The danger of pointing out blame in others is that you often have three fingers pointing back at yourself. Psalm 83 is an imprecatory Psalm. In it, the Psalmist pleads with God to take decisive action against those who stand against him. “Pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm” is his prayer against the enemies of God and his people.

It’s an uncomfortable Psalm and one I hesitate to pray. Three fingers seem to be always pointing back! The death and destruction decreed in this Psalm are the wages I deserve as a sinner. Moreover, how should I read this Psalm (and others like it) in the light of Jesus’ instruction to love and pray for our enemies? What right do I have to judge?

I think these are reasonable responses to the imprecatory Psalms. They should evoke some humble self-reflection. But to leave it there would be to defy their significance in honouring God’s holy perfection and enduring promise.

These Psalms carry supreme jealousy for the honour of God’s name. They prize the majesty of his holiness and have no tolerance for any systematic efforts that seek to oppose his goodness and glory. To long for the eradication of evil is to long for the honour of God’s name. But it is also to long for the well-being of others. When evil regimes suppress God’s good ways on the basis of self-serving, self-aggrandising philosophies and idolatrous ideologies, people suffer, especially the weak and vulnerable.

Our God’s overwhelming desire is to eradicate evil’s corruption so grief and suffering will meet their end. Praying for enemies will involve praying for their hostility towards God’s honour to end. That end will come either by their repentance or by God’s retributive justice.

Imprecation, therefore, does not present a mutually exclusive option to Jesus’ instruction to pray for our enemies. Nor does it violate the “judge not others” principle. Instead, it defers all things to God’s goodness and appeals to his right to judge and bring good order to his people.

Praise God that in his Son, we see these aspects of his character and promise on full display. He reigns supreme in glory, offering salvation and promising judgement.