Comments on: Binnie on the Imprecatory Psalms

By: TimBloedow

TimBloedow — Mon, 28 May 2007 01:56:09 +0000

It’s exciting to have a forum like this. I discovered it with Rev. Ken Smith’s help and a recent issues of RP Witness which I haven’t read for a while. I attend Russell RP near Ottawa in Canada. Civil magistracy is my real interest. I have just published a book, “State vs. Church” and have a website called http://www.christiangovernment.ca . Always interested in feedback.

On the topic in question, I’ve heard it said that imprecations are judicial in nature so only elders have the authority to declare them. I don’t know whether I agree with this position, but it would certainly be one means by which to restrict abuse of the practise and principle.

I don’t think one can use the closing of the cannon as a rationale to argue that they aren’t available to us to use today. If we can’t teach, declare or pronounce God’s judgments today, are we not, by implication, only teaching a half-covenant theology?

One can also perhaps get too theoretical on this point. If a person is a terrible blasphemer and idolater, or an enthusiastic abortionist, or what have you, then he is certainly God’s enemy. Perhaps he is one of God’s elect and God will redeem Him in time. But God is not bound by our declarations of His judgment, so if we pronounce God’s judgement or curse on such a person because of the nature of his open wickedness at a given time, that doesn’t stop God from saving him later anyway. Perhaps, in the same way that excommunication of an unrepentant professing Christian is hoped to be a tool by which God will bring the person back to a living faith, a declaration of judgement would do the same. Certainly I think that even in our denomination the pendulum has swung excessively in the direction of attitudes that we label as “grace” or “gracious” which may or may not be, at the expense of confidently declaring God’s judgment against wickedness and the flagrant practioners and advocates of wickedness.

I need to study the history of our church’s work against slavery, but I would suspect, and would hope to discover, that in our opposition to it, our forefathers spoke publicly very forcefully against it, even in fora that included civil magistrates. If so, we could perhaps learn from them in terms of how seriously we take our responsibility to speak before kings on the legislative sanction of such things as abortion, divorce, homosexuality, the usurpation of the husband and father through social welfare policies, etc.

By: MarkPele

MarkPele — Tue, 15 May 2007 22:05:18 +0000

Bill, I’d like to say I concur with you for once! That tune is definitely one of my favorites.
As to Binnie, there indeed is a yearning within the Christian’s heart to see justice done, but I don’t think that even that is the subject of our imprecation. There is a difference between the time before the canon was closed and now when prophecy has ceased. So, those who wrote the imprecatory psalms could justly call down God’s wrath against God’s enemies, because God, in fact, enlightened the prophets to know that certain people were His enemies. Now, we sing these psalms, indeed calling on God’s wrath upon His enemies, but not specific people, because we are not enlightened to know who God’s enemies are. This is similar to singing about sacrificing, dancing and even praising God with cymbals. We see and glory in the differences between the old and new covenants.

By: Andrew Matthews

Andrew Matthews — Sun, 13 May 2007 09:35:51 +0000

It appears that for Binnie the imprecatory psalms should not be directed at personal enemies, but only at heinous criminals deserving of just punishment. I think this is a sound rule, and would add that incorrigible enemies of the Church should also be prayed against.

Blessings should be on our lips much more than cursings. The Litany from the Book of Common Prayer includes this petition:

That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors,
and slanderers, and to turn their hearts;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

By: W.H. Chellis

W.H. Chellis — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:21:05 +0000

But I really like the tune for Psalm 137