For Sermon Central researchers: I have posted a series of 15 sermons on the Psalms. In recent personal studies I have found the psalms to be richer and more thought-provoking than I had fully appreciated. I had too often swept swiftly through psalms without slowing down to inquire as thoroughly as I might have into the depths of meaning and feeling that are expressed by the psalmists. Upon deeper examination and reflection, I find the psalms to be highly relevant to Christians in every age. My most recent foray into the psalms led me to present a series of studies of selected psalms in a class environment.
In my classes I did not examine every psalm, or every verse of the ones I did. Rather, I presented selected psalms that I believe to be representative of the collection in the book of Psalms. The studies were held in a class environment suitable for pauses for questions and discussion, and to pose “thought questions” where the meanings are not readily apparent, as is often the case in poetry. My notes include suggested points for such pauses, and I have not removed them in Sermon Central posts.
I developed the material with the view in mind that the series may be well used as sermons. There is an introductory sermon that describes what psalms are (whether they are in the 150-chapter book or elsewhere) and explains my approach to the series. The psalms I selected were presented in no particular order in the classes; however, I suggest that anyone using this material as a series begin with the introductory sermon and follow it with Psalms 1 and 2 in that order, as the first two psalms function as a pair. Beyond that, the selected psalms may be presented in any order.
To get as much enjoyment as we could from our study, I did some of the reading from the KJV, which I believe is the most beautiful of the English bible translations. For clarity we also used other versions, mainly ESV, which I have used for several years and the one I have come to prefer.
Psalms 58 & 109
Start by reading Psalm 23 in KJV.
This is the most familiar and most would agree the most beautiful psalm.
Henry Ward Beecher (19th century preacher) said “Psalm 23 is the nightingale of the Psalms.”
As lovely as the psalm is, there is one sour note in it – a line that is at least unpretty if not ugly.
It is brief, and the psalm is so familiar it could easily escape our notice.
Psalm 23:5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies…”
David has enemies.
Among the pleasant visions he has been reciting is this one: a banquet for David.
David’s enemies are present to see him honored, the enemies are observers, but it seems that they are not participants in the celebration. But either way that goes, the point is that David’s enemies are jealous of the honor bestowed on him. That is the pleasant vision expressed in that single line.
I. Conflicts between people are common
Sometimes others make it unavoidable for us to have enemies. David found it so. He faced many enemies in his life, beginning with the big Philistine Goliath. The Philistines as a whole, other neighboring countries, even his own son.
Read Psalm 58 and Psalm 109:1-20
Did the Israelites really sing these psalms?
If the 23rd is the “nightingale” of the psalms, what is this? The buzzard?
David is actually calling for God to wreak vengeance on David’s own enemies, specifying in detail how God should bring it. And David expects to get satisfaction from it.
Jesus said, “…pray for them that despitefully use you.”
Is the man after God’s heart showing us in these psalms how to pray for our enemies?
When we read the bible, and especially when we read a difficult passage like these, the thought should be foremost in our minds: What are we intended to take away from this divinely inspired knowledge? Let’s delve into it.
Under the law there were special provisions for avenging wrongs suffered:
The details are spelled out in Numbers 35:9-29 and again in Deuteronomy 19:1-13. When a person caused the death of another, the law provided for an “avenger”, or “avenger of blood.” The word “avenger” in the original Hebrew literally means “near kinsman” or “to act as the near kinsman.”
Six cities of refuge were located among the tribal territories, as directed by instructions given to Moses long in advance of the entrance into Canaan, the specific cities named in Joshua 20.
The institution of cities of refuge was a very different thing from the heathen sanctuaries where the guilty were protected. These cities of refuge merely protected the refugee from the avenger until the case could be heard before the congregation. If they declared the killer to have committed unintentional manslaughter, he was confined to the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. If they declared him guilty of murder, he was given over to the vengeance of the avenger of blood.
Cities of refuge were never intended to save a criminal from any punishment that he deserved, but were simply established for the purpose of securing a just sentence, whereas, the pagan sanctuaries actually answered the purpose of rescuing the criminal from the punishment that he legally deserved. In no case was a person who committed intentional murder spared.
It was not merely the avenger’s right to kill the murderer – it was the avenger’s duty to carry out vengeance according to the Torah.
This is the arrangement God put in place.
However, these passages are also in the law:
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 32:35 - Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand,and their doom comes swiftly.
These commands have to do with all situations except those specifically defined to the contrary, where the taking of revenge would seem a reflexive response.
Consistent with context, tonight we are considering not national enemies which are a different subject and are not treated by these instructions – but personal enemies.
II. We’re not under those laws, but we may have enemies. What are we to do about it? What is the answer to the problem of enemies?
In Romans 12:19 the application is made to our own enemies – evil done to us personally.
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.”
Hebrews 10:28-30 - Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
All vengeance belongs to God. In no case is it our place to exercise vengeance on our enemies. God knows when and how to do it. Nor is it our place to wreak vengeance on God’s enemies.
Later, David’s son would write this proverb:
Proverbs 24:17 - Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles…
But these scriptures are in the negative. They tell us what we are not to do. Is that all there is to be said?
Matthew 5:43-44 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…
We all agree intellectually with Jesus because it comes under the heading of “what he commands we must obey,” otherwise we are not his friends. Whether we are to love our enemies or not is not an open question, but an answered question, which is no question at all. There’s nothing I can say to make that clearer than you already understand it to be.
No one present today needs persuading that what God commands, we must do.
But loving enemies is really really really hard.
You don’t love an enemy simply by applying brute force upon bitter and unwilling hearts and minds because we must love, must love, must love…because God demands it.
We can say, “Love them already and be done with it,” or “Jesus did it, so can we,” and convince ourselves that in some way we can claim to have complied with Jesus’ command.
But I suggest that “love your enemies,” while overtly commanded, is not MERELY a command to be obeyed – for we can never be successful that way – let’s not kid ourselves about that.
It is not possible to have identical fervent loving relationships with every person we know.
We can claim and pretend to love everyone with identical affection, and to pretend we do would be a lie. Feigned love will eventually disintegrate.
God does not require what we cannot do.
Jesus loved the scribes, Pharisees and chief priests enough to die for them. But the bible shows that he did not have the same convivial relationship with them that he had with his disciples, his mother, Mary Magdalene, and Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
So I do not believe that’s what loving your enemies is about. What Jesus teaches about loving our enemies is part of a larger set of principles. Those principles are at the heart of a rehabilitative and comprehensive alteration of our entire constitution - not to be thought of as an enforceable edict, but an all-encompassing change made UPON us that we consciously submit to. It is so complete a change that it is called regeneration or being born again.
Becoming a new creation coincides with becoming “in Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
“In Christ” - everything about it falls under two headings:
• Salvation of the soul
• Rehabilitation / transformation / change of the soul
“In Christ” implies becoming Christlike.
Loving enemies isn’t just something we must do, but the outworking of something we must be. This implies a comprehensive top-to-bottom re-creation of the entire person. The transformation requires the renewing of the mind.
Romans 12:2 Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
To word renew means to make new again. “Transformed” is from the Greek metamorphoo.
The same word described what happened to Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “…we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
This answers where the transformation of Christians comes from – “the Lord who is the Spirit.”
I have never been able to give an analytical account for how the Spirit works within a person, but the metamorphosis produces an entirely different way of thinking and living.
In Romans 6:4 Paul connects the new life in Jesus, with baptism into the death of Christ and resurrection to “newness of life.”
Baptism is not just a ticket to heaven. It’s absolute surrender - not to an enemy - but surrender to a metamorphosis, and the best friend you’ll ever have. It is not a change we must make, but a change Christ makes within us.
Nowhere in scripture is the Christian expected to submit to a change as revolutionary as with regard to our enemies.
Transformation means there’s something to give up.
To be justified, Abraham had to give up Isaac, but in the end, Isaac went home with him.
What do you have to give up to love your enemy?
• Pride?
• The desire to even things up?
• The notion that the enemy has to be made to understand the severity of the wrong done?
• The belief that offenders must pay for their offenses, and the desire to see it done?
These are all rationalizations for hanging on to rancor – as if it is something precious.
Still, “loving your enemies” doesn’t amount to anything until the words on paper become flesh, blood, heart, mind, and soul. The words have to be enacted to become real.
And actions of love don’t mean we love our enemies until love is the force behind the actions. That change will make us like Christ, and it will make us like David.
Let’s look at another psalm of David, this one not in Psalms.
Read 2 Samuel 1:17-27 - (A psalm) David’s lamentation for Saul and Jonathan
What happened between Psalm 58 and 109 and 2 Samuel 1?
David poured out his anger to God. David was venting, and God was listening.
Is venting to God then a proper kind of prayer - dealing with angry feelings by calling on God to punish others?
Discuss
It doesn’t seem that David unloaded this on his enemies, but to God.
Maybe that’s something we need to do sometimes.
III. What God will do
Is the take-away that we must put ourselves at the mercy of bullies and others who intend us harm?
“Here I am, eat me alive.”
No. But it might seem that way to our enemies.
We place ourselves under God’s protection. David is again a model. He did not retaliate against Saul.
Is there some help for us?
Read Psalm 37:32-33 -
The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
God is not putting us at the mercy of our enemies.
God watches over us and protects us even when it feels like he does not.
