O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. (Psalm 41:10-11)
At first glance, it seems as if David prayed that God would raise him up from his weakened state so that he might exact vengeance on those who sought his destruction. There is, in fact, a good bit of discussion about this in Jewish commentary, specifically the moral problem presented by David’s alleged desire for revenge because it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). In other words, to avenge ourselves is antithetical to what God expects of His people, and so why would David pray such a prayer?
But before we jump to a final conclusion on the matter, we must take into account another prayer of David spoken in regard to his enemies: “When they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting” (Psalm 35:13). That doesn’t sound like someone burning up with thoughts of revenge but a man well acquainted with compassion and forgiveness. And so, how do we reconcile the seeming contradiction? As it turns out, there is an argument that David did not pray for vengeance but for vindication — that he (and the wicked) would know God was pleased with him.
The Bible declares that the wicked will suffer many pains (Psalm 32:10). It further suggests that one of the greatest and most annoying pains the wicked suffer is to see the success of the person who trusts in the Lord. For example, the wicked Haman suffered intense humiliation when he was compelled by order of the king to escort righteous Mordechai through the city square as one honored by the king. Similarly, David’s eventual triumph over his enemies was not that he destroyed them by the sword as much as it was that God preserved him, in spite of all the difficulty, when others would have been overwhelmed and swept away.
As for us, we are compelled by Godly instruction not to seek the destruction of our enemies but to pray for them. This is what we are called to do even when they are working feverishly to hasten our end. Still, we must hold fast to our integrity and fulfill the will of our King. Therefore, do not return evil with evil but continue to exhibit the character and attributes of our compassionate Messiah. As far as our vindication, it will come in the appointed season, and so in that vein of thought, let’s close with Yeshua’s encouragement to the congregation at Philadelphia:
“You have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. I will make those of the synagogue of Satan … come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” (Revelation 3:8-9)
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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