(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
Should you pray for vengeance like you hear in the Old Testament?
Intro:
Have you ever heard someone complain that the God of the Old Testament seems like an old curmudgeon? And to be fair, one thing that probably exacerbates that perspective is when you read something like today’s Psalm…a prayer for vengeance.
Let me spark your memory of something we read in the last few weeks at the end of 2 Peter. Peter’s saying, “Yo, that Paul dude is sometimes difficult to understand.” And then he goes on to say,
Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too. 2 Pe 3:16, CSB
If you’ve ever wondered if we should pray for vengeance like we sometimes read, the short answer is no. But again, a key distinction is needed and we’ll catch that after today’s Wisdom Segment at the end of the episode.
New Testament segment:
Passage: John 4
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 54
Words: ~1160
I’m not sure how you can read the story of that Samaritan woman at the well and not have your heart moved. The one rando comment I’ll make is how she says,
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Jn 4:19-21, CSB (0)
You realize that adherents of Judaism and Islam are still fighting over a rock, right? Just a thought.
So, back to Jeremiah. Rebellion against Babylon yesterday, and today they add insult to injury by just flat-out rebelling against God.
Old Testament segment:
Passage: Jeremiah 42-43:7
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 32
Words: ~860
Stay tuned…this story will continue on Monday, and I’ll do a little recap so you recall what was going on.
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Psalm 83
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 18
Words: ~295
The bottom line:
So here the psalmist prays for vengeance, but even in the psalms, it’s more than that. As David Dockery says in the Holman Bible Handbook.
The psalmist listed the nations that he desired to see punished (83:5–8). The psalm likely was written sometime between 900 and 600 B.C., when Assyria (83:8) was still a threat.
The psalm is not a mere cry for vengeance. Rather, it is a plea for the righteous God to demonstrate His sovereignty by defending His chosen people.(1)
So there’s what we should be praying for…for the righteous God to demonstrate His sovereignty by defending His chosen people. And if you’re newer to this Christianity thing, that’s Christians — people who have put their trust in Jesus above all else.
But in the bigger picture, let me remind you of the story of the whole Bible. And I just have to say, this might take us a little past our normal 22 minutes because, as Mark Twain once put it, I’d have written you a shorter letter if I’d had the time.
Here are my rough notes (if you’re reading…and one of these days you should listen and see how I don’t usually read these notes as a script).
34 “Is it not stored up with me,
sealed up in my vaults?
35 Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay.,
In time their foot will slip,
for their day of disaster is near,
and their doom is coming quickly.”
36 The Lord will indeed vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants
when he sees that their strength is gone
and no one is left—slave or free. [1]
MOSES’ SONG OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND ISRAEL’S UNFAITHFULNESS (DEUT 31:30–32:43)
This wonderful hymn of covenant commitment (32:1) extols the God of Israel for His greatness and righteousness (32:2–4) despite the wickedness of His people (32:5–6a). He had created them (32:6b) and had redeemed (32:7–9) and preserved them (32:10–14). They rebelled in turn and followed other gods (32:15–18). This course of action provoked His judgment in the past and would do so in the future (32:19–38). At last, however, God would remember His covenant and bring His people salvation (32:39–43). [2]
Whose going to bring justice? God. Who promises? God. Who for? Everyone. All sinners, and that’s all of us.
Now here’s Paul, writing to Christians — those who’ve accepted God’s salvation — faith alone through grace alone.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Ro 12:14-21, ESV) [3]
So I read in a social media post recently a woman who said Jesus was all about love, never condemnation. But Jesus is fully God, right? So God of the OT and Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) are the same, right? So we could read, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says Jesus.”
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (He 10:26-31) [4]
And we could say, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living Jesus.”
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (He 10:32-39) [5]
So the writer of Hebrews, writing to those are saved, are being saved, and will be saved, is saying this same God and Jesus and Holy Spirit is worthy of our confidence because reward — compensation is coming.
And here comes Jesus
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. (Rev 22:12, ESV) [6]
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Rev 22:14-15) [7]
Remember, God’s wrath and vengeance isn’t because He hates people — it’s a righteous response to the violation of His love…and that’s all of us. He wouldn’t be perfectly loving if he wasn’t perfectly fair. And perfect fairness is perfect justice.
Should you pray for vengeance? Not as most people would think about it. Pray that God would expedite — in what we know of as history and time — justice.
And thank Him for his amazing grace.
Love you!
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(0) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 342.
[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 32:34–36.
[2] David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 184.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 12:14–21.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 10:26–31.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 10:32–39.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 22:12.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 22:14–15.