Psalm 54: let’s call it a glitch
Oh, how I wish these things didn’t jump out at me so! I read through Psalm 54, and couldn’t help noticing verses 5 and 7. Read the psalm and tell me, are these Biblical sentiments? Is this what Jesus would do? Would you wish this on your enemies?
I can’t help thinking David’s CPU skipped a few computing cycles when he wrote these words. They’re fairly cruel, and coming from a man who experienced God’s love and care from a young age, they’re very dissonant.
Revenge is God’s. That’s why we should wish for anyone’s evil deeds to recoil on them. We also shouldn’t want to feast our eyes on our enemies. We shouldn’t gloat when God brings us higher than others - the merit isn’t ours, and we don’t deserve to be there. None of us deserve special treatment. But some of us get it because we seek God, and so He cuts us slack. He forgives us, time and time again, and yet we still fail. But as long as we get up and seek Him again, He welcomes us back. So you see, we’re not worthy when it comes down to the truth. We’re just as sinful as others. It’s hypocritical and truly mean of us to laugh at those whom God chooses to humiliate or destroy, when we too would be subject to the same fate, but for the grace of God.
