Compare Psalm 109:6 with Matthew 5:44. How should we treat our enemies? \Setting the Scene\ Psalm 109:6: “Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.” Matthew 5:44: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” \What Psalm 109:6 Is Saying\ • Psalm 109 is an imprecatory psalm—David is pleading with God to judge hostile, deceitful enemies. • David is not commanding personal revenge; he is asking the righteous Judge to act (cf. Romans 12:19). • The focus is courtroom imagery: let the wicked reap what they’ve sown, in God’s timing, by God’s hand. \What Matthew 5:44 Is Saying\ • Jesus calls His followers to a higher righteousness—mirroring the Father’s gracious heart even toward enemies. • He moves the issue from the courtroom to the heart: instead of cursing, believers actively love and pray. • This love is practical (Luke 6:27–28), self-sacrificial (Romans 5:8), and countercultural (1 Peter 3:9). \Reconciling the Two Passages\ Both are true; they address different levels of response. 1. Personal attitude toward enemies • Matthew 5:44 governs our day-to-day heart posture: love, bless, pray, do good. • Proverbs 25:21–22 confirms this Old Testament thread—kindness to an enemy “heaps burning coals on his head.” 2. Appeal to divine justice • Psalm 109 models how to lay the thirst for justice before God rather than taking matters into our own hands. • Revelation 6:10 shows martyrs still crying, “How long, O Lord…?”—so appeals for justice remain valid. 3. Final accountability • God alone balances mercy and judgment (Psalm 89:14). • Our role: show mercy now; trust Him to judge rightly later (2 Timothy 4:14). \Living It Out\ • Refuse personal retaliation (Romans 12:17). • Pray blessings over those who mistreat you—by name and with specific good you desire for them. • Do tangible good: a kind word, a helping hand, an honest compliment (Luke 6:35). • When injustice stings, pour out the pain to God like David did (Psalm 62:8). • Leave ultimate vindication with the Lord while you keep walking in love (1 Peter 2:23). \Bottom Line\ Love your enemy in action and prayer, and let God handle the justice your heart rightly longs for. |
    |