Psalm 109 is one of about fifteen imprecatory Psalms, in which the Psalmist, David, cries out to the Lord for a righteous reason and requests a just action. In this very strong psychological and emotional Psalm, David reveals that he has been unjustly treated by hateful liars, attackers, and accusers – despite all his prayers for them, his goodness toward them, and his friendship with them. David says, “In return for my friendship they accuse me, they repay me evil for good, and with hatred for my friendship” (verses 4-5). We are all created with sensitive feelings, and none of us wants to be treated unfairly. This Psalm reveals prophetically how Jesus – the Son of David – was received by the Jews when He came to earth. Furthermore, it shows us how to handle the hostilities of others toward us. Like David, we are free to practice grace. Following David’s example, we need to turn our mistreatments over to the Lord, and allow Him to resolve our difficult relational issues. Essentially, David entrusted the abuses he received to the Lord’s righteous commands found in both testaments: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay says the Lord” (cf., Deuteronomy 32:35; and Romans 12:19-20).
In Isaiah 47:1-49:7, we see that God promises to deal with the city and culture of Babylon (which is a picture of sin), and He promises to restore Israel (His own children) by “His Servant” (cf., 49:5). Babylon has mocked and blasphemed the Lord by saying “I am, and there is none beside me” (verses 8 and 10). The city and its culture engaged in “sorcery, wickedness, astrology, and magic spells” (verses 9-13). Because Babylon has mistreated God’s people – and others – excessively harshly and “mercilessly” (verse 6), God plans to bring “shame, disaster, calamity, and catastrophe on Babylon in the form of “vengeance, loss of children, and widowhood” (verses 3-11). However, in chapter 48, God also promises to punish stubborn Israel and Judah for their “idolatry” (verse 5); “treachery” (verse 8); and “failure to attend to the Lord’s commands” (verse 18). In chapter 49:1-7, we see the second of four “Servant of the LORD songs in Isaiah (cf., September 18, Day 262 – The Curse of the Noose). Here in verses 1-7, the Servant of the LORD points to Jesus as “a Light to the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (verse 6), and as the “Redeemer and Holy One of Israel Who was despised and abhorred by the nation” (verse 7).
Galatians 5:7-26 is a precious passage that shows us the source of all conflicts in our lives – the flesh – which is governed by “the sinful nature,” an expression used here six times in this chapter (cf., verses 13, 16, 17, 19, and 24). As governed by the sinful nature, the flesh “desires what is contrary to the Spirit” (verse 17). Here, Paul provides a list of no less than fifteen different, “obvious sinful acts” that we are to avoid (verses 19-21). He says that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (verse 21). Unfortunately, our present culture is super-saturated with these obviously sinful acts. We certainly grant that human life is messy, and we observe that it is filled with struggles and difficulties that need to be managed. But Paul calls us to live above these practices in our lives, and he says that “those who belong to Christ will manage their lives by the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (cf., 5:22-23). No law forbids the practice of these graces.
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