The Imprecatory Psalms

The following is inspired by Gordon Wenham's book, 'The Psalter Reclaimed.' Go buy it.

What do we do with the imprecatory psalms? How can we amen a prayer that asks God to dash the heads of babies against a rock? Or that our accusers would be cloaked in shame so that it would soak into their bones? This sentiment disturbs our quiet times doesn't it? But how are we supposed to engage with these Psalms? If we're serious about the Bible, we can't just strike off the things that make us uncomfortable, or there would be very little left.

So what do we do with the imprecatory Psalms?

We could take a popular approach, and say that they are simply the remnant of a pre Christian view of God. The leftovers from a time where law ruled instead of grace, and should be ignored as such. But the problem with calling them left overs, is that it means that someone left them over. We can't believe that the Psalms included every single song written by the Hebrews, obviously, so for some reason, these unpleasant prayers or songs or praises were left in the Bible. Why?

How can we read these Psalms like Christians? What do they teach us? First, it's worth remembering that the imprecatory Psalms are simply strong laments. Jesus prayed through the Psalms of lament as He went from the upper room to the cross, but we live in a lament free society. The first world prosperity Gospel holds that anyone who damages my self esteem is guilty of sin. We don't lament very often, we don't wail. Our popular songs are upbeat, Christian radio stations want to create 'an atmosphere of positivity.' Laments are odd to our ears. And where laments are odd, imprecations will be odder still.

But these odd prayers are Christian scripture, just like the rest of the Old Testament, since we're there, so what do we do with them?

Firstly, these Psalms help us identify how serious sin is. Our sin. As Judges ends with the sin inside the camp, so taking these psalms on our lips should make us think about the sin in our camp. How have we oppressed, and let down, and marginalised? How does our life look under the white hot glare of Christ's gracious perfections? Are we praying these Psalms as the aggrieved or the aggressor? They help us see how God feels about personal sin, and about institutional sin.

These Psalms wake us up to God. Just like pain plants a flag in our lives to show us that all is not well, so the imprecatories plant a flag in scripture that all is not well within our hearts, our institutions, and our creation. In a world anaesthetised by religion and numbed by entertainment, these Psalms shake us awake.

The imprecatory Psalms help us to empathize with Christians all over the world. With Christians who are being persecuted, with Christians who really have been that poorly treated and really are that justly angry about it. They give us a window into a world where the choice is not 'which multi million dollar sanctuary do I visit this week,' but 'do I keep my family, or do I go to church?'

We need the imprecatory Psalms, and the fact that we feel so uncomfortable with them probably shows us just why we need them. We need to be woken up from our doze about sinful things. We need to see the damage that sin, both personal and institutional does to those sinned against. We need to know how God feels about sin. We need the imprecatory Psalms so that we can pray for our brothers and sisters across the world suffering for their faith. So that we, in some small way, can feel the injustice they face, and the way it makes them feel.

And we need these Psalms to spur us on the share our faith, to preach the Gospel. Why? Because for those outside of Christ, 'come Lord Jesus,' is the most imprecatory Psalm there is.