The Madness of Unforgiveness:Imprecatory Psalms

by David Chadwick

As we continue to explore the madness of unforgiveness, there are many questions that pop up. Here is a really important one. What about the imprecatory prayers in the Psalms?

For those who may not know, many of the Psalms have what are called “imprecatory Psalms”, ones where David cried out to God because he didn’t understand why his enemy had been able to wreak so much havoc on him.

One example is Psalm 69:24. David cried out to God, “Pour out your indignation on them, and let your burning anger overtake them.” If you want to explore more of the Psalms that fall in this category, go read any of the following chapters in the book of Psalms – 7, 35, 55, 58, 59,  69, 79, 83, 109, or 137.  As you can see, there are quite a few!

These imprecatory Psalms leave a lot of questions with regard to forgiveness! The seemingly violent pleas of David’s heart are shocking. He leaves no stone unturned with regard to his true feelings toward those who had hurt him.

So, as followers of Jesus, who are seeking to live as he called us to live, what do we do with this? Does this suggest that we should be angry with our enemies and seek God for revenge? Not at all.

The imprecatory Psalms do two things. First, they show the honest pain of the person who has been hurt. And secondly, they show us how the offended person gives the situation to God and lets him resolve the situation. God does promise to do vengeance, both in the Old and New Testaments. But once again, what’s the key here? It’s HIS job to do it. Not ours. He alone knows all the facts. He alone knows the best remedy. Our job is to submit to his wisdom, knowledge, and plan for our lives.

There is repayment to the wicked at the judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Everyone will eventually get what he or she deserves unless he or she receives Jesus’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

Because of Jesus, we receive what we don’t deserve – all the eternal blessings and benefits of believing in Jesus!