Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law

Imprecatory Praying Part 2 of 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-02-03

Synopsis: In this second part of a series on imprecatory praying, Pastor John Weaver reviews the definition and biblical basis for imprecatory prayers, then lays out broad principles and specific purposes for such prayers. He argues that there is no tension between Old Testament imprecations and New Testament commands to love enemies, because both Testaments teach the same truths about justice, mercy, and leaving vengeance to God. He emphasizes that biblical imprecators left results entirely with God, maintained clean hands and gracious conduct toward enemies, and prayed with a concern for God's righteousness, honor, and the establishment of His kingdom. The lecture concludes that praying imprecatory prayers should lead believers to greater personal holiness and hatred of sin.

[John Weaver] Open your Bibles into Psalm 104 and verse 35. Psalm 104 and verse 35. Lord willing, today we're going to take up the second part on imprecatory praying. Psalm 104, and notice if you would please verse 35. There are going to be at least two more messages So I'm going to try to set the stage today for the two messages that follow. So Psalm 104 and verse 35, look at David's prayer request.

[John Weaver] 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. Note, let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. You remember when I started this message last week, I told you what imprecatory praying really was. An imprecation is an invocation for judgment, calamity, or curse upon one's enemies or the enemies of God. Now I spent a great deal of time last week showing you that imprecatory praying is not contrary to the gospel. I gave you this quote last week.

[John Weaver] I want to give it to you again. It's from the Puritan David Dixon who said this, If any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them giveth away to their conversion, and seeketh no more than that the judgment should follow them, only until they acknowledge their sin, turn, and seek God. So what he is saying is very simple. If one of God's elect is in that group that we're praying against, all the judgment will do will follow him until he repents and turns to God.

[John Weaver] We also saw last week how the imprecatory prayers were used for an appeal for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. I particularly pointed out from Matthew 13, and I ask this question, when will the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of their Father as the brightness of the sun and the Bible tells us this the answer is when the Son of Man shall send forth his angels and shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and then which do iniquity so then the Bible says the righteous shall shine forth as the brightness of the sun in other words when David prayed let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more that is no different than praying, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So to pray, let the wicked be consumed out of the earth, or let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more, is no different than praying in Psalm 7 in verse 9, O that the wickedness of the wicked shall come to an end, but establish thou

[John Weaver] the just. Each one of these prayer requests is a request for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. We also observed last week that there is no contradiction between imprecatory praying and the command of Jesus Christ to love your enemies and do good to those that hate you. Biblical love, I pointed out, is the fulfilling of the law. So very obviously we love our enemies when we act biblically toward them. We do that which is holy, just, and right, even if they do that which is wicked and wrong. So today what I want to do is this, after that brief review, is I want to lay down certain broad principles that we find in imprecatory praying. And then I want to descend more particularly and show you the purposes that are involved in imprecatory praying. So let's begin with these broad general principles first. The very first one is this. Whatever problems that we have with the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament, the tension between justice and mercy, love and hate is not a matter of the Old Testament versus the New Testament or a matter of law versus grace.

[John Weaver] So whatever problems that anyone has in their minds or what any problem that anyone can come up with, it cannot be a pitting of the Old Testament against the New Testament or the law against grace. We have one Bible, not two Bibles. The same God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. you will find that the New Testament has a great deal to say about justice, and wrath, and condemnation. And likewise, the Old Testament has a great deal to say about faith, love, and mercy, and especially loving your neighbor as yourself. So there is no contradiction between law and grace, and there is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12.

[John Weaver] We looked at this passage last week. I'm not necessarily going to expound or explain it, but I do want to point out something for you. I want you to look in Romans chapter 12, if you would please. Verses 17 through 21. Watch carefully. God says, recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible as much as life, then you live peaceably with all men.

[John Weaver] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I will repay. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirsts, 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 you say, Aha! That is the New Testament teaching. We're to leave vengeance to the Lord. We're to do good toward our enemy. Well, that is true.

[John Weaver] That is exactly what that passage says. But I want you to find out where the Apostle Paul got this truth. I want you to look back in your Bibles first to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32 and look if you would please at verse 35. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. Now you can see where Paul got this one quote. For in Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, God says this, 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 make haste. Ah, so the apostle Paul got this verse, Vengeance belongeth unto me, saith the Lord, from the law. And if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 25, look at verses 21 and 22, and you'll see where the Apostle Paul got the rest of his New Testament teaching. Proverbs 25, notice verse 21. Look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] 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? Romans chapter 12, New Testament grace is taken from Old Testament law very pointedly. So God says, very clearly that the New Testament is a reiteration and teaching of the same truth that we have in the Old Testament. Now you'll remember that last week I pointed out how that in Matthew chapter 5 our Lord was not establishing a new law, rather what he was doing was establishing the law of the Old Testament. He said in Matthew 5 verses 17 and 18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law of the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

[John Weaver] For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Now I've told you before what a jot and a tittle is. If you watch my finger, I will make a jot. or Jod or Yod, it is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet there. You didn't see it. Number one, you weren't looking. Number two, it was too small. Notice, that is a Jod or a Jod.

[John Weaver] It looks like our comma only smaller. Now, our Lord said it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest Hebrew letter to pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Well, what is a tittle? A tittle is not even a Hebrew letter. There's a small distinguishing mark between two Hebrew letters. For instance, if I were to write the word little, L-I-T-T-L-E, suppose I make my T's fat and they look like the L's. Or maybe I make my I fat and it kind of looks like an L too.

[John Weaver] How do I know which is the I? How do I know which is the T? I'll go back, I'll put a dot over the I and I'll put a little cross over the T. Now the dot over the I and the cross over the T is not a letter, it's just a small distinguishing mark between the other letters. That's what a tittle is. So our Lord said, think not that I'm come to destroy the law of the prophets, I'm not come to destroy but fulfill. Verily I say unto you, it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than it is for the smallest Hebrew letter or the smallest distinguishing mark between two Hebrew letters pass away till all be fulfilled." So very obviously our Lord did not come to set aside the law.

[John Weaver] You have to remember that the Jews were constantly replacing God's law with their traditions. Look in your Bibles to Matthew 15. That is what got our Lord in trouble so many times with the Jews. It was not that he was violating the law, He was violating their interpretation of the law and their traditions which had supplanted the law. So in Matthew chapter 15, notice if you would please, verse 1, 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." Ah. Why are your disciples transgressing tradition?

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something, folks. It's not just the Jews that had problems with traditions. Baptists do as well. If you want to get in trouble in a Baptist church, you just start preaching against traditions. You start preaching against the Easter Bunny and the Christmas tree and things like that, and boy, you will get in all kind of problems in a Baptist church. Period. And they will tell you very quickly, well, we've always done it like this. Just because you've always done something does not make it right. Does not make it biblical.

[John Weaver] So they had their tradition. But look what our Lord said in verse 3. 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 of the dead. 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 said. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition, you hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honor 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." Notice if you would, he says, well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites. You honor me with your mouth, with your lips, but your heart is far from me. In vain you do worship me." Why? Because you're holding the traditions of men. You're holding man-made law rather than God's law. So, clearly, there is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is no contradiction between law and grace. You will find grace in the Old Testament, but no one found grace in the eyes of the Lord. You will find law in the New Testament. Children, honor your father and your mother.

[John Weaver] This is the first commandment with promise. So whatever problems we have with imprecatory praying, it cannot be boiled down to a tension between law and grace or a tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is no tension there. We have one Bible, we have one God, we have one truth, and that truth is taught in both the Old and New Testament.

[John Weaver] Secondly, when David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, when he asks God to curse his enemies, it should be pointed out that the matter is left entirely with God. When I say that, I mean this. Once we pray the prayer, whatever God does is His business. We leave it completely and totally in the hands of the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He may judge as He pleases. He may act as He pleases. He may do as He pleases. He is God.

[John Weaver] Boil it down to this. Duty is ours. Consequences belong to God. Ours is the duty to pray against them. Whatever God does is in His hand. David prayed against Saul. He prayed against Ahithophel. He prayed against Doeg. He probably prayed against many others as well. Yet David never personally harmed any of these men that he prayed against. Nor did he send a squad after them to take care of them. He didn't. He just totally left it in the hands of God. Now Doeg was an exceedingly wicked man. Doeg was responsible for the murder of 85 of the Lord's priests.

[John Weaver] You can read about it in 1 Samuel 21 and 22. Don't turn there. But David was not king at that time. In fact, Saul was seeking David's life, trying to kill him, trying to murder him to keep David from becoming king. David was not king. He had no control over the matter. Saul was king. David was not there. He could not defend the priest personally. But what David could do was to pray against Doeg. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 52. Psalm 52 is a prayer of David against Doeg. I want you to look at this psalm. Remember now, Doeg was a wicked man. David had no ability to rectify the situation. He couldn't. He was not keen. He was running for his life. He wasn't there, so he does pray. Psalm 52, let's read all nine verses to show you this psalm is against Doeg and what he did. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?

[John Weaver] The goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue," and by the way, Doeg lied,"...thy tongue diviseth mischiefs 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. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in 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. and I will wait on thy name, for it is good before the saints."

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you, how did Doeg die? The answer is, I don't know and neither do you, because it's not revealed in Scripture. But based upon verse 5, I would not want to die the death of Doeg. Look at verse 5. David said, 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. Whatever God did, skip down to verse 9, David said, I will praise thee forever because thou hast done it. God took care of Doeg in some way. I don't know what way he took care of him, but he took care of him.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Whenever David or any of the other biblical characters prayed these imprecations, they left the result in the hands of God. God may be pleased to make our enemies our friends by converting them the way He did Saul of Tarsus. If you had been alive in the first century, And there had been a vote taken as to the man most likely to bust hell wide open, Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down. And yet God was pleased to convert Saul, turn him into the Apostle Paul, and use him mightily in his kingdom. In fact, most of the New Testament is written by the Apostle Paul. You've got to remember this, when we pray against our enemies and the enemies of God's people, God may convert them, or God may restrain them, or God may remove them, either temporarily or permanently. Whichever God chooses to do, it is His business. It is not ours.

[John Weaver] That's why I said vengeance is mine, said the Lord. I will repay. What you and I have to learn is this. Hebrews 10 and verse 31. Listen carefully. It's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God. I've got news for you. I do not want to fall in the hands of an angry, righteous, just, living God. So first of all, there is no tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Secondly, when David prayed against his enemies, he left the results in the hands of God. Thirdly, this gets even more pointed, as a whole, David's imprecatory prayers were against his enemies, and they were fierce prayers.

[John Weaver] Yet his personal actions toward them were gracious and kind. Now I want you to listen carefully. Although David prayed against his enemies, his personal actions against them were gracious and kind. You remember how Saul sought to kill David. Twice David had Saul in his hands. And twice David allowed Saul to escape with his life. We read about it. And each time David said, his time will come to die, God will kill him. or his time will come, or he'll descend into battle and perish, but I am not going to do it." Even Abishai wanted to slay Saul. David refused to allow him to do it. David could have said, hey Abishai, I'm not going to kill him, but you can. No. He withheld Abishai from killing him as well. You remember in 2 Samuel chapter 16, there was a man by the name of Shimei who cursed David. as David was fleeing Jerusalem. Shimei was a Benjamite. Remember Saul was a Benjamite. And Shimei cursed David. And Abishai said, who is this dog that he should curse the king?

[John Weaver] Let me go over and take off his head. And David said to Abishai, smite him not. It may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for this cursing this day. And then David said, my own family has turned against me. Let him curse.

[John Weaver] Now David never laid a hand on Shimei. But after David's death and Shimei's rebellion, Solomon had him put to death. The point I'm trying to make is this. When David appeals to God for help against his enemies, he again claims the doctrine of clean hands. I went over that last week, but I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 35. Let me show you this. Psalm 35 is another imprecation. It's another imprecatory prayer Psalm. where David is praying against his enemies and he is here claiming in this psalm to have clean hands that is there's no evil there's no wickedness in David notice Psalm 35 beginning with verse 11 look what David said false witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things I knew not I

[John Weaver] wasn't guilty I've never heard of them never did them They rewarded me even for good to the spoiling of my soul. Now watch, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into my known 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.

[John Weaver] 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. With hypocritical mockers and feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth. Lord, how long wilt thou look on? 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.

[John Weaver] Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without cause. For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land."

[John Weaver] Now stop and look what David said. David said, they rewarded me evil for good. Moreover, he said, when they were sick, when they were in problems, I humbled myself. I prayed for them. What did our Lord say? Pray for your enemies. I prayed for them. Why would David pray for them? To demonstrate there was no wickedness, there was no resentment, there was no bitterness in his heart. No. David is saying, I've got clean hands. When I'm asking you to judge them, Lord, my heart is clean. Look at verse 22. Look at verse 22. He said this, Thou hast seen, O Lord, keep not silence. O Lord, be not far from me. Now when David said, Thou hast seen, O Lord, he's appealing to God's omniscience, God's all-knowing. What is he saying? Lord, you know I've got clean hands. You know I'm innocent in this.

[John Weaver] I have not done this. I have not given them any reason to hate me or any reason to attack me. And so Lord, I appeal to you.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Psalm 7, because this is another imprecatory Psalm. I want you to just see how David is appealing to God and is claiming the doctrine of clean hands. Notice Psalm 7, beginning there with verse 3. Psalm 7, verse 3. Oh Lord my God, look what David says, 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, if I have delivered him that was without causes my enemy, let the enemy persecute my soul and take it, yea,

[John Weaver] let them tread down my life upon the earth, let them lay my honor in the dust. Now I don't know about you, but I would not be praying a prayer like that if I was guilty. If I didn't have clean hands, if I didn't have a clean heart, I would not be praying, Lord. If I haven't acted rightly, if I haven't done biblically, then Lord, let my enemy take my life. Let him tread my honor down into the dirt. Now, I wouldn't be praying that prayer. What is David saying? David is saying, I'm going to do what's right. I'm going to keep my heart regardless. Do you realize one of the most difficult things for you and I to do as a child of God is to keep our hearts.

[John Weaver] When somebody does us wrong, we immediately want to strike back. If they cuss us, we want to cuss them. If they attack us, we want to attack them. But what Romans 12 and Proverbs 25 is teaching is this, we are not to render evil for evil, but rather we're to render good for evil. That is, we're to keep our hearts and do what is right at all times.

[John Weaver] In other words, even when we pray against our enemies and the enemies of God's people and God's enemies, we should understand the gravity of the situation and remain humble and obedient. Let me show you something. I want you to turn, please. to Proverbs 24 Proverbs 24 this is a very important passage I want you to look at it Proverbs 24 now let's suppose we pray against our enemies And when I say our enemies, I'm talking about the enemies of God's people. I'm not talking about enemies of our own personal making. I'm not talking about people that are mad at us because we've acted ugly and unkind and ungracious toward them. I'm talking about people who are trying to destroy God's kingdom, God's people, God's church.

[John Weaver] When we see the hand of God upon them, in judgment. We tend to want to swell up and say, I guess they'll learn now, boy. You show them, God. I want you to watch. We're talking about keeping the heart. Look in Proverbs 24, verse 17. Proverbs 24, verse 17. Look what God says. Rejoice not when thy enemy falleth. and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth." Now wait a minute. Why are we not to rejoice and be glad when we see our enemy stumble and fall? Why are we not to be haughty and arrogant and proud and say, bless God that will teach them. Read the next verse. Let's read it together. 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 him. Now God says if you want your enemies really wiped out, you keep a humble attitude. And you don't become arrogant and haughty. and heady and high-minded when God answers your prayer.

[John Weaver] There's a principle that is enunciated over and over in scripture and that is this that God resists the proud that is he fights against them but he gives grace to the humble. David may have prayed fiercely and his attitude and actions always even toward his enemies were gracious and kind. The principle is this, we cannot be overcome with bitterness, and resentment, and ill will, and evil feelings.

[John Weaver] Now let me just show you. Let me just quote this. In 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1, the Bible says this, Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves, therefore having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, and of the Spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. It's not enough that we're not whoremongers and adulterers and thieves and liars. No, no, no. That's bad.

[John Weaver] And we certainly ought not to be involved in any of that. But we're to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the Spirit. Perfecting holiness in the sphere of God. That is, I'm not to have bitterness, resentment, anger, hatred, wrath, malice, ill will, anything that's going to defile my spirit. So there's no tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. When David prayed, he left everything in the hands of God.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, although David prayed fiercely against his enemies, yet he himself was gracious and kind toward them. Fourthly, church discipline and church denunciations in the New Testament are not that much different from the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament. The New Testament does contain many curses and condemnation. Without turning there, you must remember that the Apostle Paul cursed Elamus in Acts chapter 13 and smote him with blindness because he was hindering the gospel. We looked at it last week how in Galatians chapter 1 verses 8 and 9 the Apostle Paul placed a curse upon anyone who would pervert the gospel of grace. You'll remember in Acts chapter 5, it was the Apostle Peter who pronounced death upon Ananias and Zephira because they had tempted the Holy Spirit. It was the Apostle Paul who in 1st Timothy chapter 1 in verse 20 turned Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan just like he did the man in 1st Corinthians 5 who was living in incest with his stepmother. Now, according to the Bible, the final step in church discipline involves turning the sinner over to Satan, under God's sovereign control, of course, that he may be severely chastised, even to the destruction of the flesh.

[John Weaver] There are three reasons given in the Bible for church discipline. The first one is, first and foremost, for God's honor and glory. He said, purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump. It's honoring to God to deal with sin. The second reason for church discipline is that the saints may be warned that they fall not into the same sin. And the third reason for church discipline, if possible, for the repentance and restoration of the one who has sinned.

[John Weaver] But if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said concerning this individual who had sinned 1st Corinthians chapter 5 verses 4 and 5 1st Corinthians 5 verse 4 He said in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you were gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such in one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Notice if you would, he flat turned him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

[John Weaver] That is, if God so chose, death. Now, do you realize, if we have the courage and convictions to pray like David, And if we had the courage and convictions to speak and act as the Apostle Paul, we would not be very comfortable with our own sins. The truth of the matter is very simple. David and Paul and Peter took sin far more seriously than do we. Here are four general principles. I want to descend now to some particulars and show you some reasons why the imprecatory prayers were prayed and why we should pray them. First, in the imprecatory prayers there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. I want you to go back to Psalm 7, which is an imprecatory prayer, Psalm 7.

[John Weaver] And notice, if you would please, verses 8 and 9. Psalm 7, verses 8 and 9. Because in these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire, there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. Notice Psalm 7, verse 8 and 9. David says, the Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to my 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 reigns. Now notice if you would please. This psalm is actually concerned with righteousness, although it is an imprecatory psalm. Notice if you would, beginning with verse 6.

[John Weaver] Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of thine enemies, and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about, 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 the integrity that is in my heart." Notice, if you would, David is concerned about righteousness.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. Do you want to see God's righteousness established on this earth? Do you want to see God's righteousness in your life? You know what David prayed in Psalm 118 verse 19? Let me just quote it. He said, Open unto me the gates of righteousness, and I will go in them, and I will praise the Lord. Open unto me the gates of righteousness, and I will go in them. One of the reasons that Jesus Christ came was that He might establish righteousness. Jeremiah 33 and verse 15. Listen. 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 justice in the land." There is so much in the Old Testament upon righteousness. It is very painful for me to think that the Old Testament saints, with a limited amount of light that they had, would be more concerned with righteousness than we should be with the full light of the gospel shining in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] And we have the completed Word of God. So in these imprecatory prayers, there is a concern for God's righteousness. We want to see God's righteousness, God's justice. Secondly, in these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God praised and honored when our prayers are answered and the righteous are delivered. Since we're in Psalm 7, look at verse 17. Psalm 7, verse 17. David is praying this imprecatory prayer and then 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 answers my prayer, I'm going to praise Him. Look in Psalm 35, which is another imprecatory prayer, at verse 18 and then verse 28. Psalm 35, verse 18, once David In fact, look at verse 8.

[John Weaver] You're talking about an imprecation. David says this concerning his enemies. Let destruction come upon him at unaware, and let his net that he had hid catch himself, and at that very destruction let him fall. Look at verse 9,"...and my soul shall be joyful in the Lord, it shall rejoice in His salvation." Skip down to verse 18,"...I will give thee thanks in the great congregation, I will praise thee among much people." Skip down to verse 28,"...and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day."

[John Weaver] In these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God honored and glorified when those prayers are answered. Let me ask you a question, and I'm sure you do not know the total answer, but you would know some of it. How many times has God protected you and preserved you, and you have failed to give Him the honor and glory and worship that's due in His name?

[John Weaver] Just stop and think about that. I know that we do not understand how many times God has saved us, how many times God has protected us, but there are times in our lives. I remember years ago, I went to play golf with an older man in our church, Wayne Coulter. I've never been much for Cal Pastor Poole, okay? But I went with Wayne because he was old and I needed the exercise and we walked. And I always tell people I had far more fun at golf than anyone else because I got to hit the ball far more times than anybody else. But we were going to the golf course in Folkston, Georgia. And before you get to the golf course, there's a train track. Wayne was driving.

[John Weaver] And he eased up to that railroad track, and I saw him look to the left, and when he looked to the left, I automatically looked to the right, and Lord have mercy, here came an Amtrak flying. There were no gates, there were no lights at the crossing. And I said somehow, under my breath, you better woe or go. And thankfully, all he said, all he heard was woe, because he slammed on the brakes, and the train went right by us. After the train went by, so I looked at him and I said, what do you say we just sit here and pray and thank the Lord for a little while?

[John Weaver] He said, that's a good idea. There are times that we know that God preserved us, but there are so many times that we don't know. We should praise Him continually for His multitudinous mercies toward us. And in these imprecatory prayers, when we get in trouble and we cry to God and God does deliver us, we better make sure that we give Him the honor and the glory. Here's the third purpose. In these imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose and a design so that men may know that there is indeed a God in the earth who is just, and that He rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in Psalm 58. Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm like you would not believe. If you want to learn how to pray these imprecations, you need to really look at Psalm 58 and Psalm 59, but I want you to notice. In fact, let's just begin reading with verse 6. Look at the imprecations. Look what he prays. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth. Wow. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

[John Weaver] 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, as a snail which melteth. Let every one of them pass away like the untimely birth of a woman, so that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, He shall take them away with a whirlwind, both living in His wrath.

[John Weaver] The righteous shall rejoice when He seeth the vengeance. He shall wash His feet in the blood of the wicked. Watch, so that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, He is a God that judgeth in the earth." One of the reasons we pray these prayers is so that men will know that there is indeed a just God who rewards the righteous and who punishes the wicked.

[John Weaver] This purpose is confirmed many times over in the Bible by many truths. Psalm 9 and verse 16 says this, The Lord is known by the judgment which He executed. The wicked is snared in the work of His own hands. You see, the truth of the matter is this, folks. God will either be known in salvation or condemnation, but He will be known to the world. And therefore, the righteous needs to pray these prayers so that men may know that there is indeed a just God. In imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose that all may know that God is absolutely sovereign and He is the governor of the universe.

[John Weaver] That is, He rules over all. There are many today who deny the existence of God. There are even more who act as if God did not exist. And they somehow think that they can thwart the eternal purpose of the sovereign God of heaven and earth. But there is a way that God will make His hand known. If you look in Psalm 59 and verse 13, this is another imprecatory Psalm, but notice what David prays. Psalm 59 verse 13, Consume them in thy 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, why? That they may know that God's on the throne. Look in Psalm 83. Psalm 83, and notice if you would please, verses 17 and 18.

[John Weaver] We're talking about imprecation now. Here's why he's praying this prayer. In fact, let's go back to Psalm 83, verse 13. Psalm 83, verse 13. Oh my God, make them like a wheel as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth the wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire, so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

[John Weaver] Let them be confounded and troubled forever. Yea, let them be put to shame and perish, that men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth. So one of the reasons that we pray these prayers is so men will know that God is on the throne when they're judged for their sin and their rebellion. There are some folks who will only learn the hard way. Men like Pharaoh, Sihon, Ogd, they can testify that they learned the hard way. When God consumed them, they found out that God was on the throne. Fifthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's also the purpose of causing the wicked to seek the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now when I say that, you've got to understand that there are some who will have their attention grabbed when the judgment of God begins to fall. Look in Psalm 83, I just read it, but verses 15 and 16. So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their face with shame, why? That they may seek thy name, O Lord. There are some folks you can hit upside the head with a two-by-four often enough that all of a sudden they'll say, it's no fun getting hit upside the head with a two-by-four.

[John Weaver] I think I'm going to move. I think I'll change positions. Well, look in Isaiah 51. Isaiah 51, and notice if you would please verse 4. Isaiah 51. and verse 4. Watch this. Look what God says. Hearken unto 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. His judgment shall be a light. That is, some might wake up when they see the light. So in these imprecatory prayers there is indeed a purpose for God sending judgment and some waking up. Sixthly, imprecatory prayers have a purpose in keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous. What? Well, go back in your Bibles to Psalm 69. I want you to see what David prays concerning the wicked. Psalm 69. And notice if you would please, verse 28.

[John Weaver] Then we'll come back and read a little larger passage. But look what David prays. Psalm 69, verse 28. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous. Now what is David praying? He's praying that God's going to kill some folks and wipe them out. Go back to verse 22. Let their table become a snare before them, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

[John Weaver] Let their eyes be darkened that they see not, and make their loins continually shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Wow. 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 to their iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteousness.

[John Weaver] Let them be blotted out of the book of living, and not be written with the righteous." What's David saying? Remove them from this life. Take them.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point out something. A truth that everyone knows. Longevity of life is promised to the obedient. What does God say? Children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that thy days may be long upon the earth which the Lord thy God giveth thee. What is God doing? God is promising long life to those who obey Him.

[John Weaver] The opposite is also true. God promises brevity of life to those who disobey Him. The Bible tells us in Psalm 55 and verse 23, But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. What is He saying? God will cut them off in the prime of their life.

[John Weaver] And it is a blessing of God that many of the wicked do not live to be of ripe old age. And one of these purposes in Preparatory Praying is that the wicked do not enjoy the blessings of the righteous. Seventhly and lastly, in Preparatory Prayers, we have to learn the abhorrence of sin and disobedience. I don't know how anyone can read these prayers or even pray these prayers without at the same time having a detestation and abhorrence of sin and wickedness and rebellion. When you understand that it is sin and wickedness and rebellion that bring judgment and wrath upon you, how can you tolerate anything in your life that is contrary to God? How can you tolerate anything in your life that you know displeases Him? If you learn to pray these prayers, I can assure you of one thing.

[John Weaver] It will tend to make you a more holy person. Because you're going to understand that God is no respecter of person. And if you're asking God to judge someone because of that sin and that rebellion in their life, you're going to make dead sure that that same sin and rebellion is not in your life. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 139. Look at David's prayer. Psalm 139.

[John Weaver] And notice beginning there in verse 21. In fact, let's go back to verse 19. Psalm 139, verse 19. David is praying against the wicked now. He said, surely that will slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me, therefore, you bloody men. In other words, I don't want to be near you when God starts swinging his sword. For they speak against thee wickedly. That is, they speak against God wickedly.

[John Weaver] And thine enemies take thy name in vain. Look what he says. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. And then he says, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." What is he saying? Lord, I don't want anything in me that's in them. Lord, I want to be holy. I want to be godly. If we learn to pray these prayers, we will learn to be grieved with our sin. We'll learn to be grieved with our disobediences, our rebellion, our faults, our failures. I'm not perfect, but it does grieve me that I'm not perfect. I'm not as holy as I should be, but it does grieve me that I'm not. If you learn to pray these prayers, you'll come up with the same attitude that God takes in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4 when He says, Oh, do not that abominable thing which I hate.

[John Weaver] You'll learn to hate sin. You'll learn to hate wickedness. How we should be grieved with our own sin. And when we learn to pray these prayers, will have an abhorrence of sin and disobedience. Let me tell you this in summary. These imprecatory prayers, evidence of purpose to see the justice of God vindicated, His word honored, His kingdom established, His righteousness prevailed, and His name and His honor glorified. When the Bible says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, it refers to the imprecatory prayers. It's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work. We cannot be thoroughly furnished unto every good work without understanding and applying the imprecatory prayers. And when we learn to pray, at the same time we'll learn of the necessity of being holy and righteous and having clean hands and a clean heart so that God will hear our prayers and honor His Word and establish His Kingdom. It is right to pray, let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more Why?

[John Weaver] Because it's the same as praying, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You for Your grace and Your help and Your mercy in our lives. Teach us, Lord, to pray these imprecatory prayers. But teach us, Lord, to pray them with clean hands and a clean heart. And teach us, Lord, to hate sin, and to hate wickedness, and to hate disobedience. Not just, Lord, in the lives of others, but in our own lives.

[John Weaver] And make us holy and godly. In Thy name we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

Imprecatory Praying Part 2 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	z-mfOiccq68
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 055: Imprecatory Praying — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	77

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the definition of imprecatory praying and last week's teaching that it is not contrary to the gospel, but is an appeal for the fullness of Christ's kingdom.

Open your Bibles to Psalm 104 and verse 35. Psalm 104 and verse 35. Lord willing, today we're going to take up the second part on imprecatory praying. Psalm 104, and notice if you would please verse 35. There are going to be at least two more messages, so I'm going to try to set the stage today for the two messages that follow. So Psalm 104 and verse 35, look at David's prayer request.

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."

Note,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 104:35

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more."

You remember when I started this message last week, I told you what imprecatory praying really was. An imprecation is an invocation for judgment, calamity, or curse upon one's enemies or the enemies of God. Now I spent a great deal of time last week showing you that imprecatory praying is not contrary to the gospel. I gave you this quote last week.

I want to give it to you again. It's from the Puritan David Dixon who said this, "If any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them giveth away to their conversion, and seeketh no more than that the judgment should follow them, only until they acknowledge their sin, turn, and seek God." So what he is saying is very simple. If one of God's elect is in that group that we're praying against, all the judgment will do will follow him until he repents and turns to God. We also saw last week how the imprecatory prayers were used for an appeal for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. I particularly pointed out from Matthew 13, and I ask this question, when will the righteous shine forth

Scripture Reading — Matthew 13:41-43

in the kingdom of their Father as the brightness of the sun? And the Bible tells us this, the answer is when the Son of Man shall send forth his angels and shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity.

So then the Bible says the righteous shall shine forth as the brightness of the sun. In other words, when David prayed, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more," that is no different than praying, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So to pray, "Let the wicked be consumed out of the earth," or "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more," is no different than praying in Psalm 7 and verse 9, "O that the wickedness of the wicked shall come to an end, but establish thou

the just." Each one of these prayer requests is a request for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. We also observed last week that there is no contradiction between imprecatory praying and the command of Jesus Christ to love your enemies and do good to those that hate you. Biblical love, I pointed out, is the fulfilling of the law. So very obviously we love our enemies when we act biblically toward them. We do that which is holy, just, and right, even if they do that which is wicked and wrong. So today what I want to do is this, after that brief review, is I want to lay down certain broad principles that we find in imprecatory praying. And then I want to descend more particularly and show you the purposes that are involved in imprecatory praying. So let's begin with these broad general principles first. The very first one is this. Whatever problems that we have with the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament, the tension between justice and mercy, love and hate is not a matter of the Old Testament versus the New Testament or a matter of law versus grace.

No Tension Between Old and New Testaments

Weaver argues that problems with imprecatory prayers cannot be resolved by pitting the Old Testament against the New or law against grace, because both Testaments teach the same truths.

So whatever problems that anyone has in their minds or what any problem that anyone can come up with, it cannot be a pitting of the Old Testament against the New Testament or the law against grace. We have one Bible, not two Bibles. The same God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. You will find that the New Testament has a great deal to say about justice, and wrath, and condemnation. And likewise, the Old Testament has a great deal to say about faith, love, and mercy, and especially loving your neighbor as yourself. So there is no contradiction between law and grace, and there is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12.

We looked at this passage last week. I'm not necessarily going to expound or explain it, but I do want to point out something for you. I want you to look in Romans chapter 12, if you would please. Verses 17 through 21. Watch carefully. God says,

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 you say, "Aha! That is the New Testament teaching. We're to leave vengeance to the Lord. We're to do good toward our enemy." Well, that is true. That is exactly what that passage says. But I want you to find out where the Apostle Paul got this truth. I want you to look back in your Bibles first to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32 and look if you would please at verse 35. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. Now you can see where Paul got this one quote. For in Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, God says this, "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." Ah, so the apostle Paul got this verse, "Vengeance belongeth unto me, saith the Lord," from the law. And if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 25, look at verses 21 and 22, and you'll see where the Apostle Paul got the rest of his New Testament teaching. Proverbs 25, notice verse 21. Look what the Bible says.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 25:21-22

"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? Romans chapter 12, New Testament grace is taken from Old Testament law very pointedly. So God says very clearly that the New Testament is a reiteration and teaching of the same truth that we have in the Old Testament. Now you'll remember that last week I pointed out how that in Matthew chapter 5 our Lord was not establishing a new law, rather what he was doing was establishing the law of the Old Testament. He said in Matthew 5 verses 17 and 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." Now I've told you before what a jot and a tittle is. If you watch my finger, I will make a jot, or jod, or yod. It is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet there. You didn't see it. Number one, you weren't looking. Number two, it was too small. Notice, that is a jod or a jot.

It looks like our comma only smaller. Now, our Lord said it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest Hebrew letter to pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Well, what is a tittle? A tittle is not even a Hebrew letter. It's a small distinguishing mark between two Hebrew letters. For instance, if I were to write the word "little," L-I-T-T-L-E, suppose I make my T's fat and they look like the L's. Or maybe I make my I fat and it kind of looks like an L too.

How do I know which is the I? How do I know which is the T? I'll go back, I'll put a dot over the I and I'll put a little cross over the T. Now the dot over the I and the cross over the T is not a letter, it's just a small distinguishing mark between the other letters. That's what a tittle is. So our Lord said, "Think not that I'm come to destroy the law or the prophets: I'm not come to destroy but to fulfill. Verily I say unto you, it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than it is for the smallest Hebrew letter or the smallest distinguishing mark between two Hebrew letters to pass away till all be fulfilled." So very obviously our Lord did not come to set aside the law.

You have to remember that the Jews were constantly replacing God's law with their traditions. Look in your Bibles to Matthew 15. That is what got our Lord in trouble so many times with the Jews. It was not that he was violating the law, He was violating their interpretation of the law and their traditions which had supplanted the law. So in Matthew chapter 15, notice if you would please, verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:1-9

"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."

Ah. Why are your disciples transgressing tradition?

Now let me tell you something, folks. It's not just the Jews that had problems with traditions. Baptists do as well. If you want to get in trouble in a Baptist church, you just start preaching against traditions. You start preaching against the Easter Bunny and the Christmas tree and things like that, and boy, you will get in all kind of problems in a Baptist church. Period. And they will tell you very quickly, "Well, we've always done it like this." Just because you've always done something does not make it right. Does not make it biblical.

So they had their tradition. But look what our Lord said in verse 3. "But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free." Look what he said. "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition, ye 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." Notice if you would, he says, "Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites. You honor me with your mouth, with your lips, but your heart is far from me. In vain you do worship me." Why? Because you're holding the traditions of men. You're holding man-made law rather than God's law. So, clearly, there is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is no contradiction between law and grace. You will find grace in the Old Testament, but no one found grace in the eyes of the Lord. You will find law in the New Testament. "Children, honor your father and your mother."

"This is the first commandment with promise." So whatever problems we have with imprecatory praying, it cannot be boiled down to a tension between law and grace or a tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is no tension there. We have one Bible, we have one God, we have one truth, and that truth is taught in both the Old and New Testament. Secondly, when David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, when he asks God to curse his enemies, it should be pointed out that the matter is left entirely with God. When I say that, I mean this. Once we pray the prayer, whatever God does is His business. We leave it completely and totally in the hands of the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He may judge as He pleases. He may act as He pleases. He may do as He pleases. He is God.

Results Left Entirely with God

When David prayed imprecations, he left the outcome to God, never taking personal vengeance, as seen in his treatment of Saul and Doeg.

Boil it down to this. Duty is ours. Consequences belong to God. Ours is the duty to pray against them. Whatever God does is in His hand. David prayed against Saul. He prayed against Ahithophel. He prayed against Doeg. He probably prayed against many others as well. Yet David never personally harmed any of these men that he prayed against. Nor did he send a squad after them to take care of them. He didn't. He just totally left it in the hands of God. Now Doeg was an exceedingly wicked man. Doeg was responsible for the murder of 85 of the Lord's priests.

You can read about it in 1 Samuel 21 and 22. Don't turn there. But David was not king at that time. In fact, Saul was seeking David's life, trying to kill him, trying to murder him to keep David from becoming king. David was not king. He had no control over the matter. Saul was king. David was not there. He could not defend the priest personally. But what David could do was to pray against Doeg. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 52. Psalm 52 is a prayer of David against Doeg. I want you to look at this psalm. Remember now, Doeg was a wicked man. David had no ability to rectify the situation. He couldn't. He was not king. He was running for his life. He wasn't there, so he does pray. Psalm 52, let's read all nine verses to show you this psalm is against Doeg and what he did. "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?

The goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue," and by the way, Doeg lied, "...thy tongue deviseth mischiefs 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 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, and I will wait on thy name, for it is good before the saints."

Now, let me ask you, how did Doeg die? The answer is, I don't know and neither do you, because it's not revealed in Scripture. But based upon verse 5, I would not want to die the death of Doeg. Look at verse 5. David said, "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." Whatever God did, skip down to verse 9, David said, "I will praise thee forever because thou hast done it." God took care of Doeg in some way. I don't know what way he took care of him, but he took care of him.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Whenever David or any of the other biblical characters prayed these imprecations, they left the result in the hands of God. God may be pleased to make our enemies our friends by converting them the way He did Saul of Tarsus. If you had been alive in the first century, and there had been a vote taken as to the man most likely to bust hell wide open, Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down. And yet God was pleased to convert Saul, turn him into the Apostle Paul, and use him mightily in his kingdom. In fact, most of the New Testament is written by the Apostle Paul. You've got to remember this, when we pray against our enemies and the enemies of God's people, God may convert them, or God may restrain them, or God may remove them, either temporarily or permanently. Whichever God chooses to do, it is His business. It is not ours.

That's why I said, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay." What you and I have to learn is this. Hebrews 10 and verse 31. Listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:31

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

I've got news for you. I do not want to fall into the hands of an angry, righteous, just, living God. So first of all, there is no tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Secondly, when David prayed against his enemies, he left the results in the hands of God. Thirdly, this gets even more pointed, as a whole, David's imprecatory prayers were against his enemies, and they were fierce prayers.

Gracious Personal Conduct Despite Fierce Prayers

David's prayers against enemies were fierce, but his personal actions toward them were gracious and kind, demonstrating clean hands and a humble heart.

Yet his personal actions toward them were gracious and kind. Now I want you to listen carefully. Although David prayed against his enemies, his personal actions against them were gracious and kind. You remember how Saul sought to kill David. Twice David had Saul in his hands. And twice David allowed Saul to escape with his life. We read about it. And each time David said, "His time will come to die, God will kill him, or his time will come, or he'll descend into battle and perish, but I am not going to do it." Even Abishai wanted to slay Saul. David refused to allow him to do it. David could have said, "Hey Abishai, I'm not going to kill him, but you can." No. He withheld Abishai from killing him as well. You remember in 2 Samuel chapter 16, there was a man by the name of Shimei who cursed David as David was fleeing Jerusalem. Shimei was a Benjamite. Remember Saul was a Benjamite. And Shimei cursed David. And Abishai said, "Who is this dog that he should curse the king?

Let me go over and take off his head." And David said to Abishai, "Smite him not. It may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for this cursing this day." And then David said, "My own family has turned against me. Let him curse." Now David never laid a hand on Shimei. But after David's death and Shimei's rebellion, Solomon had him put to death. The point I'm trying to make is this. When David appeals to God for help against his enemies, he again claims the doctrine of clean hands. I went over that last week, but I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 35. Let me show you this. Psalm 35 is another imprecation. It's another imprecatory prayer psalm where David is praying against his enemies and he is here claiming in this psalm to have clean hands, that is, there's no evil, there's no wickedness in David. Notice Psalm 35 beginning with verse 11. Look what David said. "False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things I knew not. I

wasn't guilty. I've never heard of them, never did them. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. Now watch, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine 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." "But in mine 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 ceased not: with hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, 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 hate me without a cause. For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land." Now stop and look what David said. David said, "They rewarded me evil for good." Moreover, he said, "When they were sick, when they were in problems, I humbled myself. I prayed for them." What did our Lord say? "Pray for your enemies." I prayed for them. Why would David pray for them? To demonstrate there was no wickedness, there was no resentment, there was no bitterness in his heart. No. David is saying, "I've got clean hands. When I'm asking you to judge them, Lord, my heart is clean." Look at verse 22. Look at verse 22. He said this, "Thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me." Now when David said, "Thou hast seen, O Lord," he's appealing to God's omniscience, God's all-knowing. What is he saying? "Lord, you know I've got clean hands. You know I'm innocent in this.

I have not done this. I have not given them any reason to hate me or any reason to attack me. And so Lord, I appeal to you." Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Psalm 7, because this is another imprecatory psalm. I want you to just see how David is appealing to God and is claiming the doctrine of clean hands. Notice Psalm 7, beginning there with verse 3. Psalm 7, verse 3. "O Lord my God," look what David says,

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 honour in the dust." Now I don't know about you, but I would not be praying a prayer like that if I was guilty. If I didn't have clean hands, if I didn't have a clean heart, I would not be praying, "Lord, if I haven't acted rightly, if I haven't done biblically, then Lord, let my enemy take my life. Let him tread my honor down into the dirt." Now, I wouldn't be praying that prayer. What is David saying? David is saying, "I'm going to do what's right. I'm going to keep my heart regardless." Do you realize one of the most difficult things for you and I to do as a child of God is to keep our hearts.

When somebody does us wrong, we immediately want to strike back. If they cuss us, we want to cuss them. If they attack us, we want to attack them. But what Romans 12 and Proverbs 25 is teaching is this, we are not to render evil for evil, but rather we're to render good for evil. That is, we're to keep our hearts and do what is right at all times. In other words, even when we pray against our enemies and the enemies of God's people and God's enemies, we should understand the gravity of the situation and remain humble and obedient. Let me show you something. I want you to turn, please, to Proverbs 24. Proverbs 24, this is a very important passage. I want you to look at it. Proverbs 24. Now let's suppose we pray against our enemies. And when I say our enemies, I'm talking about the enemies of God's people. I'm not talking about enemies of our own personal making. I'm not talking about people that are mad at us because we've acted ugly and unkind and ungracious toward them. I'm talking about people who are trying to destroy God's kingdom, God's people, God's church.

When we see the hand of God upon them in judgment, we tend to want to swell up and say, "I guess they'll learn now, boy. You show them, God." I want you to watch. We're talking about keeping the heart. Look in Proverbs 24, verse 17. Proverbs 24, verse 17. Look what God says.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 24:17-18

"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth."

Now wait a minute. Why are we not to rejoice and be glad when we see our enemy stumble and fall? Why are we not to be haughty and arrogant and proud and say, "Bless God, that will teach them"? Read the next verse. Let's read it together.

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 him."

Now God says if you want your enemies really wiped out, you keep a humble attitude. And you don't become arrogant and haughty and heady and high-minded when God answers your prayer.

There's a principle that is enunciated over and over in scripture and that is this, that God resists the proud, that is, he fights against them, but he gives grace to the humble. David may have prayed fiercely, but his attitude and actions always, even toward his enemies, were gracious and kind. The principle is this, we cannot be overcome with bitterness, and resentment, and ill will, and evil feelings. Now let me just show you. Let me just quote this. In 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1, the Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves, therefore having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. It's not enough that we're not whoremongers and adulterers and thieves and liars. No, no, no. That's bad.

And we certainly ought not to be involved in any of that. But we're to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That is, I'm not to have bitterness, resentment, anger, hatred, wrath, malice, ill will, anything that's going to defile my spirit. So there's no tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. When David prayed, he left everything in the hands of God.

New Testament Parallels to Imprecatory Prayers

Church discipline and apostolic curses in the New Testament are similar to Old Testament imprecations, showing continuity in dealing with sin.

Thirdly, although David prayed fiercely against his enemies, yet he himself was gracious and kind toward them. Fourthly, church discipline and church denunciations in the New Testament are not that much different from the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament. The New Testament does contain many curses and condemnation. Without turning there, you must remember that the Apostle Paul cursed Elymas in Acts chapter 13 and smote him with blindness because he was hindering the gospel. We looked at it last week how in Galatians chapter 1 verses 8 and 9 the Apostle Paul placed a curse upon anyone who would pervert the gospel of grace. You'll remember in Acts chapter 5, it was the Apostle Peter who pronounced death upon Ananias and Sapphira because they had tempted the Holy Spirit. It was the Apostle Paul who in 1 Timothy chapter 1 in verse 20 turned Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan just like he did the man in 1 Corinthians 5 who was living in incest with his stepmother. Now, according to the Bible, the final step in church discipline involves turning the sinner over to Satan, under God's sovereign control, of course, that he may be severely chastised, even to the destruction of the flesh.

There are three reasons given in the Bible for church discipline. The first one is, first and foremost, for God's honor and glory. He said, "Purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump." It's honoring to God to deal with sin. The second reason for church discipline is that the saints may be warned that they fall not into the same sin. And the third reason for church discipline, if possible, for the repentance and restoration of the one who has sinned.

But if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said concerning this individual who had sinned. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 4 and 5. 1 Corinthians 5 verse 4. He said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 5:4-5

"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye 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 Christ."

Notice if you would, he flat turned him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. That is, if God so chose, death. Now, do you realize, if we have the courage and convictions to pray like David, and if we had the courage and convictions to speak and act as the Apostle Paul, we would not be very comfortable with our own sins. The truth of the matter is very simple. David and Paul and Peter took sin far more seriously than do we. Here are four general principles. I want to descend now to some particulars and show you some reasons why the imprecatory prayers were prayed and why we should pray them. First, in the imprecatory prayers there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. I want you to go back to Psalm 7, which is an imprecatory prayer, Psalm 7.

Purposes of Imprecatory Prayers

Weaver outlines seven purposes: concern for righteousness, desire for God to be praised, making God's justice known, demonstrating God's sovereignty, causing the wicked to seek God, preventing the wicked from enjoying blessings, and fostering abhorrence of sin.

And notice, if you would please, verses 8 and 9. Psalm 7, verses 8 and 9. Because in these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire, there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. Notice Psalm 7, verse 8 and 9. David says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:8-9, 17

"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 reins."

Now notice if you would please. This psalm is actually concerned with righteousness, although it is an imprecatory psalm. Notice if you would, beginning with verse 6.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:8-9, 17

"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: 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 the integrity that is in my heart."

Notice, if you would, David is concerned about righteousness. Let me ask you a question. Do you want to see God's righteousness established on this earth? Do you want to see God's righteousness in your life? You know what David prayed in Psalm 118 verse 19? Let me just quote it. He said, "Open unto me the gates of righteousness, and I will go in them, and I will praise the Lord." Open unto me the gates of righteousness, and I will go in them. One of the reasons that Jesus Christ came was that He might establish righteousness. Jeremiah 33 and verse 15. Listen. "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and justice in the land." There is so much in the Old Testament upon righteousness. It is very painful for me to think that the Old Testament saints, with a limited amount of light that they had, would be more concerned with righteousness than we should be with the full light of the gospel shining in Jesus Christ. And we have the completed Word of God. So in these imprecatory prayers, there is a concern for God's righteousness. We want to see God's righteousness, God's justice. Secondly, in these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God praised and honored when our prayers are answered and the righteous are delivered. Since we're in Psalm 7, look at verse 17. Psalm 7, verse 17. David is praying this imprecatory prayer and then 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 answers my prayer, I'm going to praise Him. Look in Psalm 35, which is another imprecatory prayer, at verse 18 and then verse 28. Psalm 35, verse 18. In fact, look at verse 8.

You're talking about an imprecation. David says this concerning his enemies. "Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall." Look at verse 9, "...and my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation." Skip down to verse 18, "...I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people." Skip down to verse 28, "...and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day." In these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God honored and glorified when those prayers are answered. Let me ask you a question, and I'm sure you do not know the total answer, but you would know some of it. How many times has God protected you and preserved you, and you have failed to give Him the honor and glory and worship that's due in His name?

Just stop and think about that. I know that we do not understand how many times God has saved us, how many times God has protected us, but there are times in our lives. I remember years ago, I went to play golf with an older man in our church, Wayne Coulter. I've never been much for golf, Pastor Poole, okay? But I went with Wayne because he was old and I needed the exercise and we walked. And I always tell people I had far more fun at golf than anyone else because I got to hit the ball far more times than anybody else. But we were going to the golf course in Folkston, Georgia. And before you get to the golf course, there's a train track. Wayne was driving.

And he eased up to that railroad track, and I saw him look to the left, and when he looked to the left, I automatically looked to the right, and Lord have mercy, here came an Amtrak flying. There were no gates, there were no lights at the crossing. And I said somehow, under my breath, "You better whoa or go." And thankfully, all he said, all he heard was "whoa," because he slammed on the brakes, and the train went right by us. After the train went by, so I looked at him and I said, "What do you say we just sit here and pray and thank the Lord for a little while?" He said, "That's a good idea." There are times that we know that God preserved us, but there are so many times that we don't know. We should praise Him continually for His multitudinous mercies toward us. And in these imprecatory prayers, when we get in trouble and we cry to God and God does deliver us, we better make sure that we give Him the honor and the glory. Here's the third purpose. In these imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose and a design so that men may know that there is indeed a God in the earth who is just, and that He rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked.

I want you to look in Psalm 58. Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm like you would not believe. If you want to learn how to pray these imprecations, you need to really look at Psalm 58 and Psalm 59, but I want you to notice. In fact, let's just begin reading with verse 6. Look at the imprecations. Look what he prays. "Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth." Wow. "Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord."

"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. 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. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." One of the reasons we pray these prayers is so that men will know that there is indeed a just God who rewards the righteous and who punishes the wicked.

This purpose is confirmed many times over in the Bible by many truths. Psalm 9 and verse 16 says this, "The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." You see, the truth of the matter is this, folks. God will either be known in salvation or condemnation, but He will be known to the world. And therefore, the righteous needs to pray these prayers so that men may know that there is indeed a just God. In imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose that all may know that God is absolutely sovereign and He is the governor of the universe. That is, He rules over all. There are many today who deny the existence of God. There are even more who act as if God did not exist. And they somehow think that they can thwart the eternal purpose of the sovereign God of heaven and earth. But there is a way that God will make His hand known. If you look in Psalm 59 and verse 13, this is another imprecatory psalm, but notice what David prays. Psalm 59 verse 13,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 59:13

"Consume them in 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, why? That they may know that God's on the throne. Look in Psalm 83. Psalm 83, and notice if you would please, verses 17 and 18.

We're talking about imprecation now. Here's why he's praying this prayer. In fact, let's go back to Psalm 83, verse 13. Psalm 83, verse 13.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 83:13-18

"O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord."

"Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth." So one of the reasons that we pray these prayers is so men will know that God is on the throne when they're judged for their sin and their rebellion. There are some folks who will only learn the hard way. Men like Pharaoh, Sihon, Og, they can testify that they learned the hard way. When God consumed them, they found out that God was on the throne. Fifthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's also the purpose of causing the wicked to seek the Lord.

Now when I say that, you've got to understand that there are some who will have their attention grabbed when the judgment of God begins to fall. Look in Psalm 83, I just read it, but verses 15 and 16. "So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame;" why? "That they may seek thy name, O Lord." There are some folks you can hit upside the head with a two-by-four often enough that all of a sudden they'll say, "It's no fun getting hit upside the head with a two-by-four. I think I'm going to move. I think I'll change positions." Well, look in Isaiah 51. Isaiah 51, and notice if you would please verse 4. Isaiah 51 and verse 4. Watch this. Look what God says. "Hearken unto 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." His judgment shall be a light. That is, some might wake up when they see the light. So in these imprecatory prayers there is indeed a purpose for God sending judgment and some waking up. Sixthly, imprecatory prayers have a purpose in keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous. What? Well, go back in your Bibles to Psalm 69. I want you to see what David prays concerning the wicked. Psalm 69. And notice if you would please, verse 28.

Then we'll come back and read a little larger passage. But look what David prays. Psalm 69, verse 28.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:22-28

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

Now what is David praying? He's praying that God's going to kill some folks and wipe them out. Go back to verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:22-28

"Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them." Wow. "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. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." What's David saying? Remove them from this life. Take them.

Now, let me point out something. A truth that everyone knows. Longevity of life is promised to the obedient. What does God say? "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that thy days may be long upon the earth which the Lord thy God giveth thee." What is God doing? God is promising long life to those who obey Him.

The opposite is also true. God promises brevity of life to those who disobey Him. The Bible tells us in Psalm 55 and verse 23, "But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days." What is He saying? God will cut them off in the prime of their life.

And it is a blessing of God that many of the wicked do not live to be of ripe old age. And one of these purposes in imprecatory praying is that the wicked do not enjoy the blessings of the righteous. Seventhly and lastly, in imprecatory prayers, we have to learn the abhorrence of sin and disobedience. I don't know how anyone can read these prayers or even pray these prayers without at the same time having a detestation and abhorrence of sin and wickedness and rebellion. When you understand that it is sin and wickedness and rebellion that bring judgment and wrath upon you, how can you tolerate anything in your life that is contrary to God? How can you tolerate anything in your life that you know displeases Him? If you learn to pray these prayers, I can assure you of one thing.

Personal Holiness and Hatred of Sin

Praying imprecatory prayers should lead to self-examination and a deeper hatred of sin in one's own life, as seen in Psalm 139.

It will tend to make you a more holy person. Because you're going to understand that God is no respecter of persons. And if you're asking God to judge someone because of that sin and that rebellion in their life, you're going to make dead sure that that same sin and rebellion is not in your life. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 139. Look at David's prayer. Psalm 139. And notice beginning there in verse 21. In fact, let's go back to verse 19. Psalm 139, verse 19. David is praying against the wicked now. He said, "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men." In other words, I don't want to be near you when God starts swinging his sword. "For they speak against thee wickedly," that is, they speak against God wickedly.

"And thine enemies take thy name in vain." Look what he says. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies." And then he says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." What is he saying? "Lord, I don't want anything in me that's in them. Lord, I want to be holy. I want to be godly." If we learn to pray these prayers, we will learn to be grieved with our sin. We'll learn to be grieved with our disobediences, our rebellion, our faults, our failures. I'm not perfect, but it does grieve me that I'm not perfect. I'm not as holy as I should be, but it does grieve me that I'm not. If you learn to pray these prayers, you'll come up with the same attitude that God takes in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4 when He says, "Oh, do not that abominable thing which I hate."

You'll learn to hate sin. You'll learn to hate wickedness. How we should be grieved with our own sin. And when we learn to pray these prayers, we will have an abhorrence of sin and disobedience. Let me tell you this in summary. These imprecatory prayers evidence a purpose to see the justice of God vindicated, His word honored, His kingdom established, His righteousness prevailed, and His name and His honor glorified. When the Bible says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, it refers to the imprecatory prayers. It's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work. We cannot be thoroughly furnished unto every good work without understanding and applying the imprecatory prayers. And when we learn to pray, at the same time we'll learn of the necessity of being holy and righteous and having clean hands and a clean heart so that God will hear our prayers and honor His Word and establish His Kingdom. It is right to pray, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more." Why?

Conclusion and Prayer

Weaver summarizes that imprecatory prayers seek God's justice, honor, and kingdom, and are profitable for equipping believers. He closes with a prayer for grace to pray with clean hands and holy lives.

Because it's the same as praying, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You for Your grace and Your help and Your mercy in our lives. Teach us, Lord, to pray these imprecatory prayers. But teach us, Lord, to pray them with clean hands and a clean heart. And teach us, Lord, to hate sin, and to hate wickedness, and to hate disobedience. Not just, Lord, in the lives of others, but in our own lives. And make us holy and godly. In Thy name we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Unity of Scripture

Summary: The Old and New Testaments are not in conflict; both teach justice, mercy, and leaving vengeance to God.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'We have one Bible, not two Bibles. The same God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.'

Divine Sovereignty in Judgment

Summary: When believers pray imprecations, they must leave the results entirely in God's hands, trusting His sovereign will.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Once we pray the prayer, whatever God does is His business. We leave it completely and totally in the hands of the sovereign God.'

Personal Righteousness and Clean Hands

Summary: Those who pray imprecations must maintain personal integrity and gracious conduct toward enemies.

Evidence: Weaver points to David's claim of clean hands in Psalm 35 and his refusal to harm Saul.

Concern for God's Righteousness and Honor

Summary: Imprecatory prayers express a desire for God's righteousness to be established and His name glorified.

Evidence: Weaver cites Psalm 7:8-9 and Psalm 7:17 to show David's focus on righteousness and praise.

Hatred of Sin and Personal Holiness

Summary: Praying imprecations should cultivate a deep abhorrence of sin and a commitment to personal holiness.

Evidence: Weaver references Psalm 139:23-24, where David asks God to search his heart after expressing hatred for the wicked.

Key Arguments

No Old vs. New Testament Contradiction

Summary: The tension between justice and mercy is not a matter of Old Testament versus New Testament; both testaments contain law and grace.

Evidence: Weaver shows that Paul's teaching in Romans 12 is drawn from Deuteronomy 32 and Proverbs 25, demonstrating continuity.

Imprecations Leave Vengeance to God

Summary: Biblical imprecators never took personal revenge; they entrusted judgment to God alone.

Evidence: Weaver notes David's restraint toward Saul and Shimei, and his prayer against Doeg without personal action.

Gracious Conduct Accompanies Fierce Prayers

Summary: David's prayers were fierce, but his actions toward enemies were kind, showing no personal bitterness.

Evidence: Weaver cites Psalm 35:13-14, where David says he prayed and fasted for his enemies when they were sick.

New Testament Parallels Validate Imprecations

Summary: Church discipline and apostolic curses in the New Testament are functionally similar to Old Testament imprecations.

Evidence: Weaver references Paul's curse on Elymas, the curse in Galatians 1, and the turning over of sinners to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5.

Imprecations Seek God's Kingdom and Righteousness

Summary: These prayers are ultimately requests for God's righteous rule to be established on earth.

Evidence: Weaver equates 'Let the sinners be consumed' with 'Thy kingdom come' and points to Psalm 7:9.

Imprecations Promote Personal Holiness

Summary: Praying for judgment on others' sin should lead to self-examination and hatred of one's own sin.

Evidence: Weaver explains that David's prayer in Psalm 139 moves from hating God's enemies to asking God to search his own heart.

Scripture References

Psalm 104:35

Context: Opening text for the sermon; David prays for sinners to be consumed and the wicked to be no more.

Matthew 13:41-43

Context: Used to show that imprecatory prayers align with the coming of Christ's kingdom when all things that offend are removed.

Psalm 7:9

Context: Cited as an example of praying for the wickedness of the wicked to come to an end, equivalent to 'Thy kingdom come.'

Romans 12:17-21

Context: New Testament teaching on leaving vengeance to God and doing good to enemies; shown to be rooted in Old Testament law.

Deuteronomy 32:35

Context: Old Testament source for 'Vengeance is mine,' quoted by Paul in Romans 12.

Proverbs 25:21-22

Context: Old Testament source for feeding and giving drink to enemies, quoted by Paul in Romans 12.

Matthew 5:17-18

Context: Jesus' statement that He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it; used to argue continuity between Testaments.

Matthew 15:1-9

Context: Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for replacing God's commandments with traditions; used to illustrate that traditions can obscure biblical truth.

Psalm 52

Context: David's imprecatory prayer against Doeg; used to show David left judgment to God.

Hebrews 10:31

Context: Quoted to emphasize the fearfulness of falling into God's hands.

Psalm 35:11-22

Context: David claims clean hands and prays for deliverance; used to show his gracious conduct toward enemies.

Psalm 7:3-5

Context: David's appeal to God based on his innocence; used to illustrate the doctrine of clean hands.

Proverbs 24:17-18

Context: Warning not to rejoice when an enemy falls, lest God turn away His wrath; used to teach humility in imprecatory praying.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Context: Exhortation to cleanse from filthiness of flesh and spirit; used to emphasize inner purity.

1 Corinthians 5:4-5

Context: Paul's instruction to deliver a sinner to Satan for destruction of the flesh; used as a New Testament parallel to imprecation.

Psalm 7:8-9, 17

Context: David's concern for righteousness and praise; used to show the purpose of imprecatory prayers.

Psalm 58:6-11

Context: Fierce imprecations and the purpose that men may know God judges the earth.

Psalm 59:13

Context: Prayer to consume the wicked so they know God rules in Jacob.

Psalm 83:13-18

Context: Imprecations for shame and destruction so that men may know God is Most High.

Psalm 69:22-28

Context: David prays for the wicked to be blotted out of the book of the living; used to show purpose of preventing wicked from enjoying blessings.

Historical References

Puritan David Dixon

Context: Quoted to explain that imprecatory prayers against God's enemies give way to their conversion if they are elect.

Doeg the Edomite

Context: Wicked man responsible for murdering 85 priests; David prayed against him in Psalm 52.

Saul of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)

Context: Example of an enemy of God who was converted; used to show God may convert those prayed against.

Shimei

Context: Benjamite who cursed David; David refused to harm him, leaving judgment to God.

Elymas

Context: Sorcerer cursed by Paul with blindness for hindering the gospel (Acts 13).

Ananias and Sapphira

Context: Struck dead by God after Peter pronounced judgment for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5).

Hymenaeus and Alexander

Context: Individuals turned over to Satan by Paul for blasphemy (1 Timothy 1:20).

Pharaoh, Sihon, Og

Context: Examples of those who learned the hard way that God is on the throne when He consumed them.

Important Quotes

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

Significance: This Puritan quote explains that imprecatory prayers are not inconsistent with a desire for the conversion of the elect.

Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.

Significance: The key imprecatory prayer from Psalm 104:35 that frames the entire sermon.

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

Significance: Central biblical principle that believers must leave judgment to God, quoted from both Old and New Testaments.

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 him.

Significance: Proverbs 24:17-18 warns against prideful rejoicing over an enemy's downfall, teaching humility in imprecatory praying.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: 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 for self-examination after expressing hatred for the wicked, showing that imprecations should lead to personal holiness.

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

Significance: A severe imprecation from Psalm 69:28, illustrating the purpose of preventing the wicked from sharing in the blessings of the righteous.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding that both the Old and New Testaments teach the same truths about justice and mercy affect your view of imprecatory prayers?

Context: Weaver argues there is no tension between the Testaments.

In what ways can we practically leave vengeance to God when we are wronged, following David's example?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that David left results with God and never took personal revenge.

How can we maintain a gracious and kind attitude toward those we pray against, as David did?

Context: Weaver highlights David's clean hands and kind actions toward enemies.

What is the relationship between church discipline in the New Testament and imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament?

Context: Weaver draws parallels between apostolic curses and Old Testament imprecations.

How does praying for God's judgment on the wicked align with a desire for His kingdom to come?

Context: Weaver equates imprecations with 'Thy kingdom come.'

Why is it important not to rejoice when an enemy falls, according to Proverbs 24:17-18?

Context: Weaver warns that prideful rejoicing may cause God to turn away His wrath.

How can praying imprecatory prayers lead to greater personal holiness and hatred of sin in our own lives?

Context: Weaver concludes that such prayers should prompt self-examination, as in Psalm 139.

Applications

Trust God's Sovereignty in Judgment

Summary: When we pray against enemies, we must leave the outcome entirely to God, trusting His perfect justice and timing.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Once we pray the prayer, whatever God does is His business.'

Maintain Gracious Conduct Toward Enemies

Summary: Even when praying fiercely, we must act kindly and not seek personal revenge, following David's example.

Evidence: Weaver notes David's refusal to harm Saul and his prayer for enemies when they were sick.

Examine Your Own Heart

Summary: Praying imprecations should lead us to ask God to search our hearts and remove any wicked way, as David did in Psalm 139.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If you learn to pray these prayers, I can assure you of one thing. It will tend to make you a more holy person.'

Hate Sin, Not Just in Others

Summary: We should cultivate a detestation of sin and disobedience in our own lives, not just in the lives of the wicked.

Evidence: Weaver explains that understanding judgment for sin should make us intolerant of sin in ourselves.

Praise God for Answered Prayers

Summary: When God delivers us or answers imprecatory prayers, we must give Him honor and glory.

Evidence: Weaver cites Psalm 7:17 and Psalm 35:18, 28, and shares a personal story of thanking God for protection.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:00:52Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:13:19Z

Clean Transcript

Imprecatory Praying Part 2 of 4

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

Open your Bibles to Psalm 104 and verse 35. Psalm 104 and verse 35. Lord willing, today we're going to take up the second part on imprecatory praying. Psalm 104, and notice if you would please verse 35. There are going to be at least two more messages, so I'm going to try to set the stage today for the two messages that follow. So Psalm 104 and verse 35, look at David's prayer request.
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"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." Note, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more." You remember when I started this message last week, I told you what imprecatory praying really was. An imprecation is an invocation for judgment, calamity, or curse upon one's enemies or the enemies of God. Now I spent a great deal of time last week showing you that imprecatory praying is not contrary to the gospel. I gave you this quote last week.
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I want to give it to you again. It's from the Puritan David Dixon who said this, "If any of the enemies of God's people belong to God's election, the church's prayer against them giveth away to their conversion, and seeketh no more than that the judgment should follow them, only until they acknowledge their sin, turn, and seek God." So what he is saying is very simple. If one of God's elect is in that group that we're praying against, all the judgment will do will follow him until he repents and turns to God.
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We also saw last week how the imprecatory prayers were used for an appeal for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. I particularly pointed out from Matthew 13, and I ask this question, when will the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of their Father as the brightness of the sun? And the Bible tells us this, the answer is when the Son of Man shall send forth his angels and shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity. So then the Bible says the righteous shall shine forth as the brightness of the sun. In other words, when David prayed, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more," that is no different than praying, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So to pray, "Let the wicked be consumed out of the earth," or "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more," is no different than praying in Psalm 7 and verse 9, "O that the wickedness of the wicked shall come to an end, but establish thou
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the just." Each one of these prayer requests is a request for the fullness of the kingdom of Christ. We also observed last week that there is no contradiction between imprecatory praying and the command of Jesus Christ to love your enemies and do good to those that hate you. Biblical love, I pointed out, is the fulfilling of the law. So very obviously we love our enemies when we act biblically toward them. We do that which is holy, just, and right, even if they do that which is wicked and wrong. So today what I want to do is this, after that brief review, is I want to lay down certain broad principles that we find in imprecatory praying. And then I want to descend more particularly and show you the purposes that are involved in imprecatory praying. So let's begin with these broad general principles first. The very first one is this. Whatever problems that we have with the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament, the tension between justice and mercy, love and hate is not a matter of the Old Testament versus the New Testament or a matter of law versus grace.
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So whatever problems that anyone has in their minds or what any problem that anyone can come up with, it cannot be a pitting of the Old Testament against the New Testament or the law against grace. We have one Bible, not two Bibles. The same God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. You will find that the New Testament has a great deal to say about justice, and wrath, and condemnation. And likewise, the Old Testament has a great deal to say about faith, love, and mercy, and especially loving your neighbor as yourself. So there is no contradiction between law and grace, and there is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12.
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We looked at this passage last week. I'm not necessarily going to expound or explain it, but I do want to point out something for you. I want you to look in Romans chapter 12, if you would please. Verses 17 through 21. Watch carefully. God says, "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." Now you say, "Aha! That is the New Testament teaching. We're to leave vengeance to the Lord. We're to do good toward our enemy." Well, that is true.
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That is exactly what that passage says. But I want you to find out where the Apostle Paul got this truth. I want you to look back in your Bibles first to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32 and look if you would please at verse 35. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. Now you can see where Paul got this one quote. For in Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, God says this, "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." Ah, so the apostle Paul got this verse, "Vengeance belongeth unto me, saith the Lord," from the law. And if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 25, look at verses 21 and 22, and you'll see where the Apostle Paul got the rest of his New Testament teaching. Proverbs 25, notice verse 21. Look what the Bible says.
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"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? Romans chapter 12, New Testament grace is taken from Old Testament law very pointedly. So God says very clearly that the New Testament is a reiteration and teaching of the same truth that we have in the Old Testament. Now you'll remember that last week I pointed out how that in Matthew chapter 5 our Lord was not establishing a new law, rather what he was doing was establishing the law of the Old Testament. He said in Matthew 5 verses 17 and 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." Now I've told you before what a jot and a tittle is. If you watch my finger, I will make a jot, or jod, or yod. It is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet there. You didn't see it. Number one, you weren't looking. Number two, it was too small. Notice, that is a jod or a jot.
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It looks like our comma only smaller. Now, our Lord said it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest Hebrew letter to pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Well, what is a tittle? A tittle is not even a Hebrew letter. It's a small distinguishing mark between two Hebrew letters. For instance, if I were to write the word "little," L-I-T-T-L-E, suppose I make my T's fat and they look like the L's. Or maybe I make my I fat and it kind of looks like an L too.
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How do I know which is the I? How do I know which is the T? I'll go back, I'll put a dot over the I and I'll put a little cross over the T. Now the dot over the I and the cross over the T is not a letter, it's just a small distinguishing mark between the other letters. That's what a tittle is. So our Lord said, "Think not that I'm come to destroy the law or the prophets: I'm not come to destroy but to fulfill. Verily I say unto you, it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than it is for the smallest Hebrew letter or the smallest distinguishing mark between two Hebrew letters to pass away till all be fulfilled." So very obviously our Lord did not come to set aside the law.
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You have to remember that the Jews were constantly replacing God's law with their traditions. Look in your Bibles to Matthew 15. That is what got our Lord in trouble so many times with the Jews. It was not that he was violating the law, He was violating their interpretation of the law and their traditions which had supplanted the law. So in Matthew chapter 15, notice if you would please, verse 1, "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." Ah. Why are your disciples transgressing tradition?
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Now let me tell you something, folks. It's not just the Jews that had problems with traditions. Baptists do as well. If you want to get in trouble in a Baptist church, you just start preaching against traditions. You start preaching against the Easter Bunny and the Christmas tree and things like that, and boy, you will get in all kind of problems in a Baptist church. Period. And they will tell you very quickly, "Well, we've always done it like this." Just because you've always done something does not make it right. Does not make it biblical.
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So they had their tradition. But look what our Lord said in verse 3. "But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free." Look what he said. "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition, ye 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." Notice if you would, he says, "Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites. You honor me with your mouth, with your lips, but your heart is far from me. In vain you do worship me." Why? Because you're holding the traditions of men. You're holding man-made law rather than God's law. So, clearly, there is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is no contradiction between law and grace. You will find grace in the Old Testament, but no one found grace in the eyes of the Lord. You will find law in the New Testament. "Children, honor your father and your mother."
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"This is the first commandment with promise." So whatever problems we have with imprecatory praying, it cannot be boiled down to a tension between law and grace or a tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is no tension there. We have one Bible, we have one God, we have one truth, and that truth is taught in both the Old and New Testament.
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Secondly, when David or any other biblical character prays an imprecation, when he asks God to curse his enemies, it should be pointed out that the matter is left entirely with God. When I say that, I mean this. Once we pray the prayer, whatever God does is His business. We leave it completely and totally in the hands of the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He may judge as He pleases. He may act as He pleases. He may do as He pleases. He is God.
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Boil it down to this. Duty is ours. Consequences belong to God. Ours is the duty to pray against them. Whatever God does is in His hand. David prayed against Saul. He prayed against Ahithophel. He prayed against Doeg. He probably prayed against many others as well. Yet David never personally harmed any of these men that he prayed against. Nor did he send a squad after them to take care of them. He didn't. He just totally left it in the hands of God. Now Doeg was an exceedingly wicked man. Doeg was responsible for the murder of 85 of the Lord's priests.
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You can read about it in 1 Samuel 21 and 22. Don't turn there. But David was not king at that time. In fact, Saul was seeking David's life, trying to kill him, trying to murder him to keep David from becoming king. David was not king. He had no control over the matter. Saul was king. David was not there. He could not defend the priest personally. But what David could do was to pray against Doeg. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 52. Psalm 52 is a prayer of David against Doeg. I want you to look at this psalm. Remember now, Doeg was a wicked man. David had no ability to rectify the situation. He couldn't. He was not king. He was running for his life. He wasn't there, so he does pray. Psalm 52, let's read all nine verses to show you this psalm is against Doeg and what he did. "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?
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The goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue," and by the way, Doeg lied, "...thy tongue deviseth mischiefs 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 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, and I will wait on thy name, for it is good before the saints."
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Now, let me ask you, how did Doeg die? The answer is, I don't know and neither do you, because it's not revealed in Scripture. But based upon verse 5, I would not want to die the death of Doeg. Look at verse 5. David said, "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." Whatever God did, skip down to verse 9, David said, "I will praise thee forever because thou hast done it." God took care of Doeg in some way. I don't know what way he took care of him, but he took care of him.
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Whenever David or any of the other biblical characters prayed these imprecations, they left the result in the hands of God. God may be pleased to make our enemies our friends by converting them the way He did Saul of Tarsus. If you had been alive in the first century, and there had been a vote taken as to the man most likely to bust hell wide open, Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down. And yet God was pleased to convert Saul, turn him into the Apostle Paul, and use him mightily in his kingdom. In fact, most of the New Testament is written by the Apostle Paul. You've got to remember this, when we pray against our enemies and the enemies of God's people, God may convert them, or God may restrain them, or God may remove them, either temporarily or permanently. Whichever God chooses to do, it is His business. It is not ours.
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That's why I said, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay." What you and I have to learn is this. Hebrews 10 and verse 31. Listen carefully. "It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God." I've got news for you. I do not want to fall into the hands of an angry, righteous, just, living God. So first of all, there is no tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Secondly, when David prayed against his enemies, he left the results in the hands of God. Thirdly, this gets even more pointed, as a whole, David's imprecatory prayers were against his enemies, and they were fierce prayers.
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Yet his personal actions toward them were gracious and kind. Now I want you to listen carefully. Although David prayed against his enemies, his personal actions against them were gracious and kind. You remember how Saul sought to kill David. Twice David had Saul in his hands. And twice David allowed Saul to escape with his life. We read about it. And each time David said, "His time will come to die, God will kill him, or his time will come, or he'll descend into battle and perish, but I am not going to do it." Even Abishai wanted to slay Saul. David refused to allow him to do it. David could have said, "Hey Abishai, I'm not going to kill him, but you can." No. He withheld Abishai from killing him as well. You remember in 2 Samuel chapter 16, there was a man by the name of Shimei who cursed David as David was fleeing Jerusalem. Shimei was a Benjamite. Remember Saul was a Benjamite. And Shimei cursed David. And Abishai said, "Who is this dog that he should curse the king?
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Let me go over and take off his head." And David said to Abishai, "Smite him not. It may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for this cursing this day." And then David said, "My own family has turned against me. Let him curse."
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Now David never laid a hand on Shimei. But after David's death and Shimei's rebellion, Solomon had him put to death. The point I'm trying to make is this. When David appeals to God for help against his enemies, he again claims the doctrine of clean hands. I went over that last week, but I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 35. Let me show you this. Psalm 35 is another imprecation. It's another imprecatory prayer psalm where David is praying against his enemies and he is here claiming in this psalm to have clean hands, that is, there's no evil, there's no wickedness in David. Notice Psalm 35 beginning with verse 11. Look what David said. "False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things I knew not. I
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wasn't guilty. I've never heard of them, never did them. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. Now watch, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine 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."
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"But in mine 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 ceased not: with hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people."
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"Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land."
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Now stop and look what David said. David said, "They rewarded me evil for good." Moreover, he said, "When they were sick, when they were in problems, I humbled myself. I prayed for them." What did our Lord say? "Pray for your enemies." I prayed for them. Why would David pray for them? To demonstrate there was no wickedness, there was no resentment, there was no bitterness in his heart. No. David is saying, "I've got clean hands. When I'm asking you to judge them, Lord, my heart is clean." Look at verse 22. Look at verse 22. He said this, "Thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me." Now when David said, "Thou hast seen, O Lord," he's appealing to God's omniscience, God's all-knowing. What is he saying? "Lord, you know I've got clean hands. You know I'm innocent in this.
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I have not done this. I have not given them any reason to hate me or any reason to attack me. And so Lord, I appeal to you."
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Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Psalm 7, because this is another imprecatory psalm. I want you to just see how David is appealing to God and is claiming the doctrine of clean hands. Notice Psalm 7, beginning there with verse 3. Psalm 7, verse 3. "O Lord my God," look what David says, "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,
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let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust." Now I don't know about you, but I would not be praying a prayer like that if I was guilty. If I didn't have clean hands, if I didn't have a clean heart, I would not be praying, "Lord, if I haven't acted rightly, if I haven't done biblically, then Lord, let my enemy take my life. Let him tread my honor down into the dirt." Now, I wouldn't be praying that prayer. What is David saying? David is saying, "I'm going to do what's right. I'm going to keep my heart regardless." Do you realize one of the most difficult things for you and I to do as a child of God is to keep our hearts.
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When somebody does us wrong, we immediately want to strike back. If they cuss us, we want to cuss them. If they attack us, we want to attack them. But what Romans 12 and Proverbs 25 is teaching is this, we are not to render evil for evil, but rather we're to render good for evil. That is, we're to keep our hearts and do what is right at all times.
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In other words, even when we pray against our enemies and the enemies of God's people and God's enemies, we should understand the gravity of the situation and remain humble and obedient. Let me show you something. I want you to turn, please, to Proverbs 24. Proverbs 24, this is a very important passage. I want you to look at it. Proverbs 24. Now let's suppose we pray against our enemies. And when I say our enemies, I'm talking about the enemies of God's people. I'm not talking about enemies of our own personal making. I'm not talking about people that are mad at us because we've acted ugly and unkind and ungracious toward them. I'm talking about people who are trying to destroy God's kingdom, God's people, God's church.
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When we see the hand of God upon them in judgment, we tend to want to swell up and say, "I guess they'll learn now, boy. You show them, God." I want you to watch. We're talking about keeping the heart. Look in Proverbs 24, verse 17. Proverbs 24, verse 17. Look what God says. "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth." Now wait a minute. Why are we not to rejoice and be glad when we see our enemy stumble and fall? Why are we not to be haughty and arrogant and proud and say, "Bless God, that will teach them"? Read the next verse. Let's read it together. "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 him." Now God says if you want your enemies really wiped out, you keep a humble attitude. And you don't become arrogant and haughty and heady and high-minded when God answers your prayer.
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There's a principle that is enunciated over and over in scripture and that is this, that God resists the proud, that is, he fights against them, but he gives grace to the humble. David may have prayed fiercely, but his attitude and actions always, even toward his enemies, were gracious and kind. The principle is this, we cannot be overcome with bitterness, and resentment, and ill will, and evil feelings.
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Now let me just show you. Let me just quote this. In 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1, the Bible says this, "Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves, therefore having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. It's not enough that we're not whoremongers and adulterers and thieves and liars. No, no, no. That's bad.
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And we certainly ought not to be involved in any of that. But we're to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That is, I'm not to have bitterness, resentment, anger, hatred, wrath, malice, ill will, anything that's going to defile my spirit. So there's no tension between the Old Testament and the New Testament. When David prayed, he left everything in the hands of God.
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Thirdly, although David prayed fiercely against his enemies, yet he himself was gracious and kind toward them. Fourthly, church discipline and church denunciations in the New Testament are not that much different from the imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament. The New Testament does contain many curses and condemnation. Without turning there, you must remember that the Apostle Paul cursed Elymas in Acts chapter 13 and smote him with blindness because he was hindering the gospel. We looked at it last week how in Galatians chapter 1 verses 8 and 9 the Apostle Paul placed a curse upon anyone who would pervert the gospel of grace. You'll remember in Acts chapter 5, it was the Apostle Peter who pronounced death upon Ananias and Sapphira because they had tempted the Holy Spirit. It was the Apostle Paul who in 1 Timothy chapter 1 in verse 20 turned Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan just like he did the man in 1 Corinthians 5 who was living in incest with his stepmother. Now, according to the Bible, the final step in church discipline involves turning the sinner over to Satan, under God's sovereign control, of course, that he may be severely chastised, even to the destruction of the flesh.
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There are three reasons given in the Bible for church discipline. The first one is, first and foremost, for God's honor and glory. He said, "Purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump." It's honoring to God to deal with sin. The second reason for church discipline is that the saints may be warned that they fall not into the same sin. And the third reason for church discipline, if possible, for the repentance and restoration of the one who has sinned.
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But if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said concerning this individual who had sinned. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 4 and 5. 1 Corinthians 5 verse 4. He said, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye 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 Christ." Notice if you would, he flat turned him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
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That is, if God so chose, death. Now, do you realize, if we have the courage and convictions to pray like David, and if we had the courage and convictions to speak and act as the Apostle Paul, we would not be very comfortable with our own sins. The truth of the matter is very simple. David and Paul and Peter took sin far more seriously than do we. Here are four general principles. I want to descend now to some particulars and show you some reasons why the imprecatory prayers were prayed and why we should pray them. First, in the imprecatory prayers there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. I want you to go back to Psalm 7, which is an imprecatory prayer, Psalm 7.
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And notice, if you would please, verses 8 and 9. Psalm 7, verses 8 and 9. Because in these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire, there is a concern for righteousness and the establishment of righteousness. Notice Psalm 7, verse 8 and 9. David says, "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 reins." Now notice if you would please. This psalm is actually concerned with righteousness, although it is an imprecatory psalm. Notice if you would, beginning with verse 6.
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"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: 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 the integrity that is in my heart." Notice, if you would, David is concerned about righteousness.
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Let me ask you a question. Do you want to see God's righteousness established on this earth? Do you want to see God's righteousness in your life? You know what David prayed in Psalm 118 verse 19? Let me just quote it. He said, "Open unto me the gates of righteousness, and I will go in them, and I will praise the Lord." Open unto me the gates of righteousness, and I will go in them. One of the reasons that Jesus Christ came was that He might establish righteousness. Jeremiah 33 and verse 15. Listen. "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and justice in the land." There is so much in the Old Testament upon righteousness. It is very painful for me to think that the Old Testament saints, with a limited amount of light that they had, would be more concerned with righteousness than we should be with the full light of the gospel shining in Jesus Christ.
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And we have the completed Word of God. So in these imprecatory prayers, there is a concern for God's righteousness. We want to see God's righteousness, God's justice. Secondly, in these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God praised and honored when our prayers are answered and the righteous are delivered. Since we're in Psalm 7, look at verse 17. Psalm 7, verse 17. David is praying this imprecatory prayer and then 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 answers my prayer, I'm going to praise Him. Look in Psalm 35, which is another imprecatory prayer, at verse 18 and then verse 28. Psalm 35, verse 18. In fact, look at verse 8.
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You're talking about an imprecation. David says this concerning his enemies. "Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall." Look at verse 9, "...and my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation." Skip down to verse 18, "...I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people." Skip down to verse 28, "...and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day."
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In these imprecatory prayers, there is a desire to see God honored and glorified when those prayers are answered. Let me ask you a question, and I'm sure you do not know the total answer, but you would know some of it. How many times has God protected you and preserved you, and you have failed to give Him the honor and glory and worship that's due in His name?
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Just stop and think about that. I know that we do not understand how many times God has saved us, how many times God has protected us, but there are times in our lives. I remember years ago, I went to play golf with an older man in our church, Wayne Coulter. I've never been much for golf, Pastor Poole, okay? But I went with Wayne because he was old and I needed the exercise and we walked. And I always tell people I had far more fun at golf than anyone else because I got to hit the ball far more times than anybody else. But we were going to the golf course in Folkston, Georgia. And before you get to the golf course, there's a train track. Wayne was driving.
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And he eased up to that railroad track, and I saw him look to the left, and when he looked to the left, I automatically looked to the right, and Lord have mercy, here came an Amtrak flying. There were no gates, there were no lights at the crossing. And I said somehow, under my breath, "You better whoa or go." And thankfully, all he said, all he heard was "whoa," because he slammed on the brakes, and the train went right by us. After the train went by, so I looked at him and I said, "What do you say we just sit here and pray and thank the Lord for a little while?"
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He said, "That's a good idea." There are times that we know that God preserved us, but there are so many times that we don't know. We should praise Him continually for His multitudinous mercies toward us. And in these imprecatory prayers, when we get in trouble and we cry to God and God does deliver us, we better make sure that we give Him the honor and the glory. Here's the third purpose. In these imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose and a design so that men may know that there is indeed a God in the earth who is just, and that He rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked.
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I want you to look in Psalm 58. Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm like you would not believe. If you want to learn how to pray these imprecations, you need to really look at Psalm 58 and Psalm 59, but I want you to notice. In fact, let's just begin reading with verse 6. Look at the imprecations. Look what he prays. "Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth." Wow. "Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord."
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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. 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. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." One of the reasons we pray these prayers is so that men will know that there is indeed a just God who rewards the righteous and who punishes the wicked.
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This purpose is confirmed many times over in the Bible by many truths. Psalm 9 and verse 16 says this, "The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." You see, the truth of the matter is this, folks. God will either be known in salvation or condemnation, but He will be known to the world. And therefore, the righteous needs to pray these prayers so that men may know that there is indeed a just God. In imprecatory prayers, there's a purpose that all may know that God is absolutely sovereign and He is the governor of the universe.
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That is, He rules over all. There are many today who deny the existence of God. There are even more who act as if God did not exist. And they somehow think that they can thwart the eternal purpose of the sovereign God of heaven and earth. But there is a way that God will make His hand known. If you look in Psalm 59 and verse 13, this is another imprecatory psalm, but notice what David prays. Psalm 59 verse 13, "Consume them in 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, why? That they may know that God's on the throne. Look in Psalm 83. Psalm 83, and notice if you would please, verses 17 and 18.
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We're talking about imprecation now. Here's why he's praying this prayer. In fact, let's go back to Psalm 83, verse 13. Psalm 83, verse 13. "O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord."
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"Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth." So one of the reasons that we pray these prayers is so men will know that God is on the throne when they're judged for their sin and their rebellion. There are some folks who will only learn the hard way. Men like Pharaoh, Sihon, Og, they can testify that they learned the hard way. When God consumed them, they found out that God was on the throne. Fifthly, in imprecatory prayers, there's also the purpose of causing the wicked to seek the Lord.
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Now when I say that, you've got to understand that there are some who will have their attention grabbed when the judgment of God begins to fall. Look in Psalm 83, I just read it, but verses 15 and 16. "So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame;" why? "That they may seek thy name, O Lord." There are some folks you can hit upside the head with a two-by-four often enough that all of a sudden they'll say, "It's no fun getting hit upside the head with a two-by-four.
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I think I'm going to move. I think I'll change positions." Well, look in Isaiah 51. Isaiah 51, and notice if you would please verse 4. Isaiah 51 and verse 4. Watch this. Look what God says. "Hearken unto 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." His judgment shall be a light. That is, some might wake up when they see the light. So in these imprecatory prayers there is indeed a purpose for God sending judgment and some waking up. Sixthly, imprecatory prayers have a purpose in keeping the wicked from enjoying the same blessings as the righteous. What? Well, go back in your Bibles to Psalm 69. I want you to see what David prays concerning the wicked. Psalm 69. And notice if you would please, verse 28.
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Then we'll come back and read a little larger passage. But look what David prays. Psalm 69, verse 28. "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." Now what is David praying? He's praying that God's going to kill some folks and wipe them out. Go back to verse 22. "Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
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Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them." Wow. "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.
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Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." What's David saying? Remove them from this life. Take them.
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Now, let me point out something. A truth that everyone knows. Longevity of life is promised to the obedient. What does God say? "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that thy days may be long upon the earth which the Lord thy God giveth thee." What is God doing? God is promising long life to those who obey Him.
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The opposite is also true. God promises brevity of life to those who disobey Him. The Bible tells us in Psalm 55 and verse 23, "But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days." What is He saying? God will cut them off in the prime of their life.
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And it is a blessing of God that many of the wicked do not live to be of ripe old age. And one of these purposes in imprecatory praying is that the wicked do not enjoy the blessings of the righteous. Seventhly and lastly, in imprecatory prayers, we have to learn the abhorrence of sin and disobedience. I don't know how anyone can read these prayers or even pray these prayers without at the same time having a detestation and abhorrence of sin and wickedness and rebellion. When you understand that it is sin and wickedness and rebellion that bring judgment and wrath upon you, how can you tolerate anything in your life that is contrary to God? How can you tolerate anything in your life that you know displeases Him? If you learn to pray these prayers, I can assure you of one thing.
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It will tend to make you a more holy person. Because you're going to understand that God is no respecter of persons. And if you're asking God to judge someone because of that sin and that rebellion in their life, you're going to make dead sure that that same sin and rebellion is not in your life. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 139. Look at David's prayer. Psalm 139.
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And notice beginning there in verse 21. In fact, let's go back to verse 19. Psalm 139, verse 19. David is praying against the wicked now. He said, "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men." In other words, I don't want to be near you when God starts swinging his sword. "For they speak against thee wickedly," that is, they speak against God wickedly.
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"And thine enemies take thy name in vain." Look what he says. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies." And then he says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." What is he saying? "Lord, I don't want anything in me that's in them. Lord, I want to be holy. I want to be godly." If we learn to pray these prayers, we will learn to be grieved with our sin. We'll learn to be grieved with our disobediences, our rebellion, our faults, our failures. I'm not perfect, but it does grieve me that I'm not perfect. I'm not as holy as I should be, but it does grieve me that I'm not. If you learn to pray these prayers, you'll come up with the same attitude that God takes in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4 when He says, "Oh, do not that abominable thing which I hate."
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You'll learn to hate sin. You'll learn to hate wickedness. How we should be grieved with our own sin. And when we learn to pray these prayers, we will have an abhorrence of sin and disobedience. Let me tell you this in summary. These imprecatory prayers evidence a purpose to see the justice of God vindicated, His word honored, His kingdom established, His righteousness prevailed, and His name and His honor glorified. When the Bible says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, it refers to the imprecatory prayers. It's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work. We cannot be thoroughly furnished unto every good work without understanding and applying the imprecatory prayers. And when we learn to pray, at the same time we'll learn of the necessity of being holy and righteous and having clean hands and a clean heart so that God will hear our prayers and honor His Word and establish His Kingdom. It is right to pray, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more." Why?
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Because it's the same as praying, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You for Your grace and Your help and Your mercy in our lives. Teach us, Lord, to pray these imprecatory prayers. But teach us, Lord, to pray them with clean hands and a clean heart. And teach us, Lord, to hate sin, and to hate wickedness, and to hate disobedience. Not just, Lord, in the lives of others, but in our own lives.
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And make us holy and godly. In Thy name we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:00:52Z

Imprecatory Praying Part 2 of 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this second part of a series on imprecatory praying, Pastor John Weaver reviews the definition and biblical basis for imprecatory prayers, then lays out broad principles and specific purposes for such prayers. He argues that there is no tension between Old Testament imprecations and New Testament commands to love enemies, because both Testaments teach the same truths about justice, mercy, and leaving vengeance to God. He emphasizes that biblical imprecators left results entirely with God, maintained clean hands and gracious conduct toward enemies, and prayed with a concern for God's righteousness, honor, and the establishment of His kingdom. The lecture concludes that praying imprecatory prayers should lead believers to greater personal holiness and hatred of sin.

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the definition of imprecatory praying and last week's teaching that it is not contrary to the gospel, but is an appeal for the fullness of Christ's kingdom.

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."

Note,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 104:35

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more."

Scripture Reading — Matthew 13:41-43

in the kingdom of their Father as the brightness of the sun? And the Bible tells us this, the answer is when the Son of Man shall send forth his angels and shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity.

No Tension Between Old and New Testaments

Weaver argues that problems with imprecatory prayers cannot be resolved by pitting the Old Testament against the New or law against grace, because both Testaments teach the same truths.

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."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 25:21-22

"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."

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:1-9

"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."

Ah. Why are your disciples transgressing tradition?

Results Left Entirely with God

When David prayed imprecations, he left the outcome to God, never taking personal vengeance, as seen in his treatment of Saul and Doeg.

That's why I said, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay." What you and I have to learn is this. Hebrews 10 and verse 31. Listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:31

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

Gracious Personal Conduct Despite Fierce Prayers

David's prayers against enemies were fierce, but his personal actions toward them were gracious and kind, demonstrating clean hands and a humble heart.

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,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 24:17-18

"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth."

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 him."

Now God says if you want your enemies really wiped out, you keep a humble attitude. And you don't become arrogant and haughty and heady and high-minded when God answers your prayer.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 7:1

"Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves, therefore having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. It's not enough that we're not whoremongers and adulterers and thieves and liars. No, no, no. That's bad.

New Testament Parallels to Imprecatory Prayers

Church discipline and apostolic curses in the New Testament are similar to Old Testament imprecations, showing continuity in dealing with sin.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 5:4-5

"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye 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 Christ."

Purposes of Imprecatory Prayers

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:8-9, 17

"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 reins."

Now notice if you would please. This psalm is actually concerned with righteousness, although it is an imprecatory psalm. Notice if you would, beginning with verse 6.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:8-9, 17

"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: 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 the integrity that is in my heart."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 59:13

"Consume them in 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, why? That they may know that God's on the throne. Look in Psalm 83. Psalm 83, and notice if you would please, verses 17 and 18.

We're talking about imprecation now. Here's why he's praying this prayer. In fact, let's go back to Psalm 83, verse 13. Psalm 83, verse 13.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 83:13-18

"O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord."

Then we'll come back and read a little larger passage. But look what David prays. Psalm 69, verse 28.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:22-28

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

Now what is David praying? He's praying that God's going to kill some folks and wipe them out. Go back to verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 69:22-28

"Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

Personal Holiness and Hatred of Sin

Praying imprecatory prayers should lead to self-examination and a deeper hatred of sin in one's own life, as seen in Psalm 139.

Conclusion and Prayer

Imprecatory Praying Part 2 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	z-mfOiccq68
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 055: Imprecatory Praying — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	77

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the definition of imprecatory praying and last week's teaching that it is not contrary to the gospel, but is an appeal for the fullness of Christ's kingdom.
No Tension Between Old and New Testaments: Weaver argues that problems with imprecatory prayers cannot be resolved by pitting the Old Testament against the New or law against grace, because both Testaments teach the same truths.
Results Left Entirely with God: When David prayed imprecations, he left the outcome to God, never taking personal vengeance, as seen in his treatment of Saul and Doeg.
Gracious Personal Conduct Despite Fierce Prayers: David's prayers against enemies were fierce, but his personal actions toward them were gracious and kind, demonstrating clean hands and a humble heart.
New Testament Parallels to Imprecatory Prayers: Church discipline and apostolic curses in the New Testament are similar to Old Testament imprecations, showing continuity in dealing with sin.
Purposes of Imprecatory Prayers: Weaver outlines seven purposes: concern for righteousness, desire for God to be praised, making God's justice known, demonstrating God's sovereignty, causing the wicked to seek God, preventing the wicked from enjoying blessings, and fostering abhorrence of sin.
Personal Holiness and Hatred of Sin: Praying imprecatory prayers should lead to self-examination and a deeper hatred of sin in one's own life, as seen in Psalm 139.
Conclusion and Prayer: Weaver summarizes that imprecatory prayers seek God's justice, honor, and kingdom, and are profitable for equipping believers. He closes with a prayer for grace to pray with clean hands and holy lives.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

No Old vs. New Testament Contradiction

The tension between justice and mercy is not a matter of Old Testament versus New Testament; both testaments contain law and grace.

Weaver shows that Paul's teaching in Romans 12 is drawn from Deuteronomy 32 and Proverbs 25, demonstrating continuity.

Imprecations Leave Vengeance to God

Biblical imprecators never took personal revenge; they entrusted judgment to God alone.

Weaver notes David's restraint toward Saul and Shimei, and his prayer against Doeg without personal action.

Gracious Conduct Accompanies Fierce Prayers

David's prayers were fierce, but his actions toward enemies were kind, showing no personal bitterness.

Weaver cites Psalm 35:13-14, where David says he prayed and fasted for his enemies when they were sick.

New Testament Parallels Validate Imprecations

Church discipline and apostolic curses in the New Testament are functionally similar to Old Testament imprecations.

Weaver references Paul's curse on Elymas, the curse in Galatians 1, and the turning over of sinners to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5.

Imprecations Seek God's Kingdom and Righteousness

These prayers are ultimately requests for God's righteous rule to be established on earth.

Weaver equates 'Let the sinners be consumed' with 'Thy kingdom come' and points to Psalm 7:9.

Imprecations Promote Personal Holiness

Praying for judgment on others' sin should lead to self-examination and hatred of one's own sin.

Weaver explains that David's prayer in Psalm 139 moves from hating God's enemies to asking God to search his own heart.

Scripture References

Psalm 104:35: Opening text for the sermon; David prays for sinners to be consumed and the wicked to be no more.
Matthew 13:41-43: Used to show that imprecatory prayers align with the coming of Christ's kingdom when all things that offend are removed.
Psalm 7:9: Cited as an example of praying for the wickedness of the wicked to come to an end, equivalent to 'Thy kingdom come.'
Romans 12:17-21: New Testament teaching on leaving vengeance to God and doing good to enemies; shown to be rooted in Old Testament law.
Deuteronomy 32:35: Old Testament source for 'Vengeance is mine,' quoted by Paul in Romans 12.
Proverbs 25:21-22: Old Testament source for feeding and giving drink to enemies, quoted by Paul in Romans 12.
Matthew 5:17-18: Jesus' statement that He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it; used to argue continuity between Testaments.
Matthew 15:1-9: Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for replacing God's commandments with traditions; used to illustrate that traditions can obscure biblical truth.
Psalm 52: David's imprecatory prayer against Doeg; used to show David left judgment to God.
Hebrews 10:31: Quoted to emphasize the fearfulness of falling into God's hands.
Psalm 35:11-22: David claims clean hands and prays for deliverance; used to show his gracious conduct toward enemies.
Psalm 7:3-5: David's appeal to God based on his innocence; used to illustrate the doctrine of clean hands.
Proverbs 24:17-18: Warning not to rejoice when an enemy falls, lest God turn away His wrath; used to teach humility in imprecatory praying.
2 Corinthians 7:1: Exhortation to cleanse from filthiness of flesh and spirit; used to emphasize inner purity.
1 Corinthians 5:4-5: Paul's instruction to deliver a sinner to Satan for destruction of the flesh; used as a New Testament parallel to imprecation.
Psalm 7:8-9, 17: David's concern for righteousness and praise; used to show the purpose of imprecatory prayers.
Psalm 58:6-11: Fierce imprecations and the purpose that men may know God judges the earth.
Psalm 59:13: Prayer to consume the wicked so they know God rules in Jacob.
Psalm 83:13-18: Imprecations for shame and destruction so that men may know God is Most High.
Psalm 69:22-28: David prays for the wicked to be blotted out of the book of the living; used to show purpose of preventing wicked from enjoying blessings.

Historical References

Puritan David Dixon: Quoted to explain that imprecatory prayers against God's enemies give way to their conversion if they are elect.
Doeg the Edomite: Wicked man responsible for murdering 85 priests; David prayed against him in Psalm 52.
Saul of Tarsus (Apostle Paul): Example of an enemy of God who was converted; used to show God may convert those prayed against.
Shimei: Benjamite who cursed David; David refused to harm him, leaving judgment to God.
Elymas: Sorcerer cursed by Paul with blindness for hindering the gospel (Acts 13).
Ananias and Sapphira: Struck dead by God after Peter pronounced judgment for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5).
Hymenaeus and Alexander: Individuals turned over to Satan by Paul for blasphemy (1 Timothy 1:20).
Pharaoh, Sihon, Og: Examples of those who learned the hard way that God is on the throne when He consumed them.

Important Quotes

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

This Puritan quote explains that imprecatory prayers are not inconsistent with a desire for the conversion of the elect.

Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.

The key imprecatory prayer from Psalm 104:35 that frames the entire sermon.

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

Central biblical principle that believers must leave judgment to God, quoted from both Old and New Testaments.

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 him.

Proverbs 24:17-18 warns against prideful rejoicing over an enemy's downfall, teaching humility in imprecatory praying.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: 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 for self-examination after expressing hatred for the wicked, showing that imprecations should lead to personal holiness.

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

A severe imprecation from Psalm 69:28, illustrating the purpose of preventing the wicked from sharing in the blessings of the righteous.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding that both the Old and New Testaments teach the same truths about justice and mercy affect your view of imprecatory prayers?

[Context]

Weaver argues there is no tension between the Testaments.

[Question]

In what ways can we practically leave vengeance to God when we are wronged, following David's example?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that David left results with God and never took personal revenge.

[Question]

How can we maintain a gracious and kind attitude toward those we pray against, as David did?

[Context]

Weaver highlights David's clean hands and kind actions toward enemies.

[Question]

What is the relationship between church discipline in the New Testament and imprecatory prayers in the Old Testament?

[Context]

Weaver draws parallels between apostolic curses and Old Testament imprecations.

[Question]

How does praying for God's judgment on the wicked align with a desire for His kingdom to come?

[Context]

Weaver equates imprecations with 'Thy kingdom come.'

[Question]

Why is it important not to rejoice when an enemy falls, according to Proverbs 24:17-18?

[Context]

Weaver warns that prideful rejoicing may cause God to turn away His wrath.

[Question]

How can praying imprecatory prayers lead to greater personal holiness and hatred of sin in our own lives?

[Context]

Weaver concludes that such prayers should prompt self-examination, as in Psalm 139.

Applications

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