Monday - Psalm 140 - Enemies

 

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T'S much easier to preach Matthew 5:44 ("Love your enemies") when you don't have any of them breathing down your neck.  But, oh, when you get a bitter opponent who is set on seeing you fail and fall, then "doing good to those who hate you" can become very difficult indeed. Yet, we must ask to whom Jesus' exhortation was aimed.  Laws are never written to deal with good men (1st Timothy 1:9).  And, speed limits are not listed for the pedestrian.  Innocent men and pedestrians on the sidewalk are certainly safer because of the existence of speed limits, but the laws are written because some have occasion to do other than the laws describe.  An exhortation to "be kind to those who abuse you" means nothing to the man who is not being abused.  But for the oppressed, this difficult injunction leaps into view.

David was one who knew what it was like to be oppressed, repressed, distressed and abused.  In light of the detractions of his detractors, David began this prayer by requesting for God's protection for himself. He needed a guide and a defender. Since he could not (or would not) stand up for himself, He needed someone to stand up for him.  But beyond that, he was even more concerned about the general impact of wicked men overall (Psalm 140:9-11).  If Joe McNeighbor will treat me wrongly, there is a good chance that I am not the only one that he is abusing.  In David's case, he knew for sure that he was not the only one being abused. As such, he prayed an imprecatory prayer, asking for God to deal harshly with wicked men.  Of course, we pray for the salvation of wicked men, but if they are not going to be saved... we hope God will cut them down ASAP.