:10); therefore, we must be diligent to maintain a humble spirit and trust in God’s grace. 

Consequences 

People don’t like the idea of consequences. They want to be able to live their life freely and do what they want to do without any consequences. And we know that’s just not the way life is.—Charles Stanley 

C. Prayers for Vengeance on Persecutors (Psalm 69:22-28) 

24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. 26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.  

In Psalm 69, as in many other psalms, the psalmist prays for God’s help in dealing with enemies. We do not know exactly what the enemies were doing against the psalmist, but he confesses that he is “in trouble” (v. 17). Because of his enemies, he has suffered “reproach,” “shame,” and “dishonor” (v. 19). 

Therefore, the psalmist prays for the overthrow of his enemies. He begins by asking that “their table [with all its abundance and luxury] become a snare [to them]; and when they are in peace [secure at their sacrificial feasts], may it become a trap. . . . And make their loins shake continually [in terror and weakness]” (vv. 22-23 Amp.). 

The evil work of the enemy is spoken of in general terms. They “persecute” people who are suffering, and they add to the grief of those who are “wounded” (v. 26) by talking about it to others. The persecutors have an uncaring attitude and they abuse the weak; therefore, the psalmist assumes God is not pleased and that His “indignation” and His “wrathful anger” will be poured out upon these enemies (v. 24). The psalmist prays further that their “habitation be desolate” (v. 25), which means their dwelling place would be deserted. They will have no family, no one to “dwell in their tents.” 

• What is the ultimate judgment against those who reject God (vv. 27-28)? 

D. Prayers for Vengeance on Abusers (Psalm 109:6-20) 

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. 

Once again, the psalmist brings his burdens to the Lord in prayer. On this occasion, he feels betrayed and abused by people he thought were his friends. They turned against him and slandered him “without a cause” (v. 3). They rewarded him “evil for good” and “hatred for . . . love” (v. 5). This kind of disloyalty is painful; therefore, the psalmist prays that this enemy be condemned, that his prayers would not be heard, that his days would be few, that his children would be beggars, that his posterity would be cut off, and that no one would extend mercy to him (vv. 6-15). 

Ultimately, the sin of this enemy was that he abused people who were weak. To those who had needs, he showed no mercy (v. 16). He persecuted those who were poor, and he attacked those who were brokenhearted. He cursed others rather than blessing them; therefore, the psalmist prays that he also may receive no blessing (v. 17). Like Psalm 137, this passage operates from the law that the punishment should be equal to the crime. Therefore, the psalmist prays that his enemy might receive from God the same treatment he had given to others: “Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt” (v. 19 NLT). 

• Describe ways children often suffer for their parents’ sins (vv. 8-12).  

3. OLD TESTAMENT MORALITY 

A. Don’t Act Hatefully (Exodus 23:4-5; Leviticus 19:14-18) 

Exo. 23:4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. 

Lev. 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.  

The Old Testament includes many stories in which the participants engage in very bad behavior. Furthermore, Old Testament texts like those we have studied already in this lesson may lead us to believe the morality of the Old Testament is inferior to that of the New Testament. However, it is important to recognize the basic moral principles of the New Testament were already found in the Old Testament, and many of the New Testament teachings on morals are quotations from the Old Testament. 

Jesus declared, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 19:19 NKJV), a concept He borrowed from the Old Testament. In the laws of the old covenant, the Israelites were instructed to treat their enemies with kindness and should not act hatefully, even against those who had done them wrong. For example, they were commanded to return a stray donkey to its owner, even if that owner was an enemy. They were commanded to assist someone whose donkey had fallen under a heavy burden, even if that person hated them (Ex. 23:4-5). 

Loving one’s neighbor also meant they should not mistreat people who were physically impaired, such as those who were deaf or blind (Lev. 19:14). They must care equally for all members of the community, whether rich or poor; and they should never be a gossip, spreading rumors (vv. 15-16). 

We have also heard it said the New Testament offers a deeper kind of morality that comes from the heart. However, even the Old Testament says we should “not hate” anyone in our “heart” (v. 17). Furthermore, we must not carry grudges against anyone (v. 18), a command that implies a forgiving spirit. The Old Testament teaching regarding ethics is summarized in the statement, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (v. 18). Therefore, it is clear that the morality of the Old Testament requires an inner disposition of love for one’s neighbor as well as outward demonstration of that love by showing mercy, by helping when needed, by refusing to take advantage of those who are weak, and by forgiving offenses. 

Jackie Robinson’s Character 

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. When he joined the Dodgers in 1947, the United States was largely segregated; so the presence of a black man in the major leagues attracted much criticism. Robinson was insulted, cursed, and forbidden access to the hotels where the rest of the team stayed overnight. Opposing players intentionally gouged him with their metal cleats, once cutting a seven-inch gash in his leg. Abused and even threatened with violence, Robinson responded with kindness and forgiveness. As a result of his exemplary character, he finally won over his enemies, receiving the Rookie of the Year award. Later, he became the first African-American to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. 

B. Don’t Take Pleasure in the Sufferings of Others (Prov. 24:17-18; 25:21-22) 

24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. 

The ethics of love, which we discovered in Exodus and Leviticus, finds full support in the Book of Proverbs. The inner attitude of care and concern for one’s neighbor is clearly displayed in Proverbs 24:17-18. We should not rejoice when we see a person fall, even if that person is an enemy. Loving our neighbor means we will never take pleasure in their suffering, even if we think they deserve to suffer. 

Both Jesus and Paul alluded to Proverbs 25:21-22, which tells us to be kind to our enemy. We must not return evil for evil; instead, we must perform acts of kindness, generosity, and love to our enemies. In so doing, we will be victorious over evil and the Lord will “reward” us (v. 22). 

• According to Proverbs 24:17-18 and 25:21-22, how will God respond if we treat our enemy as we should? 

DO RIGHT 

This lesson challenges us to love our neighbor, even when our neighbor has harmed us. Even if our neighbor deserves to suffer, we should not rejoice in that neighbor’s misfortune. This kind of love comes only from God, who loves us and does not rejoice in our suffering, even when we have brought that suffering upon ourselves. We have never deserved God’s love, yet He loves us without reservation. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8 NKJV). Let us go forth and bless our neighbor, as we display God’s powerful love. 

Daily Devotions  

M.  Confidence in God’s Vengeance (Psalm 94:1-7) 

T.  Vengeance and Comfort (Isaiah 61:1-8) 

W.  God’s Vengeance on Babylon (Jeremiah 50:9-16) 

T.  Days of Vengeance Foretold (Luke 21:20-24) 

F.  Repent Before Christ Returns (Acts 3:19-26) 

S.  Christ’s Vengeance at His Coming (2 Thessalonians 1:3-10) 

 *Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2020-2021