Imprecatory Prayer

Are prayers of imprecation a violation of NT teaching?

Introduction

“Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?”

“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell.”

“Love you enemies and pray for them who persecute you.”

Are these statements consistent?

Introduction

There are many questions raised about prayers of imprecation.– How does one reconcile the OT curses upon

an enemy with OT laws that forbid personal revenge and the command to love our neighbor?

– How do we reconcile this with the teachings of Jesus?

Definition

An imprecation is a prayer of judgment, calamity, or curse upon one’s enemies or the enemies of God.

Such curses span the breadth of Biblical revelation.

They are part of the covenant with God – Deuteronomy 27 – 30.

Definition

The NT ends with saints beneath the altar praying, “How long?” till God avenges their blood. (Revelation 6:10)

The most powerful examples are in the Psalms – 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 109, 137, and 139.

To imprecate means “to invoke evil or curse” upon one’s enemies.

Examples in Psalms

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. Psalms 7:9

Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Psalms 35:1

Examples in Psalms

Let their way be dark and slippery, And let the angel of the LORD pursue them. Psalms 35:6

Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, My precious life from the lions. Psalms 35:17

Examples in Psalms

Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. Psalms 35:19

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city Psalms 55:9

Examples in Psalms

Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them. Psalms 55:15

But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in You. Psalms 55:23

Examples in Psalms

6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! 7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually; When he bends his bow, Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. 8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Psalms 58:6-8

Examples in Psalms

You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Psalms 59:5

Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Psalms 59:13

Examples in Psalms

22 Let their table become a snare before them, And their well-being a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation upon them, And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their dwelling place be desolate; Let no one live in their tents. Psalms 69:22-25

Examples in Psalms

26 For they persecute the ones You have struck, And talk of the grief of those You have wounded. 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity, And let them not come into Your righteousness. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous. Psalms 69:26-28

Examples in Psalms

Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. Psalms 79:6

Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let there be known among the nations in our sight The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Psalms 79:10

Examples in Psalms

16 Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. 17 Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, 18 That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth. Psalms 83:16-18

Examples in Psalms

7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few, And let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow. 10 Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg; Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places. Psalms 109:7-10

Examples in Psalms

11 Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder his labor. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him, Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children. 13 Let his posterity be cut off, And in the generation following let their name be blotted out. Psalms 109:11-13

Examples in Psalms

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill! 6 If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth-- If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. 7 Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, "Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation!" Psalms 137:5-7

Examples in Psalms

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. 20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. Psalms 139:19-22

Examples in the NT

This may surprise many – there are similar statement in the NT.

Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Acts 5:9

Examples in the NT

9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Revelation 6:9-10

Examples in the NT

10 and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Acts 13:10-11

Examples in the NT

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.Galatians 1:6-8

Examples in the NT

I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! Galatians 5:12

19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. 1 Timothy 1:19-20

Examples in the NT

20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Acts 8:20-23

Examples in the NT

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5

Examples in the NT

The final step in church discipline:– Matthew 18:17-20– 1 Corinthians 5:5– 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Deliver them to Satan, consider them as a heathen,

Incorrect Explanations

A prophecy telling of things to come

Expressions of personal feelings – anger, frustration – normal reaction to being hurt

They show the low ethical standard of the OT

Incorrect Explanations

These should be rejected They were not written in haste or anger They were inspired by God David is not doing any harm – but seeking

God’s justice They ignore the personal character of David

David’s Character

He mourned and fasted for them 13 But as for me, when they were sick, My

clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. 14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. Psalms 35:13-14

David’s Character

He put on sackcloth and ashes I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a

byword to them. Psalms 69:11

David’s Character

He never took vengeance 5 Now it happened afterward that David's heart

troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe. 6 And he said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.“ 1 Samuel 24:5-6

David’s Character

14 So David said to him, "How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died. 2 Samuel 1:14-15

David punished those who took revenge in their own hands.

OT Curse Theology

These prayers reflect the holiness of God– Abraham - I will bless those who bless you, And I

will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Gen 12:3

– Mount Ebal (curses) Mount Gerizim (blessings) – Deuteronomy 27

Purposes of Imprecation

Seek God’s JusticeSo that men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth." Psalms 58:11

Purposes of Imprecation

Seek God’s Justice God’s Sovereignty

Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Psalms 59:13

Purposes of Imprecation

Seek God’s Justice God’s Sovereignty Urge wicked to turn

to God

16 Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. 17 Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, Psalms 83:16-17

Purposes of Imprecation

Seek God’s Justice God’s Sovereignty Urge wicked to turn

to God Righteous to be

established

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. Psalms 7:9

Purposes of Imprecation

Seek God’s Justice God’s Sovereignty Urge wicked to turn

to God Righteous to be

established An abhorrence of sin

21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. Psalms 139:21-22

Applying Imprecation

When Israel was attacked – God was attacked– Samuel was rejected – God was rejected– Goliath was defying God

Israel’s enemies were God’s enemies. Their prayers were seeking God’s justice to be done – not their own vengeance.

Applying Imprecation

With these factors in mind – There is complete harmony in the OT and the NT

The “kingdom” principles Jesus taught use the same ethic as the kingdom of Israel

Therefore: The prayers of imprecation are still applicable today.

WITH SOME CONDITIONS!

Conditions to Meet

You must be a Christian– For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:12

Only as a last resort– For protection– For appropriate punishment

Conditions to Meet

You must be totally innocent of involvement or participation– 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this: If there is

iniquity in my hands, 4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause, 5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Psalms 7:3-5

Conditions to Meet

You must be totally innocent of involvement or participation– 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape

the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, Matthew 23:33-34

– Legal term – clean hands

Conditions to Meet

God’s reputation and truth are on the line – not your own– 20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with

you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. Acts 8:20-22

Conditions to Meet

You can not use imprecatory prayer as manipulation against another– Prayer must not be a form of bribery or coercion

Vengeance belongs to God.– 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live

peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:18-19

The Justice of God

Prayers of imprecation are only a small part of the justice of God.– Legislative Justice – must obey His law– Remunerative Justice – He rewards– Punitive Justice – God punishes

since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 2 Thessalonians 1:6

God Prefers Love over Justice

Example– I love my neighbor – do good – help them– One day they murder a member of my family– I CALL THE POLICE – WHY?– I have changed from love to justice.

While we live on earth – Love, mercy, grace At the end of time – Justice will prevail

CONCLUSION:

Imprecatory prayer is scriptural – so is the love of God

Are you willing to walk in love, suffer the wrong, and pray for the salvation of your enemies?

I believe this is the message of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount

CONCLUSION:

2 Final Thoughts Imprecatory prayer must not be personal

– Personal hatred is wrong– Seeking, planning, or doing harm is wrong

Vengeance belongs to God– Our prayer must be for God to do what is

right, fair, just