The Imprecatory Psalms are among the most difficult psalms to read for Christians. They seem to be in direct contradiction to Jesus’ command to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). The Imprecatory Psalms are: 35, 55, 59, 69, 79, 109 and 137. The word “imprecation” simply means “curse.” Thus, the Imprecatory Psalms call down curses from heaven onto the wicked enemies of the faithful. Perhaps you have never been as angry at the wicked as these psalms reflect. But let us be honest. What is your first response to men like Adolf Hitler, Osama bin Ladin, and Sadam Hussein? I would be willing to bet that these names don’t fill your heart with warm, fuzzy thoughts of love and forgiveness. Honestly, they make us quite angry. This is the kind of anger reflected in the Imprecatory Psalms.
For the sake of space, I will not comment in as much detail on a specific psalm at this time. I will instead discuss the emotions and theology behind Imprecatory Psalms. Nonetheless, Ps 109 is one of the severest of these psalms. In short, the wicked man is cursed because of his failure to reflect the love of God. He is cursed because of his hard heart and lack of love. The wicked man is not so much cursed for his personal attack of the righteous (though that comes into play in vv. 2-5) but more for his outright rejection of God. The psalmist is angry because the wicked fail to reflect the loving-kindness of God.
The most important aspect to gain from the Imprecatory Psalms is that vengeance is completely given to God. The psalmists do not act on their own initiative. They have no malicious intent but rather commit the matter to God. They give to God not only their lament about their own desperate situation, but also the right to judge the wicked who cause that desperate situation. They leave everything in God’s hands, even feelings of hatred and aggression. They express those feelings and then give the matter wholly to God.
The Imprecatory Psalms are not designed to be the conclusion of our anger toward the wicked. I think these psalms reflect the first step in the forgiving process. You see, if we are honest, forgiveness is not usually our first response to evil; it is anger. These psalms allow us to vent our anger, direct it toward God, and wait for his judgment. Then, and only then, after giving the matter to God, can we forgive. In short, when confronted by evil in our world, step one is to express our anger, giving the matter to God, and step two is forgiveness. I think the Imprecatory Psalms reflect step one in the forgiving process while Jesus’ words in Matt 5:44 reflect step two. You cannot learn to love and forgive your enemies until you first learn to give the matter to God.
