Slices
Prepare
Today we think about when we’ve been hurt. Take a moment to ask for God’s peace and gentleness.
Bible passage
For the director of music. To the tune of ‘Do Not Destroy’. Of David. A miktam.
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skilful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns –
whether they be green or dry – the wicked will be swept away.
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say,
‘Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.’
Explore
The probable context of this psalm is that David is in hiding, fleeing from Saul and his followers because he fears for his life. He begins with his expectation of how leaders should act (v 1), but then his frustration with Saul and those who surround him becomes clear (v 2). If you are left in any doubt, be assured that David is angry with them. His language is graphic and gruesome (vs 3–9). It is heartfelt and full of hurt. It is honest yet hopeful. And whatever they have done, not only has David been affected but others too will delight when the rulers are punished (v 10).
We too feel angry, hurt and frustrated, but we can learn from David. He is not going to seek revenge himself (v 6). Nor is he inciting others to act. He is asking God to intervene, to act justly. This psalm can be hard to read in our current context, where vengeance is not always seen as the right response. But when David was writing, such displays of evil required God’s justice and this was a cause for celebration (vs 10,11). It takes courage to leave justice to God, as David did, when it is not ours to mete out. It takes strength not to stir up discontent and lead others to do something about it too.
Respond
If you are hurt by anyone or know others who are, ask God to heal the pain and ask only for God’s justice to be done.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 3,4; John 2
Pray for Scripture Union
This year LMP Groundbreakers, working in primary schools in Manchester, will be 20 years old. To celebrate this, their new status as an independent charity and becoming a Scripture Union Mission Partner, they are having a launch event on 18 September. Please pray that all who attend will be inspired and encouraged to support the work.
