The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
– Psalm 58:10
Imprecatory Psalms. You’ll never hear them preached on Sunday mornings. It’s dangerous. The sentiments sound selfish and vindictive to our Enlightened ears. Bring up this verse and this Psalm to any number of American Christians and most would begin their response with “Ok, but…” They would go on to talk about how this is taken out of context. They would thoughtfully explain how this was the Old Testament and how we’re under a completely new covenant now. They may even wring their hands. Most certainly aren’t prepared to talk about it.
In his short essay on the Imprecatory Psalms, Sam Storms gives the typical churchian explanation of these sentiments: It’s all about God’s glory. That’s true, but why are our theological betters always backpedaling on what is expressed in the Bible? It’s almost as if they’re embarrassed to be associated with such untoward thoughts. They’re not polite.
The modern church in the West has herded its parishioners into safety pens. I think this can be traced back to the strain of Pietism in certain branches of the Protestant church. Much has been written on that subject so I won’t belabor the points again here.
We’ve been taught to be nice. And this is the world’s view of that saccharine sentiment:
Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
– Psalm 144:1-2
Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
– Psalm 139:21-22
My God of mercy shall come to meet me;
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
– Psalm 59:10
Christians are tolerated, so long as we don’t upset the status quo. Christians are called to follow Jesus and be disciples. The disciples were revolutionary. To quote C.S. Lewis, “Of course He’s not safe! But, He is Good!” when describing his stand-in for Jesus, the lion Aslan.
The more conspiratorial minded will note that seminaries were long ago converged. Most products of the Ivy League Divinity schools are simply an SJW’s for the spiritually minded.
Why do we deny our own emotions? It’s similar to the Christian prudishness around sexual topics. There’s multiple weird incidents with prostitutes in the Bible. But don’t forget that one made it in to the ancestral line of our Messiah.
Another example is the book, Raising a Modern Day Knight. Here again, it’s a watered down Christianity. Fight, but only so far. The book talks about the stages of a knight. The first three you know: Page, Squire, Knight. Then the authors felt honor-bound from their time in Promise Keepers to add a fourth: Marriage — The Promise/Oath stage. “One of the primary responsibilities of real manhood revolves around a woman to love.” And then this gem: “Knights were the Promise Keepers of the Middle Ages.” For any of you that ever attended one of those events, you’ll be running to the bathroom to expel this drivel.
Blech. To make marriage and children the highest goal is to displace Jehovah from His rightful place. Now make no mistake, marriage and children are good things. God plainly tells us that children are a REWARD. A gift. Psalm 127.
But when you read the Bible for yourself you can see the lie in these assumptions of nice and safe. First, you know that David felt things intensely. I’m glad. I know most of us do and we shouldn’t shy away from that. Far be it from us to be automatons. The highest goal of our Controllers is for us to be machine-like. “He is so steady, like a machine!” As if that’s a good thing. “He’s never too high or too low. Just mellow.” Ugh. Who wants to follow that milquetoast? What woman wants a man like that?
God honors passion more than safety and security.
In Jesus’ Parable of the Talents, the fearful one who did nothing was the only one excoriated. John the apostle states cowardice as the very first thing that will not be allowed in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
– Revelation 21:8
Christians are to be Passionate! Powerful! Revolutionary! The early disciples absolutely turned the world upside down. They weren’t safe, but they were good. And it’s not just the disciples.
- Peleg running the offenders through with a spear.
- Samuel executing the king of the Amalekites in front of Saul who was trying to be “nice”.
- In Numbers 25, 24,000 were slain because of their spiritual whoredom. Phinehas was praised by God!
I’m certain that our modern, sensible theologians have explained this all away. How we shouldn’t be acting like that today. Be a good Promise Keeper. Go to work. Sit in your cubicle. Mow your postage stamp lawn. Send your children to public school. Etc., etc.
God has called all of us to more of a life than this.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
– John 10:10
