Psalm 94.1-2 1 The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who
avenges, shine forth. 2 Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what
they deserve.
There are many times when I’ve sought revenge; I’ve
wanted payback. I really wanted to see someone suffer because of what I felt
they did to me. I don’t think there are too many times I actually got revenge,
but there are times when my words were harsh or hurtful or hidden, at least
from the person I was attempting to get back at…
Where does revenge come from? Why is it totally human in
nature to seek payback, retribution, or to even the score? Why does someone
write a song about payback and call God, the
God of Payback? Well, I suppose it’s because God is the God of Payback, vengeance, and revenge.
It is difficult to see God for who He really is when
others have described Him in other ways. When the Bible calls God, “The Lord is
a God who avenges” it’s hard perhaps to see Him also as the God of Love.
Perhaps. Unless we understand that Scripture was Authored by God through
people. And people have a thing about vengeance.
The odd part of our faith is that it is comprised, in
part, by the presence of God and the mixture
of man. In other words, our faith is from God – that only makes sense; but
faith only finds its expression in man; without man to exercise faith, who else
will? Man needs faith because there are things in life like vengeance that man can’t quite
comprehend and certainly can’t handle – but God can. Man isn’t the reason God
exists but it sure is good for man’s sake that God does exist.
Vengeance is a thorny issue. Vengeance, to me, is the act
of exacting payback to those who offend. Israel from her very inception, was
prone to persecution: a nation formed in the midst of nations who really didn’t
seek her presence, nor her values; especially not her God. The familial fallout
of the ancients and the presence of sin made her especially vulnerable to the
dysfunction of the then culture which was anything but pro-God.
And so, at some point, some writer wrote Psalm 94 and sought
God’s vengeance upon the wicked; the unnamed wicked. Had the writer been
afflicted and needed God to pay back his afflicters? Possibly. Was the writer
so zealous – as was king David – for God’s holy sovereignty that he was just
beside himself with angst over the wicked seeming to get over on everybody
else? Perhaps. Or did the writer understand, that vengeance is only in the
realm of God and off limits to everyone else (Deuteronomy 32.35)? Probably.
Whatever the case for the writing of Psalm 94, the
reality is this: Only God can handle
vengeance because only God knows how to exact vengeance; and my feeling is
His exact-ation (if you will) will fit the offense demanding vengeance. In the
meantime, I am to pray for my enemies and: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if
he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
(Romans 12.20 quoting Proverbs 25.21-22) If burning coals on his brow don’t get
the job done, then I suppose only God’s vengeance will.
Father, give me strength this day to refrain from
revenge. Help me, though I know, and feel, and experience all that causes me to
want revenge, to know I cannot handle revenge. Only You can and I am to accept
that. In the meantime, I’m to walk as Jesus did, accepting the world as it is,
not as I want it to be. I’ll serve soup to the offender and swallow my own
wickedness that only wants payback. Vengeance is Yours alone. I’ll trust in
that! Amen.
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