Psalm 139:19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!
Our verse for today seems out of place in the context of God's Word and yet, while reading the Psalms, we see references like this from the Psalmist more than once. These words are very good examples of the fact that not everything you read in the Bible is to be taken as appropriate action for us. If these words were standard fare for followers of God then we would have a problem when comparing them to Matthew 5:44 “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” How do we clear up this situation?
The answer is simple. Understand that the men of the Old Testament were not any different than the men, 'guys.' of the New Testament. They were people just like you and I and God allowed them to speak their mind in the midst of Holy Scripture so that we could understand that they understood us and had the same feelings we have. When you read the Bible you are reading a book that is one hundred percent in touch with what you feel and face everyday.
These words could easily express the feelings of those men and women who were devastated by the Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff who ripped even his friends off for 820 million dollars. Some were left with nothing. And how about those who worked hard for companies, helping them to be successful, only to have their jobs sent overseas. The company I worked for, Semperian, who served GM, closed the call center here in Eugene and put 297 workers on the street May 1st. That meant 297 less jobs and 297 more workers looking for jobs. I talked to a business two weeks ago and found that they were closing their doors in three days and another who had just laid off 18 people that day. We hear of top executives taking millions of dollars in bonuses while the company is declaring billions in loss. These kinds of things cause people to do disparate things and it gets worse and worse.
The things that the writer's of scripture ask for is not always in line with the will of God. Quite often their cry is that of the human, natural heart, which cannot always be trusted. They honestly call for what they think should be done out of frustration and human misunderstanding. They, as we, can not see the beginning from the end. They can't see behind the walls of history. They only see what we see, the mortal plain where eliminating the problem seems to be the best solution. “Destroy the wicked.” That is a simple way to right the wrongs. The problem is that it is not even in line with the teaching Old Testament.. “Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself.” states Leviticus 19:18. The Psalmist misses God's point and goes for the easy way out.
The problem that he faces, as do we in moments of unclear thinking, is that God does in fact hate the sin and the cry rightly acknowledges that. What it misses is that God loves the sinner and desires to turn them around, not eliminate them. This is why the psalmist ends the Psalm with these words: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23,24 He knows, as we should, that our thinking is flawed. We often run on emotion and need the mind of God to step in and save the day. We are not thinking too clearly these days. Many are fearful and even those in power do not know for certain if what they are doing will fix the mess we are in right now. But God knows the correct path and will guide us if we will simply pay attention. While reading God's word and praying to Him, be careful to let Him decide the way you should go.
Do not fear. Trust in Him. It may not be easy but it is sure.
May God bless you today.
Theo
Dear Small Group Leader (or soon to be Facilitator)
Please allow everyone in your group to answer the Quick Question. It will get things started on the right foot, encouraging quieter ones to open up. Please do not require everyone to answer every question. They may not be ready to share yet. Also please allow at least 5-10 minutes at the end of your study so as many as would like to can respond to the REFLECTION question. This may be the most important time in your small group study. Thank You
SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY
Please Read: Psalm 139:1-24
QUICK QUESTION: What troubles you most about today's headlines?
What did God think of David?
What did David think about God and himself?
What knowledge did David think was too hard for him to understand?
What does this Psalm teach about God?
After reading this Psalm, what do you think we should think about ourselves and God?
Why should you be careful about the things you ask for in prayer?
REFLECTION: Is there something that you may want to reconsider in your prayer life?
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