Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Satan’s hands, so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved when the Lord returns.” (1 Cor. 5:5) The purpose of divine judgment is to see the person ‘turn around’ and be restored to the grace and love of Christ. When people remove themselves from the covering of God’s favor as Judas and Ahithophel did, the results are disastrous. • Lost purpose and calling- “Let his years be few; let his position be given to someone else.” (8) The apostles gathered and chose Matthias to replace Judas: “So now we must choose another man to take Judas’s place.” (Acts 1:21) • Death- “May his children become fatherless, and may his wife become a widow.” (9) The final aim of Satan is to murder and kill. • Financial Ruin- “May his children wander as beggars; may they be evicted from their ruined homes. May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned.” (10, 11) • Difficulty- “Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children.” (12) • The End of Their Genealogy- “May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.” (13) • Judgment Upon the Unrepentant Ancestry- “May the Lord never forget the sins of his ancestors; may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record. May these sins always remain before the Lord, but may his name be cut off from human memory.” (14, 15) “… an offense that is not atoned for stands; it has disastrous consequences-frequently for generations 4 .” Perhaps there is a distant reminder of the original sin of Eve, the first betrayal of the Son of God that has had affected all of mankind. A family can prolong the curse by repeating the same transgressions for many generations. Judas, the only non-Galilean in Jesus’ group of Apostles, had a deep character flaw, “he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples’ funds, and he often took some for his own use.” (Jn. 12: 4-6) He sold his friendship with Jesus to the Pharisees for 30 pieces of silver and betrayed him with a kiss: “’Greet- ings, Teacher!’ he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. Jesus said, ‘My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.’(Mt. 26:49, 50) ‘Those who answer the loving acts of the righteous with such malevolence in word and in deed commit a satanic sin for which there is no forgiveness. The curse is the fruit of their own choice and deed 5 .’ “He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him. Cursing is as much a part of him as his clothing, or as the water he drinks or the rich food he eats. Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt. May those curses become the Lord’s punishment for my accusers who are plotting against my life.” (17-20) As David was fleeing from Jerusalem “a man came out of the village cursing them…’Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!’ he shouted at David. ‘The Lord is paying you back for murdering Saul and his family.”’ (2 Sam. 16:7, 8) David’s soldiers wanted to kill him but he replied: “Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses.” (2 Sam. 16:11, 12) The curses of this psalm that were meant for the betrayer’s victim are now being returned upon his own life. In the light of this spiritual dynamic it is clear why God forbids us to curse another person, we are in essence cursing ourselves. III HE LOVED TO CURSE - 16-19 The Betrayer’s Motivation “For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the bro- kenhearted to death. (16)

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HELP ME O LORD MY GOD - 21-31 Grace for the Betrayed

“ But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain.” (21, 22)

People’s cruelty does not cancel the kindness and goodness of God. Here the two-fold name of God ‘Yahweh-Adonai’ (Sovereign Lord) becomes the source of all blessing and good to the one pray- ing. Their spiritual poverty and neediness attracts God’s mercy and provision to their life. The NIV trans- lates verse 22 as “…my heart is wounded within me.” Jesus’ heart was literally pierced as he hung upon the cross: “One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and the blood and water flowed out.” (Jn. 19:34)

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