Justice in the Psalms

Bonus! Today's discussion is also on Youtube if you'd rather listen. 

Earlier this week we began to take a look at the Psalms which specifically and unapologetically call for the end of evil. We wrapped up our first discussion by asking 3 questions:

1. Who is the standard setter of what is good and what is evil? 
2. What is the Psalmist responding to when speaking of the downfall of evil? 
3. Is evil that big of a problem? 

These three questions I hope will help us as we consider God's inspired Word within imprecatory Psalms. Here are my quick answers to each of these questions, and we will go into more depth on each in a moment. 

• Question: Who is the standard setter of what is good and what is evil? 
• Answer: The Lord God in his perfect justice. 
• What is the Psalmist responding to when speaking of the downfall of evil? 
• Answer: Evil's present reality. 
• Is evil that big of a problem? 
• Answer: Yes. 

1. Question: Who is the standard setter of what is good and what is evil? Answer: The Lord God in his perfect justice. 

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. Psalm 145:17

When we are shocked by the cries of the Psalmist we need to remember who the standard setter is for good and evil. We may object to these expressions and say this is awful, or this is violent, or this is excessive, or this seemingly is contrary to other passages instructing us to pray for our enemies. We may even go so far as to express that often decried phrase used by complaining children "this isn't fair!". Yet, these expressions are God's Word. God has revealed in his Word what his standard for justice is. In God's view of reality, evil is not something to endure, but is something to be abolished. 

When we remember God's standard of justice is perfect, then the cries of the Psalmist to end evil are no longer shocking. Instead of the imprecations of the Psalms being extreme, they become quite reasonable. The Psalms as they speak longingly for the end of evil, speak with perfect justice with respect to what evil is owed. Evil is not welcome in God's reality. I'll use an illustration here, imagine you are asleep in your home. An intruder assails your home. This intrusion is an offense against your home, and your personhood. This intruder is not welcome. What would you do? I'm sure there are many different responses and many different options regarding the specifics, but ultimately we would all agree that the intruder is not welcome, and the desire in your startled state would be for the intruder to no longer be present. This is true of evil in reality. Evil is not a welcome part of God's reality. Evil is a offense against God's creation and God's personhood. 

The God of the Bible isn't just because he knows the laws of the universe or because he has encyclopedic knowledge of an arbitrary set of rules. The God of the Bible is just because he himself is just. The rules of what is right and wrong are applications, manifestations, of God's standard. When the Psalms speak out against evil and hope for it's destruction, it is in light of God's righteous standard. The Psalms do not speak out of a pithy human standard for vengeance, getting even, or an imperfect sense of justice. The Psalms speak the perfect word of God against evil. Evil is a violation of God's standard, and it has no eternal future. 

2. Question: What is the Psalmist responding to when speaking of the downfall of evil? Answer: Evil's present reality. 

When the Psalms speak out against evil it is in response to the experience of evil in the present. Evil isn't an abstract concept or a vague "spiritual" thing. Evil is tangible, evil is sensible (not sensible as in reasonable or a good idea, sensible in the way in which our senses interact with it). The Psalms speak about evil in experiential terms, as someone who has suffered at the hands of evil. When the Psalms cry out for evil to be done away with, it is not out of some far and away removed pious privilege. The Psalms cry out for evil's destruction due to the palpable, definite horror of evil in life. 

Psalm 137 is an example of this. In Psalm 137 the Psalmist sets the scene in exile in Babylon. The scene is one of imprisonment and harsh suffering. The call for the destruction of evil comes out of remembering the atrocities committed during the siege of Jerusalem (You can read about this siege in 2 Kings 24 & 25). For 2 years Jerusalem was under siege and the inhabitants suffered greatly. It is with this fall of Jerusalem in mind the Psalmist in 137:6-9 says:

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!” Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes your infants  and dashes them against the rocks. Psalm 137:6-9

This graphic Psalm cries out for Babylon to be repaid according to their deeds. The Psalmist isn't speaking a curse upon someone for a personal slight, or because of some motivation towards a personal agenda. The Psalmist speaks out of a response, led by the inspiration of God, for justice to be done towards evil. We see in Psalm 137 that cries for imprecation are reactive, not proactive. The writers of the Psalms were not village witch doctors, seeking to wield divine curses as a part of regular daily living. The cries for utter destruction of evil comes as a response to the present ugly experience of evil. 

3. Question: Is evil that big of a problem? Answer: Yes. 

The surprising answer to this question is Yes! The sin filled lies of our world tell us that evil isn't that big of a problem. Like a parasite who sucks the life out of its host, the lies of the world say "evil isn't evil". Since the first time rebellion came into the history of the world, the lie of twisting God's reality has been persistent. 

Now the serpent....said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'you must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" - Genesis 3:1

While the world, flesh, and the devil try to convince us that evil isn't that big of a deal, the Psalms speak the truth of God proclaiming loudly the awful nature of evil. 

Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. - Psalm 7:14-16

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. - Psalm 10:2-3  

Notice in Psalm 7 that evil is compared with pregnancy. An internal thing (evil) gives birth to an external thing (disillusionment). In Psalm 10 the wicked man is arrogant, and in that he hunts the weak. Notice it is not his hunting which is decried of spoken of as evil, but his arrogant heart! The blessing and cursing from the mouth of the wicked is an overflow from the heart of the wicked. 

Evil isn't evil just because of it's byproducts. When our world does admit to the horror of evil, it's only in the consequences of the circumstances. Evil isn't denounced as evil against God. Evil is denounced as an unfortunate unintended consequence that could have (maybe) resulted in better outcomes. In other words, when the world admits to evil's evil, it's due to the byproduct of evil, rather than the nature of evil. When drug addiction is discussed, it's recognized as evil because it can lose people jobs, hurt relationships, and lead to physical decay. Drug addiction then is spoken of as an evil because of it's byproducts rather than the innate evil that inhabits every addict. We speak of drug addiction as evil because it leads to dysfunction, and unfortunately this is a lie that many of us have believed even in the church. 

In Genesis 3 evil entered the world as Adam and Eve rebelled against their creator. The evil was NOT in the byproduct of their choices, the evil was in their choice. The evil was NOT in the consequences of their actions, the evil was their actions. Evil is evil by its very nature due to it's rejection of God as supreme ruler. Evil, in all of it's forms, expressions, sins, and transgressions is ultimately a rejection of God as he is, and a replacement of God with ourselves. Evil is the attempt to usurp God from his throne, and claim the throne for ourselves. Evil isn't just a problem in it's byproduct or consequences, it's a problem in it's very nature. The Psalms speak to this reality:

For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. - Psalm 5:4-6

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. - Psalm 51:4 

The fool says in his heart, "there is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. - Psalm 53:1-3 

The Lord detests evil. He does not welcome evil. Evil really is something to be taken seriously. This is precisely the reality that the Psalms speak into when they speak regarding the destruction of evil. 

So what's the good news? I'd rather not end today's discussion with such a lengthy chat about evil. I'd rather end with some good news. The good news is that evil has no eternal future. It has an expiration date. It's day is coming to a close and it is already late in the evening. The resurrected Lord has promised to come again and put death to death, establishing his forever kingdom in which no evil will ever enter. 

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. - 1 Corinthians 15:20-26

The Lord is faithful to his promises. The Lord is faithful to his people. The Lord knows the evil of evil, and the Lord takes evil so seriously, he has entered into cosmic warfare to destroy evil permanently.