Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: The Hallelujah of Confession

The Imprecatory Prayer-2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2010-03-30

Synopsis: In this second lecture on imprecatory praying, John Weaver establishes broad principles for understanding imprecatory prayers, emphasizing their consistency across both Testaments and the necessity of leaving vengeance to God. He then examines specific biblical imprecatory prayers to outline seven purposes for praying them, including the establishment of righteousness, the glorification of God, and the cultivation of personal holiness.

[John Weaver] Well, good evening again, we at Reedy River Presbyterian Church want to welcome all of you that are here tonight. Glad some of you are able to come back out and it's good to see some new faces. You're in for a treat if you haven't heard Reverend Weaver before. And those of you that were here last night and know him know to have your seat belts buckled. He will take us through a rapid and thorough and lightning exposition as he talks about imprecatory prayers. For those that were not here last night, bathrooms are down in the fellowship, well, through the fellowship hall in the Sunday school wing near the kitchen.

[John Weaver] And during the program, it would be best probably to go out and around, although we are not videoing. And also make sure your cell phones are off. I don't think we had any go off last night that was disruptive, so that was good. We do have a free will offering basket in the back of the sanctuary for those that would like to make a gift To the expenses and his ministry, it's much appreciated and is put to good use. Pastor Weaver is a native of Georgia, graduate of Bob Jones University, both in with a degree in arts and theology and also at the graduate school, been in Christian ministry for 40 years. He has preached in many places and his tapes have gone even further around the world. He was telling us last night of being asked about a church in Western Australia, right?

[John Weaver] But we're glad to have him here this evening and look forward to what else you might teach us on in Precatory Prayers. And let me open us with prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we do thank you for this opportunity. We pray that you have already prepared Pastor Weaver the words that you want us to hear. We are all individuals. We hear things differently. We are in different places in our walk. And you can talk to each of us, and we pray that you will. We thank you for your word for it reveals yourself to us. We pray that we will take it and apply it to our lives, not just on the first day of the week, but in all of our walk, wherever you may have us go in our work, in our recreation, our neighborhoods and in our family. And, O Lord, as we are taught specifically on this, topic of imprecatory prayers.

[John Weaver] We pray that you would instruct us so that we can do this more properly, with good understanding, thoroughly, and for the sake of your kingdom here on earth. And it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Well, it's a joy to be back tonight. I'm thankful that you're here. And we're going to continue where we left off last night. I'm going to take just a few moments to review.

[John Weaver] I do want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 104 and verse 35. That is our text tonight. Psalm 104, verse 35. Psalm 104, verse 35. And let's look, if you would please, at that text. Psalm 104, verse 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

[John Weaver] So last night, then we began this study on imprecatory praying. And I tried to give you an explanation of what imprecatory praying really was, because an imprecation is a invocation of judgment. It is asking for calamity or curse upon one's enemy or upon God's enemies. And we saw last night how that imprecatory praying certainly is not contrary to the gospel. I gave you a quote from David Dixon, the Puritan pastor, who said this, if any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them give it the weight of their conversion and seek it no more than the judgment should follow them only until they acknowledge their sin and turn and seek God. We also last night So how did imprecatory prayers were actually an appeal for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ?

[John Weaver] In fact, I shared with you that verse of Matthew 13, and I asked the question, when will the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of the father as bright as the sun? And the answer is when the son of man shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that have been which do iniquity. And the Bible says, and then shall the righteous shine forth As the sun, so very obviously, when David prayed in Psalm 104 and verse 35, let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. That is essentially the same as praying thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So to pray, then let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more is no different from David's prayer request. that he made in Psalm 7 and verse 9 when he said, Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just.

[John Weaver] So each one of these requests then is a prayer for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. And then last night we observed that there is certainly no contradiction between imprecatory praying and the command of Christ to love our enemies and to do good to those that hate us. I took you through the Bible and showed you how love, according to the Bible, is obedience. It's not feeling, it's not sentimentality, it is obedience. And our Lord said, if you love me, keep my commandments. And the Bible tells us that love indeed is the fulfilling of the law. So we love our enemies by acting biblically and scripturally toward them. We do good toward them by acting biblically and scripturally toward them.

[John Weaver] Now tonight, what I want to do is this. I want us to lay down certain broad and general principles dealing with imprecatory praying, and then I want to look primarily at some of the imprecatory prayers in the Bible and give you some specific purposes. That is why we're to use them, why we're to pray them, and what we should expect from them. And then, Lord willing, on Wednesday and Thursday night, I want to go to what I'm going to call the most difficult imprecatory prayer in the Bible that Psalm 109 and try to expound that psalm for you so that you can see the application of imprecatory praying. So let me begin tonight by telling you this.

[John Weaver] First of all, whatever problems that one may have with the imprecations of the Old Testament, the tension between justice and mercy, love and hate, it is not a matter of law versus grace. or the Old Testament versus the New Testament. The truth of the matter is this. We have one Bible and not two Bibles. The Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament. And the Old Testament and the New Testament teach exactly the same truth. For instance, if you look in the New Testament and read through the New Testament, you will find the New Testament has a great deal to say about judgment, justice and condemnation. And likewise, the Old Testament has a great deal to say about brotherly love, loving your neighbor, helping your neighbor, not seeking vengeance. So very clearly, then, there's no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and there is no contradiction between law and grace. Now, I want you to hold Psalm 104, but turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Romans chapter 12.

[John Weaver] We read this passage last night, but I did not show you where Paul got this truth. And I want to do that tonight. So if you look in Romans chapter 12 very quickly, And let's begin reading there with verse 17. Look what the Apostle Paul writes. Recompense to no man evil for evil, provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as life in you live peaceably with all men.

[John Weaver] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourself, but rather give place to the wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will replace it with the Lord. Therefore find enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heat coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to examine this passage with me just momentarily. And I want you to turn, first of all, Romans 12, but turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 32 and look at verse 35. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. You're going to find an amazing truth here. And this is the exact same truth that the Apostle Paul quotes in Romans chapter 12. So, in Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, we read this, God speaks and He says, To me belongeth vengeance and recompense.

[John Weaver] Their foot shall slide in due time. For the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them may taste.

[John Weaver] Now, look what He said, To me belongeth vengeance and recompense. Now, I want you to go back to Romans chapter 12 and look, if you would please, in verse 19. Paul writes, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to the wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repace it the Lord. So the Apostle Paul takes the truth from Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, and he applies it here in the New Testament. You say, oh, but look down, if you would please, in verse 20. Therefore, if I am in any hunger, feed him, if you thirst, give him drink. Why? You don't find truth like that in the Old Testament, do you? Sure you do. Look back in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, Chapter 25, Proverbs, Chapter 25. And notice if you would be getting there with verse 21, Proverbs 25. And look, if you would please, at verse 21, a very interesting passage. Notice what the Bible says. Proverbs 25, verse 21. If by an enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat.

[John Weaver] And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. For thou shalt heat coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee." Isn't that interesting? The Apostle Paul took that verse right out of the Old Testament. So Romans chapter 12 and verse 20, which we would call New Testament doctrine and New Testament teaching, is nothing more than a reiteration of the truth of God that is given in the Old Testament. Law and grace teach the same truth. You'll remember last night I pointed out from Matthew chapter five, where our Lord said in verses 17 through 18. Think not that I'm come to destroy the law of the prophets. I'm not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

[John Weaver] For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no ways pass from the law till all be fulfilled. So our Lord is saying, I did not come to abrogate, nullify, do away with the law. I came to fulfill it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed, as you read through the New Testament, that the Jews were always after our Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why? Well, look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 15, and I will show you very clearly why they were always after him. In Matthew 15, our Lord clearly sets the record straight. And he accuses them not only of violating God's law, but very clearly of following their own traditions rather than the law of God. So in Matthew chapter 15, let's begin reading there with verse one. Look what the Bible says. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem saying, Why did my disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? Well, they washed not their hands when they read.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop there. This was not some sanitary exercise that they wanted the disciples to go through. No, no, this was a religious ritual. They had come from a marketplace unless some germ of some Gentile dog, so to speak, had gotten upon their hands. They had to go through this ritualistic ceremonial cleansing. So they're asking our Lord, why is it that your disciples now look closely at verse two?

[John Weaver] Why do they transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother, and he that curseth father and mother, let him die the death. But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father and mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Look what he says. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Now watch. You hypocrites! Well, did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

[John Weaver] But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. No wonder they were upset with our Lord Jesus Christ. because he was constantly and consistently validating and establishing the law of God and exposing all of their traditions and all of their ceremonies and all of their rituals that violated the law of God. So very clearly in light of the imprecatory prayers, there can be no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. And certainly there is no contradiction between law and grace.

[John Weaver] They are not enemies, they are friends. Secondly, I want you to note this. When David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, that is when he asks God to curse his enemies or to smite the enemies or do anything like that, when David or any other biblical character Praise and imprecation, it should be pointed out that always the matter is left entirely with God. Let me explain what I mean by that. We may pray against the enemies of Christ, but the result is left completely in the hands of the sovereign God who is the judge of all the earth. In other words, God may judge. Or God may act as He pleases.

[John Weaver] You remember that passage in Romans 12. It's also in Hebrews chapter 10, other passages as well, where God says, Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I will repay. So since vengeance belongs to God, it also belongs to God's prerogative to determine how He's going to act out or carry out His vengeance. You might remember this little idiom, this maxim, that was given to us by Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Duty is ours. The consequences belong to God. And so whenever any biblical character prayed an imprecatory prayer, it was understood that the answer and the result was left entirely to God.

[John Weaver] Now, look through your Bibles and you will find that David prayed against Saul, Doeg, Ahithophel, and yet many others. But David never personally did them any harm, nor did he send a hit squad out after them. Now, Doeg was an exceedingly wicked man. Let me put it like this. Doeg deserved to die. Doeg was a murderer. The Bible tells us that Doeg, in 1 Samuel chapters 21 and 22, don't turn there, but Doeg murdered 85 of the Lord's priests. Eighty five. Now, David was not king at that time, Saul was king, and so since David was not king, very obviously, David did not have any authority to do anything about it. In fact, David was not even there, so David could not have defended them. This happened after David was gone. And so what David does do is this. He prays an imprecatory prayer against Doeg. He could not stop Doeg. He could not defend the priest since he was not there. He had no ability to correct the situation except through prayer. And I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 52 at the prayer that David prays against Doeg.

[John Weaver] Psalm 52, it is an imprecatory prayer. Watch it very carefully. Psalm 52, and let's read it. It's a very short psalm. And if you look at your head notes, it says to the chief musician Mashiel, a psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said of him that David has come to the house of Amalek. Now watch this. Psalm 52, verse one, David's praying against Doeg.

[John Weaver] Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually. Now look at Doeg. Thy tongue diviseth mischief like a sharp razor working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee forever. He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living.

[John Weaver] The righteous also shall see in fear and shall laugh at him. Though this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise thee forever because thou hast done it.

[John Weaver] I will wait on thy name, for it is good before thy saints. Now, let me ask you a question. Does anybody know what happened to Doeg? Now, remember, Doeg was the chief herdsman of King Saul. He was the chief. And when King Saul looked at his army and commanded them to fall upon the priest of the Lord, all of the army said, we're not going to do that. We're not going to kill the Lord's priests. Doeg, who was an Edomite, said, I'll do it. And he murdered 85.

[John Weaver] Like I said earlier, David was not there. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't defend. He was not king. He had no authority at that particular time. So he prayed this prayer. What happened to Doeg? I don't really know. The Bible doesn't say. But if you will look at verse 5, I can assure you I would not want to be in Doeg's place. He says, God shall likewise destroy thee forever. He shall take thee away, and part thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living." Very obviously, God did indeed destroy Doeg in some particular way. Now, I want you to understand there is a principle that you and I can apply here, and that is this.

[John Weaver] that we may lawfully pray against those who are violating the law of God, abusing His people, trampling our Lord and His Word under their feet, and persecuting and prosecuting the righteous. We may lawfully pray against them and ask God to stop them, ask God to destroy them, but at the same time, we have to leave it totally in the hands of God. Why? Well, let me tell you why. God may be pleased to take that vile, blasphemous persecutor and convert him and make him our friend. You say, God would never do something like that.

[John Weaver] He did to Saul of Tarsus. You remember how Saul was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Lord and against the Lord's people? And he went to Damascus? That if he found any of this way that as Christians, he might bring them back, men and women, and cast them into dungeons? Well, of course. If you were to take a vote in the first century of the man most likely to bust hell wide open, Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down.

[John Weaver] But what did God do? God saved him. God made him the friend of Christians and used him mightily to write a great portion of the New Testament. You see, When you leave things in God's hands, God may, in his own prerogative, restrain them, convert them, or remove them either temporarily or permanently. It is up to him. Vengeance belongs to him. He will repay. That's why we need to learn what Hebrews 10 in verse 31 teaches us. It's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God. Wow! It's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God. You and I better understand, once we ask God to plead our cause and to undertake for us, when the wicked fall into His hands, it is indeed a fearful thing.

[John Weaver] So in the Bible, when you find that men like David prayed these imprecatory prayers, They always left the result in God's hands. Thirdly, here's another very broad principle. As a whole, however severe David's imprecatory prayers were, and by the way, I'll show you a couple of them tonight and show you one particularly in the next two nights. And they were very severe. But listen carefully, however, How severe David's prayers were against his enemies, his personal actions toward his enemies were always gracious and kind. David prayed against Saul. Saul was seeking to kill David. He tried on numerous occasions and twice God delivered Saul into David's hands. And David refused to kill him. The last time, Abishai looked at David and said, let me smite him to the earth this once. I promise you, David, I won't have to smite him a second time. Here's what he said literally. David, I'll kill him so quickly he'll never know what hit him. Let me just smite him this one time. David said, no. Don't smite him. Let him live.

[John Weaver] And Saul was out seeking David. David prayed against Saul, but he was kind and gracious to Saul. You remember in 2 Samuel, chapter 16, a Benjamite by the name of Shammai cursed David violently. And Abishag again, Said to David, why should this dead dog curse my king? Now, David was king at that time. And he said, let me go over and take his head off. I'll teach him a lesson. He'll never curse you again. David said, Abishai, Abishai, you sons of Zeruiah, you're too hard for me. No, he said in 2 Samuel 16 and verse 12, it may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction and the Lord will requite me good for the cursing this day.

[John Weaver] So he said, let him live. Now Shammai was an enemy of David. But David was still gracious and kind to him. David, in appealing to the Lord for help against his enemies, always proclaimed his clean hands. You remember, I covered that last night, the clean hands doctrine. That means if you're going to ask God to do something to your enemies or to God's enemies, your hands must be clean of the very charges that you're leveling against them.

[John Weaver] You cannot be guilty of it, or else you literally indict yourself. So look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 35. This is another imprecatory prayer. I gave you a list of them last night. Not all of them, but just a simple list. Notice in Psalm 35, if you would please, how David again appeals to this clean hands doctrine, so to speak. And let's begin reading there with verse 11. Psalm 35, verse 11. David said, false witnesses did rise up.

[John Weaver] They laid to my charge things I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. Now, notice they're doing evil. They're doing wickedness. They're doing wrong. But David is still doing good toward them. Now watch verse 13. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into my own bosom.

[John Weaver] I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down heavily as one that mourned for his mother. David said, I prayed for them. I really did. I tried to do right by them. Watch verse 15. But in my adversity, they rejoiced and gathered themselves together. Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not. They did tear me and cease not.

[John Weaver] That is, they lied, they slandered, they mocked with hypocritical mockers and feasts. They gnashed upon me with their teeth. Lord, how long will thou look on?" Look what he prays. "...rescue my soul from their destruction, my darling from the lions. I will give thee thanks of the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them wink with the eye that hateth me without a cause.

[John Weaver] For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land." Now notice what David is saying. Lord, I've tried to do what's right toward them. And yet, Lord, look how they're treating me. David is not fabricating his attitude. David is not lying concerning his actions. He is saying, I was genuinely concerned about them. I really wanted to help them. I really prayed for them. I tried to treat them as a brother. I tried to treat them kindly. And look what they have done to me. And David is appealing in verse 22. Skip down. Look what he says. This thou hast seen, O Lord, keep not silence. O Lord, be not far from me. In other words, Lord, you're omniscient. You know everything. You've seen this. You know this is the truth. And David is saying, Lord, my hands are clean in this. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Another imprecatory prayer. And again, I want you to see how David is appealing to the clean hands doctrine.

[John Weaver] Notice Psalm 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. Psalm 7 and verse 3, David says this, Oh, Lord, my God, if I have done this now, watch carefully. If I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, Yea, I have delivered him that was without cause is mine enemy. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust.

[John Weaver] Now, folks, let me ask you a question. Would you be willing to go to God in prayer and say, now, Lord, if I have acted wrongly, If I have acted evilly and sinfully, then Lord, let my enemy persecute me. Let him take my life. Let him tread me down in the dust. I've got news for you folks. If my hands were not clean, if David's hands were not clean, I don't think I would be praying that prayer. And I don't think David would be praying that prayer. David was saying, look, I may pray viciously against my enemies.

[John Weaver] But I'm still going to be kind to them. I'm still going to act graciously toward them. Let me put it like this. He's going to act biblically toward them. One of the most difficult exercises for the child of God is that of keeping the heart. I have a message on that passage in Proverbs 4, verse 23. where God says, keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are issues of life. And I preach that message every day to myself. One of the most difficult things for the child of God to do is to keep his heart and to keep his heart right when God does indeed vindicate us. And when God does indeed judge us.

[John Weaver] I remember years ago, I preached in a church in a far off state a number of times. And I was friends with the pastor. I honestly tried to help him in any and every way that I could. And then one day I found out that the man was spreading some very vicious rumors about me and lying concerning me. And I immediately thought, what in the world is going on? And he not only attacked me, he did so publicly in front of a number of my pastor friends. And so I went to one of my dearest friends, who's, I think, one of the greatest counselors in America. I said, what in the world is going on? I said, I've never done one thing to this brother except to try to help him and bless him.

[John Weaver] And he just simply looked at me and said this, John. Sit still. Be quiet. When the smoke clears. There's going to be a morality problem. And within a month. The smoke cleared. And he'd been having an affair with two or three women in the church. And he was attacking me. to throw the onus off of himself. In other words, look over here, don't look at me, look over there.

[John Weaver] Modern day politicians do the same thing. And when all the smoke cleared. I knelt down and I prayed for him and I asked God to deal in his heart and to convict him and to grant him repentance. You know, although I was vindicated, I was not exalting in the vindication. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 24. Proverbs 24, and I want you to note verse 17. And I'm talking about keeping your heart. I'm talking about keeping your heart even when God does indeed vindicate you. Look in Proverbs 24 and verse 17. God says, Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. Now, wait a minute. When God says, Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. He is not saying don't be thankful that you're vindicated. He's not saying don't be thankful that wickedness is brought down. That's not what he's saying at all. Because don't you remember in Revelation 19, when the judgment of God fell, what did the people of God do?

[John Weaver] They said, Hallelujah! As the smoke of their torment arose forever and ever. They were praising God. They were thankful that they were vindicated. No, no. This is not talking about not being thankful. It's not talking about not being rejoicing in the fact that God's Word has been vindicated and God has been honored. Let me show you what it means. Watch it. Proverbs 24, verse 17, Rejoice not that thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from his enemy. Here's what he's saying.

[John Weaver] Don't get bent out of shape with pride and arrogance and think, aha, I've got a special connection with God. He's my guard dog. No, God said you better not do that. A principle that is enunciated over and over in Scripture is this, that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. David may have prayed fiercely, but his attitude and his actions were always gracious and kind. Here's what God is saying.

[John Weaver] You and I cannot be overcome with bitterness, resentful, ill will, hatred, and unkindness. We cannot be filled with that. You know what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, let me quote it. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and of the spirit. perfecting holiness in the fear of God. It's not enough that we're not murderers. It's not enough that we're not whoremongers. It's not enough that we're not liars and drunkards. No, no, no. God said we need to cleanse ourselves not only from all filthiness of the flesh, but of the spirit. Pride, arrogance, ill will, bitterness, resentfulness, hatred, hot school with animosity.

[John Weaver] That's what he's talking about. And the only way. That you can keep from pride and arrogance coming up in your life. Is to learn to be truly gracious and truly kind the way David and all of these other men, they may have prayed fiercely. But their actions and their attitudes were usually gracious and kind, even toward their enemies. Here's the fourth general principle. Church discipline and church denunciations in the New Testament are really not that much different from the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament. The New Testament contains many curses and enunciations.

[John Weaver] Do you remember it was the Apostle Paul who cursed Elymas and smote him with blindness for resisting the gospel in Acts chapter 13 verses 6 through 11. It was the Apostle Paul who pronounced an anathema, a curse, an imprecation upon anyone who would pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ in Galatians 1, 8 and 9. It was the Apostle Peter who in Acts 5, verses 1-11 pronounced the death sentence upon Ananias and Sapphira because they had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. It was the Apostle Paul who turned Alexander and Hymenaeus over to Satan in 1 Timothy 1, 20, that they may learn not to blaspheme. And it was the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 who told concerning a man who was living with his stepmother that he was to be delivered over to Satan to be put to death. In fact, according to the Bible, the final step in church discipline involves turning the sinner over to Satan.

[John Weaver] under God's sovereign control that he may be severely chastised even to the destruction of the flesh. When you talk about church discipline, you've got to remember first and foremost, the first goal is for God's honor and God's glory. The second goal is for the warning of others, and the third goal is hopefully for the repentance and restoration of the one that is disciplined. But let me read to you what the Apostle Paul said. Look, if you would, in First Corinthians, Chapter five, you'll see it in verses four and five. First Corinthians, Chapter five, verses four and five. He said this. First Corinthians five, verse four, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together in my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such in one of the Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to stop and think about this. As you read through the Bible, you will find all of these implications over and over. And we're going to look at one of the most difficult ones in the next two nights. You will find that David prayed fiercely. And he prayed against his enemies. You'll find that the Apostle Paul acted upon these principles as well. May I point out that if you and I really understood in preparatory praying and if we really understood what it was to be against God and against his word, if we really understood the awfulness and the depravity and the wickedness of our sins, We would not be nearly as comfortable with our lives

[John Weaver] as we are, I can assure you. Because we would understand. What sin is all about.

[John Weaver] Now, I've given you four general principles. What I want to do now is this. I want to take you through some of these imprecatory prayers, and I want to show you the purpose of these prayers. Why should you pray these imprecatory prayers? Well, I will show you from the Bible why you should pray them. First, in the imprecatory prayers, there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. And by the way, I believe God knows we need all the righteousness we can get in this country today. And we need all the righteousness we can get in our churches, and in our families, and in our personal lives.

[John Weaver] But look in Psalm 7, if you would please. That's another imprecatory Psalm. Psalm 7. Look, if you would please, at verses 8 and 9. Psalm 7, verses 8 and 9. Psalm 7, verse 8. The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness. And according to mine integrity that is in me, O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, for the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." Now, I want you to note, I just read those two verses, but let's go back to verse six and let's begin reading. Look at this prayer. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies, and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about.

[John Weaver] For their sakes, therefore, return their own high. The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me. O, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the brains. My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." In this prayer, David is seeking for righteousness to be established. He wants the wickedness of the wicked to come to an end. He said, but establish thou the just. Do you understand that righteousness is foundational to this prayer in Psalm 7? Righteousness is foundational in imprecatory prayers. Are we concerned with righteousness? Do we want to see God's righteousness established in the earth? David prayed in Psalm 100 18 and verse 19, open to me the gates of righteousness, and I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord. Open to me the gates of righteousness, and I will go into them.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that our Lord, according to Jeremiah 33 and verse 15, came to establish righteousness? The Bible says in those days, and at that time, I will cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. You know, all through the Old Testament, you read about righteousness. It's mentioned in the New Testament as well. But let me tell you something that I think is extremely painful. When you look at the prayers of David and the prayers of Daniel and the prayers of Ezra and Nehemiah.

[John Weaver] But the only conclusion that you can come to is this. Many of these Old Testament saints were more concerned about righteousness than are the New Testament saints. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 18. Luke 18, notice if you would, verse one. Luke 18, verse one, he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Notice what our Lord says, saying there was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man. By the way, if there is no fear of God, there will never be any regard for man. He says there was a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man, watch verse three, and there was a widow in that city and she came into me saying, avenge me, my adversary, and he would not for a while. But afterwards, he said within himself, though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this would have troubled me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

[John Weaver] Now, stop there just for a moment. Here was this unjust judge. He had no concern for justice. He had no concern for righteousness. He had no concern for principle and truth or liberty and freedom. And this little widow woman just kept coming, saying, avenge me, my adversary, avenge me, my adversary.

[John Weaver] Finally, here's what he said. I don't care for God. I have no fear of God. I have no regard for man. Yet here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give this little widow woman what she wants just to get her off my back. She's in my hair. She's bothering me. She's upsetting me. I've got other things I'd rather do than to listen to this little widow. I'll give her what she wants just to get rid of her.

[John Weaver] I want you to see the application that our Lord himself makes. Look, if you would, please, in verse six. And the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge said. Are you listening? Hear what the unjust judge said. Do you think God is like this unjust judge? No. He said, And shall not God avenge his own elect who cried day and night unto him? For if they are wrong with him, I tell you, he will avenge them speedily. Why is God not doing something? I'll tell you why. Because we're not crying. We're not praying. We're not asking God for justice. We're not asking God for righteousness. The Bible says that God is not like that unjust judge. God is concerned about righteousness. God is concerned about justice.

[John Weaver] But evidently, His people aren't. They're not crying. They're not praying these imprecatory prayers. One of the purposes of imprecatory praying is to see that righteousness and justice are established. And by the way. I hope you know this. But in the Hebrew. The word for righteousness and the word for justice are one in the same. If something is right, it is just if something is just, it is right. You cannot have righteousness without justice and you cannot have justice without righteousness. And God says we should learn to pray these prayers that righteousness may be established. Secondly, in imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God praised and honored when the prayers are answered and the righteous delivered.

[John Weaver] Let's go back to Psalm 7 and Psalm 35, because these are two prayers that we looked at earlier. And I want you to note in Psalm 7 first and verse 17, what David says after he prays this imprecatory prayer. Psalm 7 verse 17, he says, I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. In other words, when God hears my prayer, when God answers me, I'm going to praise him. I'm going to give him the honor and the glory. Look in Psalm 35, another imprecatory prayer. Notice what David says in verse 18. Psalm 35, verse 18. He says, I will give thee thanks to the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people. Now, if you'll skip down to verse 28, he says this, And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. One of the purposes of these imprecatory prayers is there is a desire to see God honored and glorified and to receive the praise and worship that is due his name when these prayers are answered.

[John Weaver] Do you realize? If I had the time tonight and you had the time tonight. And we took testimonies. I can assure you There are a multitude of times in your life that God has delivered you, preserved you, protected you, answered your prayers, and you've still not given Him the praise and the honor and the glory that's due in His name. I'll tell you this, folks. The truth of the matter is this, God does this for us so often and so much. Most of the time, we're not even aware what God is doing for us. I hate trains. I really do, I hate trains. I tell people laughingly, jokingly.

[John Weaver] If there's ever another revolution, I want to be the one who blows up train tracks. Now, the reason I hate trains is I hate to come to a long train and just sit there and wait.

[John Weaver] Now, if I had my Bible or a book, I don't mind. I can sit there all day long. I can wait all day. But but if I don't have something to read, you know, I just I just don't like sitting there at the train waiting. But there have been times probably without my knowledge. I had to wait on a train. And God's sovereign providence detained me. To keep me out of a wreck somewhere down the road, I'm just saying we don't even know how many times God has protected us, but there is a purpose in these prayers that when it is known we're to give him the honor and the glory. Thirdly, in imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose and design so that men may know indeed That there is a God in the earth. And that he is just and that he rewards the righteous and punishes the evildoers.

[John Weaver] I want you to look at Psalm 58. Oh, you talk about a psalm, my soul. I want you to look at Psalm 58. I've got a message on this psalm. And you say. That's not a pleasant message, I bet. No, it's not a pleasant message, but it's still the truth. But I want you to look at it, look at Psalm 58, and I want you to notice how David prays these imprecatory prayers. He says in verse six of Psalm 58, break their teeth, O God, in their mouth. That's painful, folks. Break their teeth in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord, that is those princes, those in authority.

[John Weaver] Let them melt away his waters which run continually, when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrow. Let them be as cut in pieces. Let them be as a snail which melteth. Let every one of them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living and in his wrath.

[John Weaver] The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth a vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

[John Weaver] Now watch this, so that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, he is a God that judges in the earth. Why did David pray all of those imprecations? Break their teeth, O God. Break out their teeth in their mouth. Let them melt away. Let them be cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail that melts before the sun. Let them be like a woman in an untimely birth. Let them be burned. Let them be taken away and living in a world within your... Why did he pray all that? So that a man may say, verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, He is a God that judgeth in the earth.

[John Weaver] You see, that purpose is indeed confirmed by general truths in the Bible. For instance, Psalm 9 in verse 16 says, The Lord is known by the judgment which he executed. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hand. The truth is this, folks, God will either be known in salvation or condemnation, but he will be made known to the world in one of those two ways. Therefore, both the righteous and the wicked shall know that there is a deed of God in all the earth, the righteous in salvation, the wicked in condemnation. But David said, I'm praying this prayer for the purpose that men will know that there is a God who rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. Fourthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose that all may know that God is absolutely sovereign.

[John Weaver] And that he is the governor of the universe, that is, he rules over all. If you look in Psalm 59, another imprecatory prayer in verse 13, look what he prays. Psalm 59, verse 13, consume them by wrath. Consume them that they may not be. And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob under the ends of the earth. Wow. Consume them. Let them know that you're God.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something, folks. It's not enough that we pray and ask God to send his righteous judgment. We should pray and ask God to send His righteous judgment in such a way that everyone knows it's God who does this. I get so upset when I listen to these weather people talk about Mother Nature. It's not Mother Nature. It's Father God. Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, droughts, floods, they all come from God. God controls the weather, not Mother Nature.

[John Weaver] If you look in Psalm 83, turn over just a few pages, verses 17 and 18. Look what we read, Psalm 83, verse 17. Let them be confounded and troubled forever. Yea, let them be put to shame and perish. Now, wait a minute. Why is he praying that the wicked will be confounded and troubled forever? Why is he praying that they will be put to shame and perish? Here's why.

[John Weaver] That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth. Isn't that amazing? Do you realize there is a truth that when God judges the wicked and rebellion for their sins, there are some who learn the hard way That God is sovereign. Ask Pharaoh, ask Nebuchadnezzar. They found out. Who God is, in fact, I was telling Mark and Kevin.

[John Weaver] I'm working on two messages which I'm looking so forward to preaching in the next few weeks. Who is that God? Nebuchadnezzar in his ignorance and arrogance said, who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Well, God showed him, God told him, he found out who that God was. So there is a purpose in these imprecatory prayers that men will find out that God is the sovereign. Fifthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's also a purpose of causing the wicked to seek God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me explain that. You see, some who experience the righteous judgment of God do indeed learn a lesson. Not all of them. All you've got to do is read Revelation 6, read a lot of other passages. God sends his judgment. They yet still continue in their sins and their rebellion. But some do learn. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 83, if you would, please. We're already there. Psalm 83, verse 15. Look what he says.

[John Weaver] So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name. What? Persecute them with thy tempest. Make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name. Well, some. And Seeing God's righteous judgment, do indeed seek Him. In Isaiah 51 and verse 4, the Word of God says, Hearken to Me, My people, and give ear unto Thee, O My nation, for a law shall proceed from Me, and I will make My judgment to rest for a light of the people. Notice God said, I will make My judgment to rest for a light of the people. Some will see it. Some will acknowledge it. Some will repent and bow and seek His grace and mercy.

[John Weaver] Multitudes probably will not, but some shall. The sixth purpose of these imprecatory prayers is that there's a purpose in them in keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous. In keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings As the righteous turn back, if you would, to Psalm 69, another imprecatory prayer, Psalm 69. And look, if you would please, at verse 28, what David prays. In fact. Wow.

[John Weaver] This is this is quite a song. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 25 and verse 24, all of it's so good. David prays, pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents, for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness. Now watch verse 28.

[John Weaver] Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous. Let them be blotted out of the book. Of the living, what's he saying? We'll find out more tomorrow night, but here's what he's saying. Kill them. Take their lives. Cut them off, do not allow them to live. May I remind you? that one of the promises of long life in the Bible is to the righteous.

[John Weaver] What is the fifth commandment? Honor thy father and thy mother. Why? That thy days may be long upon the earth which the Lord thy God hath promised thee. In other words, longness or longevity of life is to the righteous for their obedience to God. That's one of the blessings. What's one of the curses? Well, Psalm 55 verse 23, the Bible says this, But thou, O God, shalt bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in thee, said David. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. In other words, God will cut them down in the prime of life. One of the purposes of these imprecatory prayers is to make sure that the wicked do not enjoy the same privileges as do the righteous.

[John Weaver] And seventhly, let me try to tie it together tonight. In imprecatory prayers, we learn to have an abhorrence for sin and disobedience. I want you to think if you and I were to get down on our knees tonight And we covenanted together and prayed together that God would destroy the wicked. That He would blot them out. Let's put some of these prayers together. Let's pray tonight as we get on our knees that God would break their teeth in their mouth. That God would cast them down that they rise not up again. That God would let them melt as a snail before the fire. That God would cut them in pieces. That God would take them away in His wrath in a whirlwind. That God would shoot His arrows into their soul. That God would blot them out of the land of the living. If you and I are praying those prayers, I think we would tend to think, we don't want to be in that group. And if I'm not wicked, that means I have to be righteous.

[John Weaver] If I'm not disobedient, that means I have to be obedient. If I'm not ungodly, that means I must be godly. When you and I learn to pray these prayers, it teaches us to hate sin and to hate wickedness. We realize that judgment is the just and righteous punishment for sin and rebellion. Let me show you. Look in Psalm 139. I love this psalm. It is so beautiful. It is so wonderful. But I want you to notice how David ends Psalm 139. And let's begin reading there with verse 21, Psalm 139, verse 21, David says. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred.

[John Weaver] I count them mine enemies. Now stop. What has David just said? Do not I hate them that hate thee, O Lord? And not I grieve with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. Now watch. In the very next breath, he prays, Search me, O God. and know my heart, and try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." When David prays against the wicked, he then comes back to himself and says, Oh God, I don't want to be like them. I don't want to act like them. I don't want to talk like them. I just don't want to be one of them. Lord, search me. Try me. Make me holy. Make me godly. You see, when you understand these prayers, it's going to make you be grieved with sin and disobedience and rebellion. You'll understand that your sin dishonors God. Your sin violates His law. Your sin repudiates His work. Your sin is a mockery of His graciousness and kindness and goodness.

[John Weaver] And then you hear Him in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4 talking about sin. God says, Oh, do not that abominable thing which I hate! And you start praying these prayers. You're going to see how God hates sin and how you ought to hate sin. And then all of a sudden you're going to be saying, oh God, make me holy as thou art holy. Thou hast commanded me, be ye holy for I am holy. You have commanded me, Lord, to present my body a living sacrifice. You've commanded me not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. You've commanded me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, body, being, spirit, all God. Help me! You will learn. that there is a purpose in praying these prayers.

[John Weaver] May I remind you that 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17 say this. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished, and all good works. And these imprecatory prayers Or for our doctrine, for our correction. For our reproof, for our instruction and righteousness. We need to learn to pray. Lord, make me holy, make me godly, teach me to pray these imprecatory prayers that by purposes which you have shown us in your word may be established.

[John Weaver] Not only in my life, in my house, in my church, in my state, but in my nation and in the world. For God is the sovereign of all the earth. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this night. We're so thankful that you've given us your word and the truth in your word. And Lord, we are indeed the victors and not the victims.

[John Weaver] We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Teach us to pray. Teach us to be holy. Teach us to be godly. Teach us to cry out to Thee for justice and righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

The Imprecatory Prayer-2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	31211424306727
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: The Hallelujah of Confession
Genre	Sermon
Date	2010-03-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 046: The Imprecatory Prayer — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	90

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Well, good evening again. We at Reedy River Presbyterian Church want to welcome all of you that are here tonight. Glad some of you are able to come back out, and it's good to see some new faces. You're in for a treat if you haven't heard Reverend Weaver before. And those of you that were here last night and know him know to have your seat belts buckled. He will take us through a rapid and thorough and lightning exposition as he talks about imprecatory prayers. For those that were not here last night, bathrooms are down in the fellowship—well, through the fellowship hall in the Sunday school wing near the kitchen.

And during the program, it would be best probably to go out and around, although we are not videoing. And also make sure your cell phones are off. I don't think we had any go off last night that was disruptive, so that was good. We do have a free will offering basket in the back of the sanctuary for those that would like to make a gift to the expenses and his ministry. It's much appreciated and is put to good use. Pastor Weaver is a native of Georgia, graduate of Bob Jones University, both with a degree in arts and theology and also at the graduate school, been in Christian ministry for 40 years. He has preached in many places and his tapes have gone even further around the world. He was telling us last night of being asked about a church in Western Australia, right?

But we're glad to have him here this evening and look forward to what else you might teach us on imprecatory prayers. And let me open us with prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we do thank you for this opportunity. We pray that you have already prepared Pastor Weaver the words that you want us to hear. We are all individuals. We hear things differently. We are in different places in our walk. And you can talk to each of us, and we pray that you will. We thank you for your word, for it reveals yourself to us. We pray that we will take it and apply it to our lives, not just on the first day of the week, but in all of our walk, wherever you may have us go in our work, in our recreation, our neighborhoods and in our family. And, O Lord, as we are taught specifically on this topic of imprecatory prayers.

We pray that you would instruct us so that we can do this more properly, with good understanding, thoroughly, and for the sake of your kingdom here on earth. And it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Well, it's a joy to be back tonight. I'm thankful that you're here. And we're going to continue where we left off last night. I'm going to take just a few moments to review.

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the previous lecture, defining imprecation as an invocation of judgment and reiterating that such prayers are not contrary to the gospel, but are appeals for the fullness of Christ's kingdom.

I do want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 104 and verse 35. That is our text tonight. Psalm 104, verse 35. Psalm 104, verse 35. And let's look, if you would please, at that text. Psalm 104, verse 35:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 104:35

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord."

So last night, then, we began this study on imprecatory praying. And I tried to give you an explanation of what imprecatory praying really was, because an imprecation is an invocation of judgment. It is asking for calamity or curse upon one's enemy or upon God's enemies. And we saw last night how that imprecatory praying certainly is not contrary to the gospel. I gave you a quote from David Dixon, the Puritan pastor, who said this: "If any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them gives it the weight of their conversion and seeks it no more than the judgment should follow them only until they acknowledge their sin and turn and seek God." We also last night saw how imprecatory prayers were actually an appeal for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ.

In fact, I shared with you that verse of Matthew 13, and I asked the question, when will the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of the Father as bright as the sun? And the answer is when the Son of Man shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and which do iniquity. And the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 13:41-43

"And then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun."

So very obviously, when David prayed in Psalm 104 and verse 35, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more," that is essentially the same as praying, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So to pray, then, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more" is no different from David's prayer request that he made in Psalm 7 and verse 9 when he said, "Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just."

So each one of these requests, then, is a prayer for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. And then last night we observed that there is certainly no contradiction between imprecatory praying and the command of Christ to love our enemies and to do good to those that hate us. I took you through the Bible and showed you how love, according to the Bible, is obedience. It's not feeling, it's not sentimentality, it is obedience. And our Lord said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." And the Bible tells us that love indeed is the fulfilling of the law. So we love our enemies by acting biblically and scripturally toward them. We do good toward them by acting biblically and scripturally toward them.

General Principle 1: Unity of Scripture

The tension between justice and mercy is not a matter of Old Testament versus New Testament; both testaments teach the same truths about judgment and love, as demonstrated by Paul's use of Old Testament passages in Romans 12.

First of all, whatever problems that one may have with the imprecations of the Old Testament, the tension between justice and mercy, love and hate, it is not a matter of law versus grace or the Old Testament versus the New Testament. The truth of the matter is this: we have one Bible and not two Bibles. The Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament. And the Old Testament and the New Testament teach exactly the same truth. For instance, if you look in the New Testament and read through the New Testament, you will find the New Testament has a great deal to say about judgment, justice, and condemnation. And likewise, the Old Testament has a great deal to say about brotherly love, loving your neighbor, helping your neighbor, not seeking vengeance. So very clearly, then, there's no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and there is no contradiction between law and grace. Now, I want you to hold Psalm 104, but turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Romans chapter 12.

We read this passage last night, but I did not show you where Paul got this truth. And I want to do that tonight. So if you look in Romans chapter 12 very quickly, and let's begin reading there with verse 17. Look what the Apostle Paul writes:

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:17-21

"Recompense to no man evil for evil, provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

Now, I want you to examine this passage with me just momentarily. And I want you to turn, first of all, Romans 12, but turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 32 and look at verse 35. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. You're going to find an amazing truth here. And this is the exact same truth that the Apostle Paul quotes in Romans chapter 12. So, in Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, we read this, God speaks and He says, "To me belongeth vengeance and recompense." "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."

Now, look what He said: "To me belongeth vengeance and recompense." Now, I want you to go back to Romans chapter 12 and look, if you would please, in verse 19. Paul writes, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." So the Apostle Paul takes the truth from Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, and he applies it here in the New Testament. You say, "Oh, but look down, if you would please, in verse 20. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink." Why? You don't find truth like that in the Old Testament, do you? Sure you do. Look back in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 25. Proverbs, chapter 25. And notice if you would be getting there with verse 21. Proverbs 25. And look, if you would please, at verse 21, a very interesting passage. Notice what the Bible says. Proverbs 25, verse 21: "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat."

"And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee." Isn't that interesting? The Apostle Paul took that verse right out of the Old Testament. So Romans chapter 12 and verse 20, which we would call New Testament doctrine and New Testament teaching, is nothing more than a reiteration of the truth of God that is given in the Old Testament. Law and grace teach the same truth. You'll remember last night I pointed out from Matthew chapter 5, where our Lord said in verses 17 through 18, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."

"For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." So our Lord is saying, "I did not come to abrogate, nullify, do away with the law. I came to fulfill it." Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed, as you read through the New Testament, that the Jews were always after our Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why? Well, look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 15, and I will show you very clearly why they were always after him. In Matthew 15, our Lord clearly sets the record straight. And he accuses them not only of violating God's law, but very clearly of following their own traditions rather than the law of God. So in Matthew chapter 15, let's begin reading there with verse 1. Look what the Bible says: "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread."

Now, let me just stop there. This was not some sanitary exercise that they wanted the disciples to go through. No, no, this was a religious ritual. They had come from a marketplace, lest some germ of some Gentile dog, so to speak, had gotten upon their hands. They had to go through this ritualistic ceremonial cleansing. So they're asking our Lord, "Why is it that your disciples—" now look closely at verse 2. "Why do they transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread." But he answered and said unto them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother, and he that curseth father and mother, let him die the death. But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father and mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free." Look what he says: "Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Now watch: "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

"But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." No wonder they were upset with our Lord Jesus Christ, because he was constantly and consistently validating and establishing the law of God and exposing all of their traditions and all of their ceremonies and all of their rituals that violated the law of God. So very clearly, in light of the imprecatory prayers, there can be no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. And certainly there is no contradiction between law and grace. They are not enemies, they are friends. Secondly, I want you to note this. When David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, that is when he asks God to curse his enemies or to smite the enemies or do anything like that, when David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, it should be pointed out that always the matter is left entirely with God. Let me explain what I mean by that. We may pray against the enemies of Christ, but the result is left completely in the hands of the sovereign God who is the judge of all the earth. In other words, God may judge. Or God may act as He pleases.

You remember that passage in Romans 12. It's also in Hebrews chapter 10, other passages as well, where God says, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I will repay." So since vengeance belongs to God, it also belongs to God's prerogative to determine how He's going to act out or carry out His vengeance. You might remember this little idiom, this maxim, that was given to us by Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson: "Duty is ours. The consequences belong to God." And so whenever any biblical character prayed an imprecatory prayer, it was understood that the answer and the result was left entirely to God.

General Principle 2: Leaving Results to God

When biblical characters prayed imprecations, they always left the outcome entirely in God's sovereign hands, recognizing that vengeance belongs to Him and He may choose to convert, restrain, or destroy.

They are not enemies, they are friends. Secondly, I want you to note this. When David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, that is when he asks God to curse his enemies or to smite the enemies or do anything like that, when David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, it should be pointed out that always the matter is left entirely with God. Let me explain what I mean by that. We may pray against the enemies of Christ, but the result is left completely in the hands of the sovereign God who is the judge of all the earth. In other words, God may judge. Or God may act as He pleases.

Now, look through your Bibles and you will find that David prayed against Saul, Doeg, Ahithophel, and yet many others. But David never personally did them any harm, nor did he send a hit squad out after them. Now, Doeg was an exceedingly wicked man. Let me put it like this: Doeg deserved to die. Doeg was a murderer. The Bible tells us that Doeg, in 1 Samuel chapters 21 and 22—don't turn there—but Doeg murdered 85 of the Lord's priests. Eighty-five. Now, David was not king at that time, Saul was king, and so since David was not king, very obviously, David did not have any authority to do anything about it. In fact, David was not even there, so David could not have defended them. This happened after David was gone. And so what David does do is this: he prays an imprecatory prayer against Doeg. He could not stop Doeg. He could not defend the priests since he was not there. He had no ability to correct the situation except through prayer. And I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 52 at the prayer that David prays against Doeg.

Psalm 52, it is an imprecatory prayer. Watch it very carefully. Psalm 52, and let's read it. It's a very short psalm. And if you look at your head notes, it says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 52:1-9

"To the chief musician, Maschil, a psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech."

Now watch this. Psalm 52, verse 1, David's praying against Doeg.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 52:1-9

"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually."

Now look at Doeg:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 52:1-9

"Thy tongue deviseth mischief like a sharp razor working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee forever. He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living."

"The righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise thee forever because thou hast done it." "I will wait on thy name, for it is good before thy saints." Now, let me ask you a question. Does anybody know what happened to Doeg? Now, remember, Doeg was the chief herdsman of King Saul. He was the chief. And when King Saul looked at his army and commanded them to fall upon the priests of the Lord, all of the army said, "We're not going to do that. We're not going to kill the Lord's priests." Doeg, who was an Edomite, said, "I'll do it." And he murdered 85.

Like I said earlier, David was not there. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't defend. He was not king. He had no authority at that particular time. So he prayed this prayer. What happened to Doeg? I don't really know. The Bible doesn't say. But if you will look at verse 5, I can assure you I would not want to be in Doeg's place. He says, "God shall likewise destroy thee forever. He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living." Very obviously, God did indeed destroy Doeg in some particular way. Now, I want you to understand there is a principle that you and I can apply here, and that is this.

that we may lawfully pray against those who are violating the law of God, abusing His people, trampling our Lord and His Word under their feet, and persecuting and prosecuting the righteous. We may lawfully pray against them and ask God to stop them, ask God to destroy them, but at the same time, we have to leave it totally in the hands of God. Why? Well, let me tell you why. God may be pleased to take that vile, blasphemous persecutor and convert him and make him our friend. You say, "God would never do something like that." He did to Saul of Tarsus. You remember how Saul was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Lord and against the Lord's people? And he went to Damascus, that if he found any of this way, that is, Christians, he might bring them back, men and women, and cast them into dungeons? Well, of course. If you were to take a vote in the first century of the man most likely to bust hell wide open, Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down.

But what did God do? God saved him. God made him the friend of Christians and used him mightily to write a great portion of the New Testament. You see, when you leave things in God's hands, God may, in his own prerogative, restrain them, convert them, or remove them either temporarily or permanently. It is up to him. Vengeance belongs to him. He will repay. That's why we need to learn what Hebrews 10 and verse 31 teaches us: "It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God." Wow! It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. You and I better understand, once we ask God to plead our cause and to undertake for us, when the wicked fall into His hands, it is indeed a fearful thing.

General Principle 3: Gracious Personal Actions

However severe David's prayers were, his personal actions toward his enemies were consistently gracious and kind, and he maintained clean hands, not being guilty of the sins he prayed against.

So in the Bible, when you find that men like David prayed these imprecatory prayers, they always left the result in God's hands. Thirdly, here's another very broad principle. As a whole, however severe David's imprecatory prayers were—and by the way, I'll show you a couple of them tonight and show you one particularly in the next two nights. And they were very severe. But listen carefully, however severe David's prayers were against his enemies, his personal actions toward his enemies were always gracious and kind. David prayed against Saul. Saul was seeking to kill David. He tried on numerous occasions, and twice God delivered Saul into David's hands. And David refused to kill him. The last time, Abishai looked at David and said, "Let me smite him to the earth this once. I promise you, David, I won't have to smite him a second time." Here's what he said literally: "David, I'll kill him so quickly he'll never know what hit him. Let me just smite him this one time." David said, "No. Don't smite him. Let him live."

And Saul was out seeking David. David prayed against Saul, but he was kind and gracious to Saul. You remember in 2 Samuel, chapter 16, a Benjamite by the name of Shimei cursed David violently. And Abishai again said to David, "Why should this dead dog curse my king?" Now, David was king at that time. And he said, "Let me go over and take his head off. I'll teach him a lesson. He'll never curse you again." David said, "Abishai, Abishai, you sons of Zeruiah, you're too hard for me. No," he said in 2 Samuel 16 and verse 12, "it may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction and the Lord will requite me good for the cursing this day."

So he said, "Let him live." Now Shimei was an enemy of David. But David was still gracious and kind to him. David, in appealing to the Lord for help against his enemies, always proclaimed his clean hands. You remember, I covered that last night, the clean hands doctrine. That means if you're going to ask God to do something to your enemies or to God's enemies, your hands must be clean of the very charges that you're leveling against them. You cannot be guilty of it, or else you literally indict yourself. So look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 35. This is another imprecatory prayer. I gave you a list of them last night. Not all of them, but just a simple list. Notice in Psalm 35, if you would please, how David again appeals to this clean hands doctrine, so to speak. And let's begin reading there with verse 11. Psalm 35, verse 11. David said, "False witnesses did rise up."

"They laid to my charge things I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul." Now, notice they're doing evil. They're doing wickedness. They're doing wrong. But David is still doing good toward them. Now watch verse 13: "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into my own bosom."

"I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother." David said, "I prayed for them. I really did. I tried to do right by them." Watch verse 15: "But in my adversity, they rejoiced and gathered themselves together. Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not. They did tear me and cease not." That is, they lied, they slandered, they mocked with hypocritical mockers at feasts. They gnashed upon me with their teeth. "Lord, how long wilt thou look on?" Look what he prays: "Rescue my soul from their destruction, my darling from the lions. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them wink with the eye that hateth me without a cause."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 35:11-22

"For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land."

Now notice what David is saying: "Lord, I've tried to do what's right toward them. And yet, Lord, look how they're treating me." David is not fabricating his attitude. David is not lying concerning his actions. He is saying, "I was genuinely concerned about them. I really wanted to help them. I really prayed for them. I tried to treat them as a brother. I tried to treat them kindly. And look what they have done to me." And David is appealing in verse 22. Skip down. Look what he says:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 35:11-22

"This thou hast seen, O Lord, keep not silence. O Lord, be not far from me."

In other words, "Lord, you're omniscient. You know everything. You've seen this. You know this is the truth." And David is saying, "Lord, my hands are clean in this." Look in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Another imprecatory prayer. And again, I want you to see how David is appealing to the clean hands doctrine.

Notice Psalm 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. Psalm 7 and verse 3, David says this:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:3-5

"O Lord, my God, if I have done this—"

now, watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:3-5

"If I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust."

Now, folks, let me ask you a question. Would you be willing to go to God in prayer and say, "Now, Lord, if I have acted wrongly, if I have acted evilly and sinfully, then Lord, let my enemy persecute me. Let him take my life. Let him tread me down in the dust"? I've got news for you folks. If my hands were not clean, if David's hands were not clean, I don't think I would be praying that prayer. And I don't think David would be praying that prayer. David was saying, "Look, I may pray viciously against my enemies."

"But I'm still going to be kind to them. I'm still going to act graciously toward them." Let me put it like this: he's going to act biblically toward them. One of the most difficult exercises for the child of God is that of keeping the heart. I have a message on that passage in Proverbs 4, verse 23, where God says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." And I preach that message every day to myself. One of the most difficult things for the child of God to do is to keep his heart and to keep his heart right when God does indeed vindicate us. And when God does indeed judge us. I remember years ago, I preached in a church in a far off state a number of times. And I was friends with the pastor. I honestly tried to help him in any and every way that I could. And then one day I found out that the man was spreading some very vicious rumors about me and lying concerning me. And I immediately thought, "What in the world is going on?" And he not only attacked me, he did so publicly in front of a number of my pastor friends. And so I went to one of my dearest friends, who's, I think, one of the greatest counselors in America. I said, "What in the world is going on? I said, I've never done one thing to this brother except to try to help him and bless him."

And he just simply looked at me and said this: "John, sit still. Be quiet. When the smoke clears, there's going to be a morality problem." And within a month, the smoke cleared. And he'd been having an affair with two or three women in the church. And he was attacking me to throw the onus off of himself. In other words, "Look over here, don't look at me, look over there." Modern day politicians do the same thing. And when all the smoke cleared, I knelt down and I prayed for him and I asked God to deal in his heart and to convict him and to grant him repentance. You know, although I was vindicated, I was not exalting in the vindication. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 24. Proverbs 24, and I want you to note verse 17. And I'm talking about keeping your heart. I'm talking about keeping your heart even when God does indeed vindicate you. Look in Proverbs 24 and verse 17. God says, "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth." Now, wait a minute. When God says, "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth," He is not saying don't be thankful that you're vindicated. He's not saying don't be thankful that wickedness is brought down. That's not what He's saying at all. Because don't you remember in Revelation 19, when the judgment of God fell, what did the people of God do?

They said, "Hallelujah!" as the smoke of their torment arose forever and ever. They were praising God. They were thankful that they were vindicated. No, no. This is not talking about not being thankful. It's not talking about not rejoicing in the fact that God's Word has been vindicated and God has been honored. Let me show you what it means. Watch it. Proverbs 24, verse 17:

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 24:17-18

"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from

his enemy." Here's what he's saying.

Don't get bent out of shape with pride and arrogance and think, "Aha, I've got a special connection with God. He's my guard dog." No, God said you better not do that. A principle that is enunciated over and over in Scripture is this, that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. David may have prayed fiercely, but his attitude and his actions were always gracious and kind. Here's what God is saying. You and I cannot be overcome with bitterness, resentful ill will, hatred, and unkindness. We cannot be filled with that. You know what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, let me quote it: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." It's not enough that we're not murderers. It's not enough that we're not whoremongers. It's not enough that we're not liars and drunkards. No, no, no. God said we need to cleanse ourselves not only from all filthiness of the flesh, but of the spirit. Pride, arrogance, ill will, bitterness, resentfulness, hatred, hot scowl with animosity.

That's what he's talking about. And the only way that you can keep from pride and arrogance coming up in your life is to learn to be truly gracious and truly kind the way David and all of these other men—they may have prayed fiercely, but their actions and their attitudes were usually gracious and kind, even toward their enemies. Here's the fourth general principle. Church discipline and church denunciations in the New Testament are really not that much different from the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament. The New Testament contains many curses and denunciations.

General Principle 4: New Testament Parallels

Church discipline and apostolic denunciations in the New Testament are similar to Old Testament imprecations, including curses, turning sinners over to Satan, and pronouncing death sentences.

Do you remember it was the Apostle Paul who cursed Elymas and smote him with blindness for resisting the gospel in Acts chapter 13 verses 6 through 11. It was the Apostle Paul who pronounced an anathema, a curse, an imprecation upon anyone who would pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ in Galatians 1, 8 and 9. It was the Apostle Peter who in Acts 5, verses 1-11 pronounced the death sentence upon Ananias and Sapphira because they had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. It was the Apostle Paul who turned Alexander and Hymenaeus over to Satan in 1 Timothy 1, 20, that they may learn not to blaspheme. And it was the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 who told concerning a man who was living with his stepmother that he was to be delivered over to Satan to be put to death. In fact, according to the Bible, the final step in church discipline involves turning the sinner over to Satan.

under God's sovereign control that he may be severely chastised even to the destruction of the flesh. When you talk about church discipline, you've got to remember first and foremost, the first goal is for God's honor and God's glory. The second goal is for the warning of others, and the third goal is hopefully for the repentance and restoration of the one that is disciplined. But let me read to you what the Apostle Paul said. Look, if you would, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, you'll see it in verses 4 and 5. 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, verses 4 and 5. He said this: "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

Now, I want you to stop and think about this. As you read through the Bible, you will find all of these imprecations over and over. And we're going to look at one of the most difficult ones in the next two nights. You will find that David prayed fiercely. And he prayed against his enemies. You'll find that the Apostle Paul acted upon these principles as well. May I point out that if you and I really understood imprecatory praying and if we really understood what it was to be against God and against his word, if we really understood the awfulness and the depravity and the wickedness of our sins, we would not be nearly as comfortable with our lives

as we are, I can assure you. Because we would understand what sin is all about.

Purpose 1: Concern for Righteousness

Imprecatory prayers express a deep desire for righteousness and justice to be established, as seen in Psalm 7 and the parable of the unjust judge in Luke 18.

But look in Psalm 7, if you would please. That's another imprecatory psalm. Psalm 7. Look, if you would please, at verses 8 and 9. Psalm 7, verse 8: "The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, for the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." Now, I want you to note, I just read those two verses, but let's go back to verse 6 and let's begin reading. Look at this prayer: "Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies, and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:8-9

"For their sakes, therefore, return thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me. O, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins. My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day."

In this prayer, David is seeking for righteousness to be established. He wants the wickedness of the wicked to come to an end. He said, "but establish thou the just." Do you understand that righteousness is foundational to this prayer in Psalm 7? Righteousness is foundational in imprecatory prayers. Are we concerned with righteousness? Do we want to see God's righteousness established in the earth? David prayed in Psalm 118 and verse 19, "Open to me the gates of righteousness, and I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord." Open to me the gates of righteousness, and I will go into them.

Do you realize that our Lord, according to Jeremiah 33 and verse 15, came to establish righteousness? The Bible says, "In those days, and at that time, I will cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land." You know, all through the Old Testament, you read about righteousness. It's mentioned in the New Testament as well. But let me tell you something that I think is extremely painful. When you look at the prayers of David and the prayers of Daniel and the prayers of Ezra and Nehemiah.

But the only conclusion that you can come to is this: many of these Old Testament saints were more concerned about righteousness than are the New Testament saints. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 18. Luke 18, notice if you would, verse 1. Luke 18, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint."

Notice what our Lord says:

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"Saying, There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man."

By the way, if there is no fear of God, there will never be any regard for man. He says,

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"There was a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man."

Watch verse 3:

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"And there was a widow in that city and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterwards, he said within himself, Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

Now, stop there just for a moment. Here was this unjust judge. He had no concern for justice. He had no concern for righteousness. He had no concern for principle and truth or liberty and freedom. And this little widow woman just kept coming, saying, "Avenge me of mine adversary, avenge me of mine adversary." Finally, here's what he said: "I don't care for God. I have no fear of God. I have no regard for man. Yet here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give this little widow woman what she wants just to get her off my back. She's in my hair. She's bothering me. She's upsetting me. I've got other things I'd rather do than to listen to this little widow. I'll give her what she wants just to get rid of her."

I want you to see the application that our Lord himself makes. Look, if you would please, in verse 6. "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith." Are you listening? "Hear what the unjust judge saith." Do you think God is like this unjust judge? No. He said, "And shall not God avenge his own elect who cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you, he will avenge them speedily." Why is God not doing something? I'll tell you why. Because we're not crying. We're not praying. We're not asking God for justice. We're not asking God for righteousness. The Bible says that God is not like that unjust judge. God is concerned about righteousness. God is concerned about justice.

But evidently, His people aren't. They're not crying. They're not praying these imprecatory prayers. One of the purposes of imprecatory praying is to see that righteousness and justice are established. And by the way, I hope you know this, but in the Hebrew, the word for righteousness and the word for justice are one and the same. If something is right, it is just. If something is just, it is right. You cannot have righteousness without justice and you cannot have justice without righteousness. And God says we should learn to pray these prayers that righteousness may be established. Secondly, in imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God praised and honored when the prayers are answered and the righteous delivered.

Purpose 2: Desire for God's Praise

These prayers aim to see God honored and praised when He answers and delivers the righteous, as David vows in Psalms 7 and 35.

Let's go back to Psalm 7 and Psalm 35, because these are two prayers that we looked at earlier. And I want you to note in Psalm 7 first and verse 17, what David says after he prays this imprecatory prayer. Psalm 7 verse 17, he says, "I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high." In other words, when God hears my prayer, when God answers me, I'm going to praise him. I'm going to give him the honor and the glory. Look in Psalm 35, another imprecatory prayer. Notice what David says in verse 18. Psalm 35, verse 18. He says, "I will give thee thanks in the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people." Now, if you'll skip down to verse 28, he says this: "And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." One of the purposes of these imprecatory prayers is there is a desire to see God honored and glorified and to receive the praise and worship that is due his name when these prayers are answered.

Do you realize, if I had the time tonight and you had the time tonight, and we took testimonies, I can assure you there are a multitude of times in your life that God has delivered you, preserved you, protected you, answered your prayers, and you've still not given Him the praise and the honor and the glory that's due in His name. I'll tell you this, folks. The truth of the matter is this, God does this for us so often and so much. Most of the time, we're not even aware what God is doing for us. I hate trains. I really do, I hate trains. I tell people laughingly, jokingly.

Purpose 3: Making God Known

Imprecations are prayed so that people will know there is a God who judges the earth and rewards the righteous, as stated in Psalm 58.

I want you to look at Psalm 58. Oh, you talk about a psalm, my soul. I want you to look at Psalm 58. I've got a message on this psalm. And you say, "That's not a pleasant message, I bet." No, it's not a pleasant message, but it's still the truth. But I want you to look at it, look at Psalm 58, and I want you to notice how David prays these imprecatory prayers. He says in verse 6 of Psalm 58, "Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth." That's painful, folks. "Break their teeth in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord," that is those princes, those in authority.

"Let them melt away as waters which run continually, when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows. Let them be as cut in pieces. Let them be as a snail which melteth. Let every one of them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living and in his wrath." "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked."

Now watch this: "So that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, he is a God that judgeth in the earth." Why did David pray all of those imprecations? "Break their teeth, O God. Break out their teeth in their mouth. Let them melt away. Let them be cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail that melts before the sun. Let them be like a woman in an untimely birth. Let them be burned. Let them be taken away as with a whirlwind." Why did he pray all that? So that a man may say, "Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, He is a God that judgeth in the earth."

You see, that purpose is indeed confirmed by general truths in the Bible. For instance, Psalm 9 in verse 16 says, "The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." The truth is this, folks: God will either be known in salvation or condemnation, but he will be made known to the world in one of those two ways. Therefore, both the righteous and the wicked shall know that there is a God in all the earth, the righteous in salvation, the wicked in condemnation. But David said, "I'm praying this prayer for the purpose that men will know that there is a God who rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked." Fourthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose that all may know that God is absolutely sovereign.

Purpose 4: Demonstrating God's Sovereignty

Praying for judgment reveals God's absolute sovereignty over all the earth, as seen in Psalms 59 and 83.

And that he is the governor of the universe, that is, he rules over all. If you look in Psalm 59, another imprecatory prayer, in verse 13, look what he prays. Psalm 59, verse 13: "Consume them by wrath. Consume them that they may not be. And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth." Wow. "Consume them. Let them know that you're God."

Let me tell you something, folks. It's not enough that we pray and ask God to send his righteous judgment. We should pray and ask God to send His righteous judgment in such a way that everyone knows it's God who does this. I get so upset when I listen to these weather people talk about Mother Nature. It's not Mother Nature. It's Father God. Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, droughts, floods, they all come from God. God controls the weather, not Mother Nature.

If you look in Psalm 83, turn over just a few pages, verses 17 and 18. Look what we read, Psalm 83, verse 17:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 83:17-18

"Let them be confounded and troubled forever. Yea, let them be put to shame and perish."

Now, wait a minute. Why is he praying that the wicked will be confounded and troubled forever? Why is he praying that they will be put to shame and perish? Here's why.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 83:17-18

"That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth."

Isn't that amazing? Do you realize there is a truth that when God judges the wicked and rebellion for their sins, there are some who learn the hard way that God is sovereign. Ask Pharaoh, ask Nebuchadnezzar. They found out who God is. In fact, I was telling Mark and Kevin.

I'm working on two messages which I'm looking so forward to preaching in the next few weeks. "Who is that God?" Nebuchadnezzar in his ignorance and arrogance said, "Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Well, God showed him, God told him, he found out who that God was. So there is a purpose in these imprecatory prayers that men will find out that God is the sovereign. Fifthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's also a purpose of causing the wicked to seek God.

Purpose 5: Causing the Wicked to Seek God

Some who experience God's righteous judgment may be driven to seek His name, as indicated in Psalm 83:15-16.

Now, let me explain that. You see, some who experience the righteous judgment of God do indeed learn a lesson. Not all of them. All you've got to do is read Revelation 6, read a lot of other passages. God sends his judgment. They yet still continue in their sins and their rebellion. But some do learn. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 83, if you would, please. We're already there. Psalm 83, verse 15. Look what he says.

"So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name." What? "Persecute them with thy tempest. Make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name." Well, some, in seeing God's righteous judgment, do indeed seek Him. In Isaiah 51 and verse 4, the Word of God says, "Hearken to me, my people, and give ear unto me, O my nation, for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Notice God said, "I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Some will see it. Some will acknowledge it. Some will repent and bow and seek His grace and mercy.

Multitudes probably will not, but some shall. The sixth purpose of these imprecatory prayers is that there's a purpose in them in keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous. In keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous, turn back, if you would, to Psalm 69, another imprecatory prayer, Psalm 69. And look, if you would please, at verse 28, what David prays. In fact, wow.

Purpose 6: Withholding Blessings from the Wicked

Imprecatory prayers seek to prevent the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous, such as long life, as in Psalm 69:28.

This is quite a psalm. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 25 and verse 24, all of it's so good. David prays,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:24-28

"Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents, for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness."

Now watch verse 28.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:24-28

"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous."

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living. What's he saying? We'll find out more tomorrow night, but here's what he's saying: "Kill them. Take their lives. Cut them off, do not allow them to live." May I remind you that one of the promises of long life in the Bible is to the righteous.

What is the fifth commandment? "Honor thy father and thy mother." Why? "That thy days may be long upon the earth which the Lord thy God hath promised thee." In other words, longness or longevity of life is to the righteous for their obedience to God. That's one of the blessings. What's one of the curses? Well, Psalm 55 verse 23, the Bible says this: "But thou, O God, shalt bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in thee," said David. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. In other words, God will cut them down in the prime of life. One of the purposes of these imprecatory prayers is to make sure that the wicked do not enjoy the same privileges as do the righteous.

Purpose 7: Cultivating Hatred of Sin

Praying these prayers teaches believers to abhor sin and disobedience, leading to self-examination and a pursuit of holiness, as modeled in Psalm 139.

If I'm not disobedient, that means I have to be obedient. If I'm not ungodly, that means I must be godly. When you and I learn to pray these prayers, it teaches us to hate sin and to hate wickedness. We realize that judgment is the just and righteous punishment for sin and rebellion. Let me show you. Look in Psalm 139. I love this psalm. It is so beautiful. It is so wonderful. But I want you to notice how David ends Psalm 139. And let's begin reading there with verse 21, Psalm 139, verse 21, David says: "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred."

"I count them mine enemies." Now stop. What has David just said? "Do not I hate them that hate thee, O Lord? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies." Now watch. In the very next breath, he prays, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, and try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." When David prays against the wicked, he then comes back to himself and says, "Oh God, I don't want to be like them. I don't want to act like them. I don't want to talk like them. I just don't want to be one of them. Lord, search me. Try me. Make me holy. Make me godly." You see, when you understand these prayers, it's going to make you be grieved with sin and disobedience and rebellion. You'll understand that your sin dishonors God. Your sin violates His law. Your sin repudiates His work. Your sin is a mockery of His graciousness and kindness and goodness.

And then you hear Him in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4 talking about sin. God says, "Oh, do not that abominable thing which I hate!" And you start praying these prayers. You're going to see how God hates sin and how you ought to hate sin. And then all of a sudden you're going to be saying, "Oh God, make me holy as thou art holy. Thou hast commanded me, be ye holy for I am holy. You have commanded me, Lord, to present my body a living sacrifice. You've commanded me not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. You've commanded me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, body, being, spirit, all. God, help me!" You will learn that there is a purpose in praying these prayers.

May I remind you that 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17 say this: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And these imprecatory prayers are for our doctrine, for our correction, for our reproof, for our instruction in righteousness. We need to learn to pray, "Lord, make me holy, make me godly, teach me to pray these imprecatory prayers that the purposes which you have shown us in your word may be established."

Study Guide

Major Themes

Unity of Scripture

Summary: The Old and New Testaments are not in conflict; both teach the same truths about justice, mercy, and love, and imprecatory prayers are consistent with New Testament doctrine.

Evidence: Weaver shows that Paul in Romans 12 quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 and Proverbs 25:21-22, demonstrating that New Testament commands to love enemies are rooted in the Old Testament.

Divine Sovereignty in Judgment

Summary: Vengeance belongs to God alone, and believers must leave the outcome of imprecatory prayers entirely in His hands, trusting His perfect justice and mercy.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'when David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, it should be pointed out that always the matter is left entirely with God' and cites Romans 12:19.

Personal Righteousness and Clean Hands

Summary: Those who pray imprecations must maintain personal integrity and gracious actions toward enemies, ensuring they are not guilty of the same sins they pray against.

Evidence: Weaver highlights David's clean hands in Psalms 35 and 7, and his refusal to harm Saul or Shimei, emphasizing that David's actions were always kind.

Purposes of Imprecatory Prayer

Summary: Imprecatory prayers serve multiple divine purposes, including establishing righteousness, glorifying God, revealing His sovereignty, and promoting personal holiness.

Evidence: Weaver lists seven purposes from various psalms, such as Psalm 7:8-9 for righteousness, Psalm 58:10-11 for making God known, and Psalm 139:23-24 for self-examination.

Key Arguments

Imprecatory prayers are not contrary to the gospel or the command to love enemies.

Summary: Weaver argues that biblical love is defined by obedience to God's commands, not sentimentality, and that praying for judgment is consistent with loving one's enemies by acting biblically toward them.

Evidence: He states, 'love, according to the Bible, is obedience... So we love our enemies by acting biblically and scripturally toward them.'

The Old and New Testaments are unified in teaching both judgment and mercy.

Summary: Weaver demonstrates that Paul's instructions in Romans 12 are directly drawn from Old Testament passages, proving that the New Testament does not introduce a new ethic but reaffirms the old.

Evidence: He compares Romans 12:19-20 with Deuteronomy 32:35 and Proverbs 25:21-22, showing Paul's direct quotation.

Believers must leave the execution of judgment to God.

Summary: Weaver insists that while we may pray for judgment, we must not take personal vengeance, as God may choose to convert the wicked instead of destroying them, as with Saul of Tarsus.

Evidence: He says, 'we may lawfully pray against them... but at the same time, we have to leave it totally in the hands of God' and cites the conversion of Paul.

Imprecatory prayers are designed to promote righteousness and justice.

Summary: Weaver argues that these prayers are a means of crying out for God's righteous rule, as seen in the parable of the unjust judge, where God avenges His elect who cry to Him.

Evidence: He references Luke 18:1-8, emphasizing that God will avenge His elect speedily if they persistently pray for justice.

Praying imprecations cultivates a hatred of sin and a pursuit of holiness.

Summary: Weaver contends that praying against the wicked leads believers to examine their own hearts and desire to be free from sin, as David did in Psalm 139.

Evidence: He notes David's transition from hating God's enemies to praying 'Search me, O God, and know my heart' in Psalm 139:23-24.

Scripture References

Psalm 104:35

Context: The main text for the lecture: 'Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more.' Weaver uses this as a foundational imprecatory prayer.

Matthew 13:41-43

Context: Weaver references this to show that the righteous will shine when the wicked are removed, linking imprecation to the coming of the kingdom.

Psalm 7:9

Context: Cited as an example of a prayer for the wickedness of the wicked to end and the just to be established, similar to Psalm 104:35.

Romans 12:17-21

Context: Paul's command to not avenge ourselves but to leave room for God's wrath, which Weaver uses to show the New Testament basis for imprecation.

Deuteronomy 32:35

Context: Quoted by Paul in Romans 12:19, 'To me belongeth vengeance and recompense,' establishing God's sole right to judge.

Proverbs 25:21-22

Context: The Old Testament source for Romans 12:20, showing that feeding one's enemy is an Old Testament command.

Matthew 5:17-18

Context: Jesus' statement that He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it, used to argue for the continuity of the law's moral demands.

Matthew 15:1-9

Context: Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for nullifying God's law with their traditions, showing His commitment to the law.

Psalm 52:1-9

Context: David's imprecatory prayer against Doeg, who murdered 85 priests, demonstrating a biblical example of praying for judgment.

Psalm 35:11-22

Context: David's appeal to his clean hands while praying against false witnesses, showing the requirement of personal integrity.

Psalm 7:3-5

Context: David's conditional self-imprecation, offering to be punished if he has done wrong, demonstrating his clean hands.

Proverbs 24:17-18

Context: A warning not to rejoice when an enemy falls, lest God turn His wrath away, teaching humility in vindication.

1 Corinthians 5:4-5

Context: Paul's instruction to deliver a sinner to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, paralleling imprecatory prayers.

Psalm 7:8-9

Context: A prayer for the wickedness of the wicked to end and the just to be established, highlighting the concern for righteousness.

Luke 18:1-8

Context: The parable of the unjust judge, used to encourage persistent prayer for justice, with the promise that God will avenge His elect.

Psalm 58:6-11

Context: A severe imprecatory prayer asking God to break teeth and destroy the wicked, so that men will know God judges the earth.

Psalm 59:13

Context: A prayer to consume the wicked so that they know God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.

Psalm 83:17-18

Context: A prayer for the wicked to be put to shame and perish so that men may know that Jehovah is the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83:15-16

Context: A prayer to fill the faces of the wicked with shame that they may seek God's name, showing a redemptive purpose.

Psalm 69:24-28

Context: An imprecation asking God to pour out indignation and blot the wicked out of the book of the living, denying them blessings.

Historical References

David Dixon, Puritan pastor

Context: Weaver quotes Dixon's view that imprecatory prayers seek the conversion of God's elect enemies, not merely their destruction.

Doeg the Edomite

Context: Doeg murdered 85 priests; David prayed an imprecatory prayer against him in Psalm 52, but left the outcome to God.

Saul of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)

Context: Used as an example of a persecutor whom God converted instead of destroying, illustrating why judgment must be left to God.

Shimei, the Benjamite

Context: Shimei cursed David, but David refused to let Abishai kill him, demonstrating graciousness toward an enemy.

Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson

Context: Weaver quotes their maxim, 'Duty is ours. The consequences belong to God,' to illustrate leaving results to God.

Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar

Context: Mentioned as examples of rulers who learned of God's sovereignty through judgment.

Important Quotes

If any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them gives it the weight of their conversion and seeks it no more than the judgment should follow them only until they acknowledge their sin and turn and seek God.

Significance: This quote from David Dixon clarifies that imprecatory prayers can have a redemptive purpose, seeking the conversion of the elect among God's enemies.

To me belongeth vengeance and recompense.

Significance: God's declaration of His sole right to vengeance, foundational for understanding that imprecatory prayers must leave judgment to Him.

Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Significance: Paul's quotation of Deuteronomy 32:35 in Romans 12:19, reinforcing the New Testament basis for leaving vengeance to God.

Duty is ours. The consequences belong to God.

Significance: A maxim from Lee and Jackson that encapsulates the principle of acting righteously while leaving outcomes to God's sovereignty.

It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.

Significance: A warning from Hebrews 10:31 that underscores the seriousness of invoking God's judgment on the wicked.

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

Significance: Proverbs 24:17-18, teaching that believers must not gloat over the downfall of the wicked, but maintain humility.

Search me, O God, and know my heart, and try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

Significance: David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24, demonstrating how imprecatory praying leads to self-examination and a desire for holiness.

Discussion Questions

How does the unity of the Old and New Testaments challenge the common perception that imprecatory prayers are inconsistent with Christian love?

Context: Weaver argues that both testaments teach the same truths about judgment and mercy, using Romans 12 and its Old Testament sources.

In what practical ways can we leave the results of our prayers for justice entirely in God's hands, especially when we desire immediate action?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that biblical characters never took personal vengeance but trusted God's sovereign timing and methods.

What does it mean to have 'clean hands' when praying against evil, and how can we examine our own lives to ensure we are not guilty of the same sins?

Context: David's prayers in Psalms 7 and 35 show him appealing to his integrity and gracious actions toward enemies.

How does the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18) encourage us to persist in praying for righteousness and justice in our society?

Context: Weaver uses this parable to show that God will avenge His elect who cry out to Him, contrasting with the unjust judge.

In what ways can praying imprecatory prayers cultivate a deeper hatred of sin and a greater pursuit of personal holiness?

Context: Weaver points to Psalm 139, where David's hatred of God's enemies leads him to pray for self-examination.

How should we balance the desire for God's judgment on the wicked with the hope that some may repent and seek God, as seen in Psalm 83:15-16?

Context: Weaver notes that one purpose of imprecatory prayers is to cause the wicked to seek God, showing a redemptive aspect.

Applications

Trust God's sovereignty in judgment

Summary: Believers should pray for justice against evildoers but must leave the timing and method of judgment entirely to God, trusting His perfect will.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'we may lawfully pray against them... but at the same time, we have to leave it totally in the hands of God' and cites the conversion of Saul.

Maintain personal integrity and graciousness

Summary: When praying against enemies, we must ensure our own hands are clean and that we continue to act kindly and biblically toward them, as David did.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes David's clean hands in Psalms 35 and 7, and his refusal to harm Saul or Shimei.

Persist in prayer for righteousness

Summary: We are called to persistently cry out to God for justice and righteousness in our nation, churches, and personal lives, as the widow did before the unjust judge.

Evidence: Weaver references Luke 18:1-8, urging believers to pray and not faint, with the promise that God will avenge speedily.

Cultivate a hatred of sin through imprecatory praying

Summary: Praying these prayers should lead us to abhor sin in our own lives and pursue holiness, regularly examining our hearts as David did in Psalm 139.

Evidence: Weaver notes that after praying against the wicked, David immediately prayed for God to search his own heart.

Give God glory when He answers

Summary: When God vindicates or delivers us, we should publicly praise and thank Him, as David vowed to do in the great congregation.

Evidence: Weaver points to Psalm 35:18 and 28, where David commits to praising God among much people.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T04:00:54Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:34:25Z

Clean Transcript

The Imprecatory Prayer-2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Well, good evening again. We at Reedy River Presbyterian Church want to welcome all of you that are here tonight. Glad some of you are able to come back out, and it's good to see some new faces. You're in for a treat if you haven't heard Reverend Weaver before. And those of you that were here last night and know him know to have your seat belts buckled. He will take us through a rapid and thorough and lightning exposition as he talks about imprecatory prayers. For those that were not here last night, bathrooms are down in the fellowship—well, through the fellowship hall in the Sunday school wing near the kitchen.
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And during the program, it would be best probably to go out and around, although we are not videoing. And also make sure your cell phones are off. I don't think we had any go off last night that was disruptive, so that was good. We do have a free will offering basket in the back of the sanctuary for those that would like to make a gift to the expenses and his ministry. It's much appreciated and is put to good use. Pastor Weaver is a native of Georgia, graduate of Bob Jones University, both with a degree in arts and theology and also at the graduate school, been in Christian ministry for 40 years. He has preached in many places and his tapes have gone even further around the world. He was telling us last night of being asked about a church in Western Australia, right?
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But we're glad to have him here this evening and look forward to what else you might teach us on imprecatory prayers. And let me open us with prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we do thank you for this opportunity. We pray that you have already prepared Pastor Weaver the words that you want us to hear. We are all individuals. We hear things differently. We are in different places in our walk. And you can talk to each of us, and we pray that you will. We thank you for your word, for it reveals yourself to us. We pray that we will take it and apply it to our lives, not just on the first day of the week, but in all of our walk, wherever you may have us go in our work, in our recreation, our neighborhoods and in our family. And, O Lord, as we are taught specifically on this topic of imprecatory prayers.
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We pray that you would instruct us so that we can do this more properly, with good understanding, thoroughly, and for the sake of your kingdom here on earth. And it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Well, it's a joy to be back tonight. I'm thankful that you're here. And we're going to continue where we left off last night. I'm going to take just a few moments to review.
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I do want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 104 and verse 35. That is our text tonight. Psalm 104, verse 35. Psalm 104, verse 35. And let's look, if you would please, at that text. Psalm 104, verse 35: "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord."
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So last night, then, we began this study on imprecatory praying. And I tried to give you an explanation of what imprecatory praying really was, because an imprecation is an invocation of judgment. It is asking for calamity or curse upon one's enemy or upon God's enemies. And we saw last night how that imprecatory praying certainly is not contrary to the gospel. I gave you a quote from David Dixon, the Puritan pastor, who said this: "If any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them gives it the weight of their conversion and seeks it no more than the judgment should follow them only until they acknowledge their sin and turn and seek God." We also last night saw how imprecatory prayers were actually an appeal for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ.
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In fact, I shared with you that verse of Matthew 13, and I asked the question, when will the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of the Father as bright as the sun? And the answer is when the Son of Man shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and which do iniquity. And the Bible says, "And then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun." So very obviously, when David prayed in Psalm 104 and verse 35, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more," that is essentially the same as praying, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So to pray, then, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more" is no different from David's prayer request that he made in Psalm 7 and verse 9 when he said, "Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just."
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So each one of these requests, then, is a prayer for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. And then last night we observed that there is certainly no contradiction between imprecatory praying and the command of Christ to love our enemies and to do good to those that hate us. I took you through the Bible and showed you how love, according to the Bible, is obedience. It's not feeling, it's not sentimentality, it is obedience. And our Lord said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." And the Bible tells us that love indeed is the fulfilling of the law. So we love our enemies by acting biblically and scripturally toward them. We do good toward them by acting biblically and scripturally toward them.
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Now tonight, what I want to do is this. I want us to lay down certain broad and general principles dealing with imprecatory praying, and then I want to look primarily at some of the imprecatory prayers in the Bible and give you some specific purposes. That is why we're to use them, why we're to pray them, and what we should expect from them. And then, Lord willing, on Wednesday and Thursday night, I want to go to what I'm going to call the most difficult imprecatory prayer in the Bible, that Psalm 109, and try to expound that psalm for you so that you can see the application of imprecatory praying. So let me begin tonight by telling you this.
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First of all, whatever problems that one may have with the imprecations of the Old Testament, the tension between justice and mercy, love and hate, it is not a matter of law versus grace or the Old Testament versus the New Testament. The truth of the matter is this: we have one Bible and not two Bibles. The Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament. And the Old Testament and the New Testament teach exactly the same truth. For instance, if you look in the New Testament and read through the New Testament, you will find the New Testament has a great deal to say about judgment, justice, and condemnation. And likewise, the Old Testament has a great deal to say about brotherly love, loving your neighbor, helping your neighbor, not seeking vengeance. So very clearly, then, there's no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and there is no contradiction between law and grace. Now, I want you to hold Psalm 104, but turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Romans chapter 12.
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We read this passage last night, but I did not show you where Paul got this truth. And I want to do that tonight. So if you look in Romans chapter 12 very quickly, and let's begin reading there with verse 17. Look what the Apostle Paul writes: "Recompense to no man evil for evil, provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
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"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
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Now, I want you to examine this passage with me just momentarily. And I want you to turn, first of all, Romans 12, but turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 32 and look at verse 35. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. You're going to find an amazing truth here. And this is the exact same truth that the Apostle Paul quotes in Romans chapter 12. So, in Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, we read this, God speaks and He says, "To me belongeth vengeance and recompense."
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"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."
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Now, look what He said: "To me belongeth vengeance and recompense." Now, I want you to go back to Romans chapter 12 and look, if you would please, in verse 19. Paul writes, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." So the Apostle Paul takes the truth from Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, and he applies it here in the New Testament. You say, "Oh, but look down, if you would please, in verse 20. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink." Why? You don't find truth like that in the Old Testament, do you? Sure you do. Look back in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 25. Proverbs, chapter 25. And notice if you would be getting there with verse 21. Proverbs 25. And look, if you would please, at verse 21, a very interesting passage. Notice what the Bible says. Proverbs 25, verse 21: "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat."
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"And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee." Isn't that interesting? The Apostle Paul took that verse right out of the Old Testament. So Romans chapter 12 and verse 20, which we would call New Testament doctrine and New Testament teaching, is nothing more than a reiteration of the truth of God that is given in the Old Testament. Law and grace teach the same truth. You'll remember last night I pointed out from Matthew chapter 5, where our Lord said in verses 17 through 18, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."
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"For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." So our Lord is saying, "I did not come to abrogate, nullify, do away with the law. I came to fulfill it."
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Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed, as you read through the New Testament, that the Jews were always after our Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why? Well, look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 15, and I will show you very clearly why they were always after him. In Matthew 15, our Lord clearly sets the record straight. And he accuses them not only of violating God's law, but very clearly of following their own traditions rather than the law of God. So in Matthew chapter 15, let's begin reading there with verse 1. Look what the Bible says: "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread."
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Now, let me just stop there. This was not some sanitary exercise that they wanted the disciples to go through. No, no, this was a religious ritual. They had come from a marketplace, lest some germ of some Gentile dog, so to speak, had gotten upon their hands. They had to go through this ritualistic ceremonial cleansing. So they're asking our Lord, "Why is it that your disciples—" now look closely at verse 2.
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"Why do they transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread." But he answered and said unto them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother, and he that curseth father and mother, let him die the death. But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father and mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free." Look what he says: "Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Now watch: "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
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"But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." No wonder they were upset with our Lord Jesus Christ, because he was constantly and consistently validating and establishing the law of God and exposing all of their traditions and all of their ceremonies and all of their rituals that violated the law of God. So very clearly, in light of the imprecatory prayers, there can be no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. And certainly there is no contradiction between law and grace.
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They are not enemies, they are friends. Secondly, I want you to note this. When David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, that is when he asks God to curse his enemies or to smite the enemies or do anything like that, when David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, it should be pointed out that always the matter is left entirely with God. Let me explain what I mean by that. We may pray against the enemies of Christ, but the result is left completely in the hands of the sovereign God who is the judge of all the earth. In other words, God may judge. Or God may act as He pleases.
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You remember that passage in Romans 12. It's also in Hebrews chapter 10, other passages as well, where God says, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I will repay." So since vengeance belongs to God, it also belongs to God's prerogative to determine how He's going to act out or carry out His vengeance. You might remember this little idiom, this maxim, that was given to us by Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson: "Duty is ours. The consequences belong to God." And so whenever any biblical character prayed an imprecatory prayer, it was understood that the answer and the result was left entirely to God.
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Now, look through your Bibles and you will find that David prayed against Saul, Doeg, Ahithophel, and yet many others. But David never personally did them any harm, nor did he send a hit squad out after them. Now, Doeg was an exceedingly wicked man. Let me put it like this: Doeg deserved to die. Doeg was a murderer. The Bible tells us that Doeg, in 1 Samuel chapters 21 and 22—don't turn there—but Doeg murdered 85 of the Lord's priests. Eighty-five. Now, David was not king at that time, Saul was king, and so since David was not king, very obviously, David did not have any authority to do anything about it. In fact, David was not even there, so David could not have defended them. This happened after David was gone. And so what David does do is this: he prays an imprecatory prayer against Doeg. He could not stop Doeg. He could not defend the priests since he was not there. He had no ability to correct the situation except through prayer. And I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 52 at the prayer that David prays against Doeg.
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Psalm 52, it is an imprecatory prayer. Watch it very carefully. Psalm 52, and let's read it. It's a very short psalm. And if you look at your head notes, it says, "To the chief musician, Maschil, a psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech." Now watch this. Psalm 52, verse 1, David's praying against Doeg.
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"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually." Now look at Doeg: "Thy tongue deviseth mischief like a sharp razor working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee forever. He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living."
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"The righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise thee forever because thou hast done it."
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"I will wait on thy name, for it is good before thy saints." Now, let me ask you a question. Does anybody know what happened to Doeg? Now, remember, Doeg was the chief herdsman of King Saul. He was the chief. And when King Saul looked at his army and commanded them to fall upon the priests of the Lord, all of the army said, "We're not going to do that. We're not going to kill the Lord's priests." Doeg, who was an Edomite, said, "I'll do it." And he murdered 85.
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Like I said earlier, David was not there. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't defend. He was not king. He had no authority at that particular time. So he prayed this prayer. What happened to Doeg? I don't really know. The Bible doesn't say. But if you will look at verse 5, I can assure you I would not want to be in Doeg's place. He says, "God shall likewise destroy thee forever. He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living." Very obviously, God did indeed destroy Doeg in some particular way. Now, I want you to understand there is a principle that you and I can apply here, and that is this.
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that we may lawfully pray against those who are violating the law of God, abusing His people, trampling our Lord and His Word under their feet, and persecuting and prosecuting the righteous. We may lawfully pray against them and ask God to stop them, ask God to destroy them, but at the same time, we have to leave it totally in the hands of God. Why? Well, let me tell you why. God may be pleased to take that vile, blasphemous persecutor and convert him and make him our friend. You say, "God would never do something like that."
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He did to Saul of Tarsus. You remember how Saul was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Lord and against the Lord's people? And he went to Damascus, that if he found any of this way, that is, Christians, he might bring them back, men and women, and cast them into dungeons? Well, of course. If you were to take a vote in the first century of the man most likely to bust hell wide open, Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down.
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But what did God do? God saved him. God made him the friend of Christians and used him mightily to write a great portion of the New Testament. You see, when you leave things in God's hands, God may, in his own prerogative, restrain them, convert them, or remove them either temporarily or permanently. It is up to him. Vengeance belongs to him. He will repay. That's why we need to learn what Hebrews 10 and verse 31 teaches us: "It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God." Wow! It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. You and I better understand, once we ask God to plead our cause and to undertake for us, when the wicked fall into His hands, it is indeed a fearful thing.
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So in the Bible, when you find that men like David prayed these imprecatory prayers, they always left the result in God's hands. Thirdly, here's another very broad principle. As a whole, however severe David's imprecatory prayers were—and by the way, I'll show you a couple of them tonight and show you one particularly in the next two nights. And they were very severe. But listen carefully, however severe David's prayers were against his enemies, his personal actions toward his enemies were always gracious and kind. David prayed against Saul. Saul was seeking to kill David. He tried on numerous occasions, and twice God delivered Saul into David's hands. And David refused to kill him. The last time, Abishai looked at David and said, "Let me smite him to the earth this once. I promise you, David, I won't have to smite him a second time." Here's what he said literally: "David, I'll kill him so quickly he'll never know what hit him. Let me just smite him this one time." David said, "No. Don't smite him. Let him live."
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And Saul was out seeking David. David prayed against Saul, but he was kind and gracious to Saul. You remember in 2 Samuel, chapter 16, a Benjamite by the name of Shimei cursed David violently. And Abishai again said to David, "Why should this dead dog curse my king?" Now, David was king at that time. And he said, "Let me go over and take his head off. I'll teach him a lesson. He'll never curse you again." David said, "Abishai, Abishai, you sons of Zeruiah, you're too hard for me. No," he said in 2 Samuel 16 and verse 12, "it may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction and the Lord will requite me good for the cursing this day."
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So he said, "Let him live." Now Shimei was an enemy of David. But David was still gracious and kind to him. David, in appealing to the Lord for help against his enemies, always proclaimed his clean hands. You remember, I covered that last night, the clean hands doctrine. That means if you're going to ask God to do something to your enemies or to God's enemies, your hands must be clean of the very charges that you're leveling against them.
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You cannot be guilty of it, or else you literally indict yourself. So look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 35. This is another imprecatory prayer. I gave you a list of them last night. Not all of them, but just a simple list. Notice in Psalm 35, if you would please, how David again appeals to this clean hands doctrine, so to speak. And let's begin reading there with verse 11. Psalm 35, verse 11. David said, "False witnesses did rise up."
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"They laid to my charge things I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul." Now, notice they're doing evil. They're doing wickedness. They're doing wrong. But David is still doing good toward them. Now watch verse 13: "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into my own bosom."
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"I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother." David said, "I prayed for them. I really did. I tried to do right by them." Watch verse 15: "But in my adversity, they rejoiced and gathered themselves together. Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not. They did tear me and cease not."
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That is, they lied, they slandered, they mocked with hypocritical mockers at feasts. They gnashed upon me with their teeth. "Lord, how long wilt thou look on?" Look what he prays: "Rescue my soul from their destruction, my darling from the lions. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them wink with the eye that hateth me without a cause."
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"For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land." Now notice what David is saying: "Lord, I've tried to do what's right toward them. And yet, Lord, look how they're treating me." David is not fabricating his attitude. David is not lying concerning his actions. He is saying, "I was genuinely concerned about them. I really wanted to help them. I really prayed for them. I tried to treat them as a brother. I tried to treat them kindly. And look what they have done to me." And David is appealing in verse 22. Skip down. Look what he says: "This thou hast seen, O Lord, keep not silence. O Lord, be not far from me." In other words, "Lord, you're omniscient. You know everything. You've seen this. You know this is the truth." And David is saying, "Lord, my hands are clean in this." Look in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Another imprecatory prayer. And again, I want you to see how David is appealing to the clean hands doctrine.
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Notice Psalm 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. Psalm 7 and verse 3, David says this: "O Lord, my God, if I have done this—" now, watch carefully. "If I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust."
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Now, folks, let me ask you a question. Would you be willing to go to God in prayer and say, "Now, Lord, if I have acted wrongly, if I have acted evilly and sinfully, then Lord, let my enemy persecute me. Let him take my life. Let him tread me down in the dust"? I've got news for you folks. If my hands were not clean, if David's hands were not clean, I don't think I would be praying that prayer. And I don't think David would be praying that prayer. David was saying, "Look, I may pray viciously against my enemies."
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"But I'm still going to be kind to them. I'm still going to act graciously toward them." Let me put it like this: he's going to act biblically toward them. One of the most difficult exercises for the child of God is that of keeping the heart. I have a message on that passage in Proverbs 4, verse 23, where God says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." And I preach that message every day to myself. One of the most difficult things for the child of God to do is to keep his heart and to keep his heart right when God does indeed vindicate us. And when God does indeed judge us.
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I remember years ago, I preached in a church in a far off state a number of times. And I was friends with the pastor. I honestly tried to help him in any and every way that I could. And then one day I found out that the man was spreading some very vicious rumors about me and lying concerning me. And I immediately thought, "What in the world is going on?" And he not only attacked me, he did so publicly in front of a number of my pastor friends. And so I went to one of my dearest friends, who's, I think, one of the greatest counselors in America. I said, "What in the world is going on? I said, I've never done one thing to this brother except to try to help him and bless him."
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And he just simply looked at me and said this: "John, sit still. Be quiet. When the smoke clears, there's going to be a morality problem." And within a month, the smoke cleared. And he'd been having an affair with two or three women in the church. And he was attacking me to throw the onus off of himself. In other words, "Look over here, don't look at me, look over there."
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Modern day politicians do the same thing. And when all the smoke cleared, I knelt down and I prayed for him and I asked God to deal in his heart and to convict him and to grant him repentance. You know, although I was vindicated, I was not exalting in the vindication. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 24. Proverbs 24, and I want you to note verse 17. And I'm talking about keeping your heart. I'm talking about keeping your heart even when God does indeed vindicate you. Look in Proverbs 24 and verse 17. God says, "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth." Now, wait a minute. When God says, "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth," He is not saying don't be thankful that you're vindicated. He's not saying don't be thankful that wickedness is brought down. That's not what He's saying at all. Because don't you remember in Revelation 19, when the judgment of God fell, what did the people of God do?
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They said, "Hallelujah!" as the smoke of their torment arose forever and ever. They were praising God. They were thankful that they were vindicated. No, no. This is not talking about not being thankful. It's not talking about not rejoicing in the fact that God's Word has been vindicated and God has been honored. Let me show you what it means. Watch it. Proverbs 24, verse 17: "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from his enemy." Here's what he's saying.
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Don't get bent out of shape with pride and arrogance and think, "Aha, I've got a special connection with God. He's my guard dog." No, God said you better not do that. A principle that is enunciated over and over in Scripture is this, that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. David may have prayed fiercely, but his attitude and his actions were always gracious and kind. Here's what God is saying.
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You and I cannot be overcome with bitterness, resentful ill will, hatred, and unkindness. We cannot be filled with that. You know what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, let me quote it: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." It's not enough that we're not murderers. It's not enough that we're not whoremongers. It's not enough that we're not liars and drunkards. No, no, no. God said we need to cleanse ourselves not only from all filthiness of the flesh, but of the spirit. Pride, arrogance, ill will, bitterness, resentfulness, hatred, hot scowl with animosity.
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That's what he's talking about. And the only way that you can keep from pride and arrogance coming up in your life is to learn to be truly gracious and truly kind the way David and all of these other men—they may have prayed fiercely, but their actions and their attitudes were usually gracious and kind, even toward their enemies. Here's the fourth general principle. Church discipline and church denunciations in the New Testament are really not that much different from the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament. The New Testament contains many curses and denunciations.
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Do you remember it was the Apostle Paul who cursed Elymas and smote him with blindness for resisting the gospel in Acts chapter 13 verses 6 through 11. It was the Apostle Paul who pronounced an anathema, a curse, an imprecation upon anyone who would pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ in Galatians 1, 8 and 9. It was the Apostle Peter who in Acts 5, verses 1-11 pronounced the death sentence upon Ananias and Sapphira because they had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. It was the Apostle Paul who turned Alexander and Hymenaeus over to Satan in 1 Timothy 1, 20, that they may learn not to blaspheme. And it was the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 who told concerning a man who was living with his stepmother that he was to be delivered over to Satan to be put to death. In fact, according to the Bible, the final step in church discipline involves turning the sinner over to Satan.
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under God's sovereign control that he may be severely chastised even to the destruction of the flesh. When you talk about church discipline, you've got to remember first and foremost, the first goal is for God's honor and God's glory. The second goal is for the warning of others, and the third goal is hopefully for the repentance and restoration of the one that is disciplined. But let me read to you what the Apostle Paul said. Look, if you would, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, you'll see it in verses 4 and 5. 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, verses 4 and 5. He said this: "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
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Now, I want you to stop and think about this. As you read through the Bible, you will find all of these imprecations over and over. And we're going to look at one of the most difficult ones in the next two nights. You will find that David prayed fiercely. And he prayed against his enemies. You'll find that the Apostle Paul acted upon these principles as well. May I point out that if you and I really understood imprecatory praying and if we really understood what it was to be against God and against his word, if we really understood the awfulness and the depravity and the wickedness of our sins, we would not be nearly as comfortable with our lives
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as we are, I can assure you. Because we would understand what sin is all about.
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Now, I've given you four general principles. What I want to do now is this. I want to take you through some of these imprecatory prayers, and I want to show you the purpose of these prayers. Why should you pray these imprecatory prayers? Well, I will show you from the Bible why you should pray them. First, in the imprecatory prayers, there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. And by the way, I believe God knows we need all the righteousness we can get in this country today. And we need all the righteousness we can get in our churches, and in our families, and in our personal lives.
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But look in Psalm 7, if you would please. That's another imprecatory psalm. Psalm 7. Look, if you would please, at verses 8 and 9. Psalm 7, verse 8: "The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, for the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." Now, I want you to note, I just read those two verses, but let's go back to verse 6 and let's begin reading. Look at this prayer: "Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies, and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about."
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"For their sakes, therefore, return thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me. O, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins. My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." In this prayer, David is seeking for righteousness to be established. He wants the wickedness of the wicked to come to an end. He said, "but establish thou the just." Do you understand that righteousness is foundational to this prayer in Psalm 7? Righteousness is foundational in imprecatory prayers. Are we concerned with righteousness? Do we want to see God's righteousness established in the earth? David prayed in Psalm 118 and verse 19, "Open to me the gates of righteousness, and I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord." Open to me the gates of righteousness, and I will go into them.
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Do you realize that our Lord, according to Jeremiah 33 and verse 15, came to establish righteousness? The Bible says, "In those days, and at that time, I will cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land." You know, all through the Old Testament, you read about righteousness. It's mentioned in the New Testament as well. But let me tell you something that I think is extremely painful. When you look at the prayers of David and the prayers of Daniel and the prayers of Ezra and Nehemiah.
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But the only conclusion that you can come to is this: many of these Old Testament saints were more concerned about righteousness than are the New Testament saints. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 18. Luke 18, notice if you would, verse 1. Luke 18, verse 1: "He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint." Notice what our Lord says: "Saying, There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man." By the way, if there is no fear of God, there will never be any regard for man. He says, "There was a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man." Watch verse 3: "And there was a widow in that city and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterwards, he said within himself, Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."
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Now, stop there just for a moment. Here was this unjust judge. He had no concern for justice. He had no concern for righteousness. He had no concern for principle and truth or liberty and freedom. And this little widow woman just kept coming, saying, "Avenge me of mine adversary, avenge me of mine adversary."
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Finally, here's what he said: "I don't care for God. I have no fear of God. I have no regard for man. Yet here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give this little widow woman what she wants just to get her off my back. She's in my hair. She's bothering me. She's upsetting me. I've got other things I'd rather do than to listen to this little widow. I'll give her what she wants just to get rid of her."
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I want you to see the application that our Lord himself makes. Look, if you would please, in verse 6. "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith." Are you listening? "Hear what the unjust judge saith." Do you think God is like this unjust judge? No. He said, "And shall not God avenge his own elect who cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you, he will avenge them speedily." Why is God not doing something? I'll tell you why. Because we're not crying. We're not praying. We're not asking God for justice. We're not asking God for righteousness. The Bible says that God is not like that unjust judge. God is concerned about righteousness. God is concerned about justice.
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But evidently, His people aren't. They're not crying. They're not praying these imprecatory prayers. One of the purposes of imprecatory praying is to see that righteousness and justice are established. And by the way, I hope you know this, but in the Hebrew, the word for righteousness and the word for justice are one and the same. If something is right, it is just. If something is just, it is right. You cannot have righteousness without justice and you cannot have justice without righteousness. And God says we should learn to pray these prayers that righteousness may be established. Secondly, in imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God praised and honored when the prayers are answered and the righteous delivered.
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Let's go back to Psalm 7 and Psalm 35, because these are two prayers that we looked at earlier. And I want you to note in Psalm 7 first and verse 17, what David says after he prays this imprecatory prayer. Psalm 7 verse 17, he says, "I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high." In other words, when God hears my prayer, when God answers me, I'm going to praise him. I'm going to give him the honor and the glory. Look in Psalm 35, another imprecatory prayer. Notice what David says in verse 18. Psalm 35, verse 18. He says, "I will give thee thanks in the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people." Now, if you'll skip down to verse 28, he says this: "And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." One of the purposes of these imprecatory prayers is there is a desire to see God honored and glorified and to receive the praise and worship that is due his name when these prayers are answered.
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Do you realize, if I had the time tonight and you had the time tonight, and we took testimonies, I can assure you there are a multitude of times in your life that God has delivered you, preserved you, protected you, answered your prayers, and you've still not given Him the praise and the honor and the glory that's due in His name. I'll tell you this, folks. The truth of the matter is this, God does this for us so often and so much. Most of the time, we're not even aware what God is doing for us. I hate trains. I really do, I hate trains. I tell people laughingly, jokingly.
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If there's ever another revolution, I want to be the one who blows up train tracks. Now, the reason I hate trains is I hate to come to a long train and just sit there and wait.
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Now, if I had my Bible or a book, I don't mind. I can sit there all day long. I can wait all day. But if I don't have something to read, you know, I just don't like sitting there at the train waiting. But there have been times probably without my knowledge I had to wait on a train. And God's sovereign providence detained me to keep me out of a wreck somewhere down the road. I'm just saying we don't even know how many times God has protected us, but there is a purpose in these prayers that when it is known we're to give him the honor and the glory. Thirdly, in imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose and design so that men may know indeed that there is a God in the earth. And that he is just and that he rewards the righteous and punishes the evildoers.
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I want you to look at Psalm 58. Oh, you talk about a psalm, my soul. I want you to look at Psalm 58. I've got a message on this psalm. And you say, "That's not a pleasant message, I bet." No, it's not a pleasant message, but it's still the truth. But I want you to look at it, look at Psalm 58, and I want you to notice how David prays these imprecatory prayers. He says in verse 6 of Psalm 58, "Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth." That's painful, folks. "Break their teeth in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord," that is those princes, those in authority.
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"Let them melt away as waters which run continually, when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows. Let them be as cut in pieces. Let them be as a snail which melteth. Let every one of them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living and in his wrath."
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"The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked."
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Now watch this: "So that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, he is a God that judgeth in the earth." Why did David pray all of those imprecations? "Break their teeth, O God. Break out their teeth in their mouth. Let them melt away. Let them be cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail that melts before the sun. Let them be like a woman in an untimely birth. Let them be burned. Let them be taken away as with a whirlwind." Why did he pray all that? So that a man may say, "Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, He is a God that judgeth in the earth."
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You see, that purpose is indeed confirmed by general truths in the Bible. For instance, Psalm 9 in verse 16 says, "The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." The truth is this, folks: God will either be known in salvation or condemnation, but he will be made known to the world in one of those two ways. Therefore, both the righteous and the wicked shall know that there is a God in all the earth, the righteous in salvation, the wicked in condemnation. But David said, "I'm praying this prayer for the purpose that men will know that there is a God who rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked." Fourthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose that all may know that God is absolutely sovereign.
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And that he is the governor of the universe, that is, he rules over all. If you look in Psalm 59, another imprecatory prayer, in verse 13, look what he prays. Psalm 59, verse 13: "Consume them by wrath. Consume them that they may not be. And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth." Wow. "Consume them. Let them know that you're God."
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Let me tell you something, folks. It's not enough that we pray and ask God to send his righteous judgment. We should pray and ask God to send His righteous judgment in such a way that everyone knows it's God who does this. I get so upset when I listen to these weather people talk about Mother Nature. It's not Mother Nature. It's Father God. Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, droughts, floods, they all come from God. God controls the weather, not Mother Nature.
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If you look in Psalm 83, turn over just a few pages, verses 17 and 18. Look what we read, Psalm 83, verse 17: "Let them be confounded and troubled forever. Yea, let them be put to shame and perish." Now, wait a minute. Why is he praying that the wicked will be confounded and troubled forever? Why is he praying that they will be put to shame and perish? Here's why.
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"That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth." Isn't that amazing? Do you realize there is a truth that when God judges the wicked and rebellion for their sins, there are some who learn the hard way that God is sovereign. Ask Pharaoh, ask Nebuchadnezzar. They found out who God is. In fact, I was telling Mark and Kevin.
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I'm working on two messages which I'm looking so forward to preaching in the next few weeks. "Who is that God?" Nebuchadnezzar in his ignorance and arrogance said, "Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Well, God showed him, God told him, he found out who that God was. So there is a purpose in these imprecatory prayers that men will find out that God is the sovereign. Fifthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's also a purpose of causing the wicked to seek God.
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Now, let me explain that. You see, some who experience the righteous judgment of God do indeed learn a lesson. Not all of them. All you've got to do is read Revelation 6, read a lot of other passages. God sends his judgment. They yet still continue in their sins and their rebellion. But some do learn. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 83, if you would, please. We're already there. Psalm 83, verse 15. Look what he says.
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"So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name." What? "Persecute them with thy tempest. Make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name." Well, some, in seeing God's righteous judgment, do indeed seek Him. In Isaiah 51 and verse 4, the Word of God says, "Hearken to me, my people, and give ear unto me, O my nation, for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Notice God said, "I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Some will see it. Some will acknowledge it. Some will repent and bow and seek His grace and mercy.
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Multitudes probably will not, but some shall. The sixth purpose of these imprecatory prayers is that there's a purpose in them in keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous. In keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous, turn back, if you would, to Psalm 69, another imprecatory prayer, Psalm 69. And look, if you would please, at verse 28, what David prays. In fact, wow.
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This is quite a psalm. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 25 and verse 24, all of it's so good. David prays, "Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents, for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness." Now watch verse 28.
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"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous." Let them be blotted out of the book of the living. What's he saying? We'll find out more tomorrow night, but here's what he's saying: "Kill them. Take their lives. Cut them off, do not allow them to live." May I remind you that one of the promises of long life in the Bible is to the righteous.
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What is the fifth commandment? "Honor thy father and thy mother." Why? "That thy days may be long upon the earth which the Lord thy God hath promised thee." In other words, longness or longevity of life is to the righteous for their obedience to God. That's one of the blessings. What's one of the curses? Well, Psalm 55 verse 23, the Bible says this: "But thou, O God, shalt bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in thee," said David. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. In other words, God will cut them down in the prime of life. One of the purposes of these imprecatory prayers is to make sure that the wicked do not enjoy the same privileges as do the righteous.
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And seventhly, let me try to tie it together tonight. In imprecatory prayers, we learn to have an abhorrence for sin and disobedience. I want you to think: if you and I were to get down on our knees tonight and we covenanted together and prayed together that God would destroy the wicked, that He would blot them out—let's put some of these prayers together. Let's pray tonight as we get on our knees that God would break their teeth in their mouth. That God would cast them down that they rise not up again. That God would let them melt as a snail before the fire. That God would cut them in pieces. That God would take them away in His wrath in a whirlwind. That God would shoot His arrows into their soul. That God would blot them out of the land of the living. If you and I are praying those prayers, I think we would tend to think, "We don't want to be in that group. And if I'm not wicked, that means I have to be righteous."
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If I'm not disobedient, that means I have to be obedient. If I'm not ungodly, that means I must be godly. When you and I learn to pray these prayers, it teaches us to hate sin and to hate wickedness. We realize that judgment is the just and righteous punishment for sin and rebellion. Let me show you. Look in Psalm 139. I love this psalm. It is so beautiful. It is so wonderful. But I want you to notice how David ends Psalm 139. And let's begin reading there with verse 21, Psalm 139, verse 21, David says: "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred."
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"I count them mine enemies." Now stop. What has David just said? "Do not I hate them that hate thee, O Lord? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies." Now watch. In the very next breath, he prays, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, and try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." When David prays against the wicked, he then comes back to himself and says, "Oh God, I don't want to be like them. I don't want to act like them. I don't want to talk like them. I just don't want to be one of them. Lord, search me. Try me. Make me holy. Make me godly." You see, when you understand these prayers, it's going to make you be grieved with sin and disobedience and rebellion. You'll understand that your sin dishonors God. Your sin violates His law. Your sin repudiates His work. Your sin is a mockery of His graciousness and kindness and goodness.
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And then you hear Him in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4 talking about sin. God says, "Oh, do not that abominable thing which I hate!" And you start praying these prayers. You're going to see how God hates sin and how you ought to hate sin. And then all of a sudden you're going to be saying, "Oh God, make me holy as thou art holy. Thou hast commanded me, be ye holy for I am holy. You have commanded me, Lord, to present my body a living sacrifice. You've commanded me not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. You've commanded me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, body, being, spirit, all. God, help me!" You will learn that there is a purpose in praying these prayers.
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May I remind you that 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17 say this: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And these imprecatory prayers are for our doctrine, for our correction, for our reproof, for our instruction in righteousness. We need to learn to pray, "Lord, make me holy, make me godly, teach me to pray these imprecatory prayers that the purposes which you have shown us in your word may be established."
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Not only in my life, in my house, in my church, in my state, but in my nation and in the world. For God is the sovereign of all the earth. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this night. We're so thankful that you've given us your word and the truth in your word. And Lord, we are indeed the victors and not the victims.
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We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Teach us to pray. Teach us to be holy. Teach us to be godly. Teach us to cry out to Thee for justice and righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T04:00:54Z

The Imprecatory Prayer-2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this second lecture on imprecatory praying, John Weaver establishes broad principles for understanding imprecatory prayers, emphasizing their consistency across both Testaments and the necessity of leaving vengeance to God. He then examines specific biblical imprecatory prayers to outline seven purposes for praying them, including the establishment of righteousness, the glorification of God, and the cultivation of personal holiness.

Opening

Introduction and Review

Scripture Reading — Psalm 104:35

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord."

Scripture Reading — Matthew 13:41-43

"And then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun."

General Principle 1: Unity of Scripture

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:17-21

"Recompense to no man evil for evil, provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

General Principle 2: Leaving Results to God

Psalm 52, it is an imprecatory prayer. Watch it very carefully. Psalm 52, and let's read it. It's a very short psalm. And if you look at your head notes, it says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 52:1-9

"To the chief musician, Maschil, a psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech."

Now watch this. Psalm 52, verse 1, David's praying against Doeg.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 52:1-9

"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually."

Now look at Doeg:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 52:1-9

"Thy tongue deviseth mischief like a sharp razor working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee forever. He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living."

General Principle 3: Gracious Personal Actions

However severe David's prayers were, his personal actions toward his enemies were consistently gracious and kind, and he maintained clean hands, not being guilty of the sins he prayed against.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 35:11-22

"For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 35:11-22

"This thou hast seen, O Lord, keep not silence. O Lord, be not far from me."

Notice Psalm 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. Psalm 7 and verse 3, David says this:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:3-5

"O Lord, my God, if I have done this—"

now, watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:3-5

"If I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 24:17-18

"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from

his enemy." Here's what he's saying.

General Principle 4: New Testament Parallels

Church discipline and apostolic denunciations in the New Testament are similar to Old Testament imprecations, including curses, turning sinners over to Satan, and pronouncing death sentences.

as we are, I can assure you. Because we would understand what sin is all about.

Purpose 1: Concern for Righteousness

Imprecatory prayers express a deep desire for righteousness and justice to be established, as seen in Psalm 7 and the parable of the unjust judge in Luke 18.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:8-9

"For their sakes, therefore, return thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me. O, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins. My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day."

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint."

Notice what our Lord says:

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"Saying, There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man."

By the way, if there is no fear of God, there will never be any regard for man. He says,

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"There was a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man."

Watch verse 3:

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"And there was a widow in that city and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterwards, he said within himself, Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

Purpose 2: Desire for God's Praise

These prayers aim to see God honored and praised when He answers and delivers the righteous, as David vows in Psalms 7 and 35.

Purpose 3: Making God Known

Imprecations are prayed so that people will know there is a God who judges the earth and rewards the righteous, as stated in Psalm 58.

Purpose 4: Demonstrating God's Sovereignty

Praying for judgment reveals God's absolute sovereignty over all the earth, as seen in Psalms 59 and 83.

If you look in Psalm 83, turn over just a few pages, verses 17 and 18. Look what we read, Psalm 83, verse 17:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 83:17-18

"Let them be confounded and troubled forever. Yea, let them be put to shame and perish."

Now, wait a minute. Why is he praying that the wicked will be confounded and troubled forever? Why is he praying that they will be put to shame and perish? Here's why.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 83:17-18

"That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth."

Purpose 5: Causing the Wicked to Seek God

Some who experience God's righteous judgment may be driven to seek His name, as indicated in Psalm 83:15-16.

Purpose 6: Withholding Blessings from the Wicked

Imprecatory prayers seek to prevent the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous, such as long life, as in Psalm 69:28.

This is quite a psalm. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 25 and verse 24, all of it's so good. David prays,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:24-28

"Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents, for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness."

Now watch verse 28.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:24-28

"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous."

Purpose 7: Cultivating Hatred of Sin

Praying these prayers teaches believers to abhor sin and disobedience, leading to self-examination and a pursuit of holiness, as modeled in Psalm 139.

The Imprecatory Prayer-2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	31211424306727
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: The Hallelujah of Confession
Genre	Sermon
Date	2010-03-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 046: The Imprecatory Prayer — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	90

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the previous lecture, defining imprecation as an invocation of judgment and reiterating that such prayers are not contrary to the gospel, but are appeals for the fullness of Christ's kingdom.
General Principle 1: Unity of Scripture: The tension between justice and mercy is not a matter of Old Testament versus New Testament; both testaments teach the same truths about judgment and love, as demonstrated by Paul's use of Old Testament passages in Romans 12.
General Principle 2: Leaving Results to God: When biblical characters prayed imprecations, they always left the outcome entirely in God's sovereign hands, recognizing that vengeance belongs to Him and He may choose to convert, restrain, or destroy.
General Principle 3: Gracious Personal Actions: However severe David's prayers were, his personal actions toward his enemies were consistently gracious and kind, and he maintained clean hands, not being guilty of the sins he prayed against.
General Principle 4: New Testament Parallels: Church discipline and apostolic denunciations in the New Testament are similar to Old Testament imprecations, including curses, turning sinners over to Satan, and pronouncing death sentences.
Purpose 1: Concern for Righteousness: Imprecatory prayers express a deep desire for righteousness and justice to be established, as seen in Psalm 7 and the parable of the unjust judge in Luke 18.
Purpose 2: Desire for God's Praise: These prayers aim to see God honored and praised when He answers and delivers the righteous, as David vows in Psalms 7 and 35.
Purpose 3: Making God Known: Imprecations are prayed so that people will know there is a God who judges the earth and rewards the righteous, as stated in Psalm 58.
Purpose 4: Demonstrating God's Sovereignty: Praying for judgment reveals God's absolute sovereignty over all the earth, as seen in Psalms 59 and 83.
Purpose 5: Causing the Wicked to Seek God: Some who experience God's righteous judgment may be driven to seek His name, as indicated in Psalm 83:15-16.
Purpose 6: Withholding Blessings from the Wicked: Imprecatory prayers seek to prevent the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous, such as long life, as in Psalm 69:28.
Purpose 7: Cultivating Hatred of Sin: Praying these prayers teaches believers to abhor sin and disobedience, leading to self-examination and a pursuit of holiness, as modeled in Psalm 139.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Imprecatory prayers are not contrary to the gospel or the command to love enemies.

Weaver argues that biblical love is defined by obedience to God's commands, not sentimentality, and that praying for judgment is consistent with loving one's enemies by acting biblically toward them.

He states, 'love, according to the Bible, is obedience... So we love our enemies by acting biblically and scripturally toward them.'

The Old and New Testaments are unified in teaching both judgment and mercy.

Weaver demonstrates that Paul's instructions in Romans 12 are directly drawn from Old Testament passages, proving that the New Testament does not introduce a new ethic but reaffirms the old.

He compares Romans 12:19-20 with Deuteronomy 32:35 and Proverbs 25:21-22, showing Paul's direct quotation.

Believers must leave the execution of judgment to God.

Weaver insists that while we may pray for judgment, we must not take personal vengeance, as God may choose to convert the wicked instead of destroying them, as with Saul of Tarsus.

He says, 'we may lawfully pray against them... but at the same time, we have to leave it totally in the hands of God' and cites the conversion of Paul.

Imprecatory prayers are designed to promote righteousness and justice.

Weaver argues that these prayers are a means of crying out for God's righteous rule, as seen in the parable of the unjust judge, where God avenges His elect who cry to Him.

He references Luke 18:1-8, emphasizing that God will avenge His elect speedily if they persistently pray for justice.

Praying imprecations cultivates a hatred of sin and a pursuit of holiness.

Weaver contends that praying against the wicked leads believers to examine their own hearts and desire to be free from sin, as David did in Psalm 139.

He notes David's transition from hating God's enemies to praying 'Search me, O God, and know my heart' in Psalm 139:23-24.

Scripture References

Psalm 104:35: The main text for the lecture: 'Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more.' Weaver uses this as a foundational imprecatory prayer.
Matthew 13:41-43: Weaver references this to show that the righteous will shine when the wicked are removed, linking imprecation to the coming of the kingdom.
Psalm 7:9: Cited as an example of a prayer for the wickedness of the wicked to end and the just to be established, similar to Psalm 104:35.
Romans 12:17-21: Paul's command to not avenge ourselves but to leave room for God's wrath, which Weaver uses to show the New Testament basis for imprecation.
Deuteronomy 32:35: Quoted by Paul in Romans 12:19, 'To me belongeth vengeance and recompense,' establishing God's sole right to judge.
Proverbs 25:21-22: The Old Testament source for Romans 12:20, showing that feeding one's enemy is an Old Testament command.
Matthew 5:17-18: Jesus' statement that He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it, used to argue for the continuity of the law's moral demands.
Matthew 15:1-9: Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for nullifying God's law with their traditions, showing His commitment to the law.
Psalm 52:1-9: David's imprecatory prayer against Doeg, who murdered 85 priests, demonstrating a biblical example of praying for judgment.
Psalm 35:11-22: David's appeal to his clean hands while praying against false witnesses, showing the requirement of personal integrity.
Psalm 7:3-5: David's conditional self-imprecation, offering to be punished if he has done wrong, demonstrating his clean hands.
Proverbs 24:17-18: A warning not to rejoice when an enemy falls, lest God turn His wrath away, teaching humility in vindication.
1 Corinthians 5:4-5: Paul's instruction to deliver a sinner to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, paralleling imprecatory prayers.
Psalm 7:8-9: A prayer for the wickedness of the wicked to end and the just to be established, highlighting the concern for righteousness.
Luke 18:1-8: The parable of the unjust judge, used to encourage persistent prayer for justice, with the promise that God will avenge His elect.
Psalm 58:6-11: A severe imprecatory prayer asking God to break teeth and destroy the wicked, so that men will know God judges the earth.
Psalm 59:13: A prayer to consume the wicked so that they know God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 83:17-18: A prayer for the wicked to be put to shame and perish so that men may know that Jehovah is the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 83:15-16: A prayer to fill the faces of the wicked with shame that they may seek God's name, showing a redemptive purpose.
Psalm 69:24-28: An imprecation asking God to pour out indignation and blot the wicked out of the book of the living, denying them blessings.

Historical References

David Dixon, Puritan pastor: Weaver quotes Dixon's view that imprecatory prayers seek the conversion of God's elect enemies, not merely their destruction.
Doeg the Edomite: Doeg murdered 85 priests; David prayed an imprecatory prayer against him in Psalm 52, but left the outcome to God.
Saul of Tarsus (Apostle Paul): Used as an example of a persecutor whom God converted instead of destroying, illustrating why judgment must be left to God.
Shimei, the Benjamite: Shimei cursed David, but David refused to let Abishai kill him, demonstrating graciousness toward an enemy.
Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson: Weaver quotes their maxim, 'Duty is ours. The consequences belong to God,' to illustrate leaving results to God.
Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar: Mentioned as examples of rulers who learned of God's sovereignty through judgment.

Important Quotes

If any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them gives it the weight of their conversion and seeks it no more than the judgment should follow them only until they acknowledge their sin and turn and seek God.

This quote from David Dixon clarifies that imprecatory prayers can have a redemptive purpose, seeking the conversion of the elect among God's enemies.

To me belongeth vengeance and recompense.

God's declaration of His sole right to vengeance, foundational for understanding that imprecatory prayers must leave judgment to Him.

Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Paul's quotation of Deuteronomy 32:35 in Romans 12:19, reinforcing the New Testament basis for leaving vengeance to God.

Duty is ours. The consequences belong to God.

A maxim from Lee and Jackson that encapsulates the principle of acting righteously while leaving outcomes to God's sovereignty.

It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.

A warning from Hebrews 10:31 that underscores the seriousness of invoking God's judgment on the wicked.

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

Proverbs 24:17-18, teaching that believers must not gloat over the downfall of the wicked, but maintain humility.

Search me, O God, and know my heart, and try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24, demonstrating how imprecatory praying leads to self-examination and a desire for holiness.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the unity of the Old and New Testaments challenge the common perception that imprecatory prayers are inconsistent with Christian love?

[Context]

Weaver argues that both testaments teach the same truths about judgment and mercy, using Romans 12 and its Old Testament sources.

[Question]

In what practical ways can we leave the results of our prayers for justice entirely in God's hands, especially when we desire immediate action?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that biblical characters never took personal vengeance but trusted God's sovereign timing and methods.

[Question]

What does it mean to have 'clean hands' when praying against evil, and how can we examine our own lives to ensure we are not guilty of the same sins?

[Context]

David's prayers in Psalms 7 and 35 show him appealing to his integrity and gracious actions toward enemies.

[Question]

How does the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18) encourage us to persist in praying for righteousness and justice in our society?

[Context]

Weaver uses this parable to show that God will avenge His elect who cry out to Him, contrasting with the unjust judge.

[Question]

In what ways can praying imprecatory prayers cultivate a deeper hatred of sin and a greater pursuit of personal holiness?

[Context]

Weaver points to Psalm 139, where David's hatred of God's enemies leads him to pray for self-examination.

[Question]

How should we balance the desire for God's judgment on the wicked with the hope that some may repent and seek God, as seen in Psalm 83:15-16?

[Context]

Weaver notes that one purpose of imprecatory prayers is to cause the wicked to seek God, showing a redemptive aspect.

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