Praying for God’s Vengeance

Praying for God’s Vengeance

Psalm 94

Main Idea: Believers can pray confidently for God to exercise vengeance on his enemies in light of his nature.

While I certainly wasn’t the toughest kid in school growing up, I never considered myself to be what we referred to as a pansy, sissy, or wimp. I was a quarterback in football all the way through college, so I didn’t mind getting hit . . . when I had shoulder pads and a helmet on. However, off the football field, I wasn’t a big fan of street fights or locker-room brawls. I hated (and still do!) the prospects of someone hitting what I thought was this pretty little face of mine. So I grew up despising any kind of bullying. Whenever I witnessed it—whether it was directed at me or someone else—I always fantasized about being one of the Avengers! I wanted to be the good guy who came out of nowhere at just the right moment and whipped the bad guys. I always wanted to be Cordell Walker in Walker, Texas Ranger, Kwai Chang Caine in Kung Fu, John Reese in Person of Interest, and Robert McCall in The Equalizer.

There’s something natural about wanting to see the little guy defended, the innocent vindicated, and justice served. I think that’s part of the reason behind the contemporary movement to eliminate bullying. Bullying is when somebody uses force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or dominate someone else. The 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System revealed that, nationwide, 19 percent of students in grades 9–12 reported being bullied on school property in the twelve months preceding the survey (CDC, 31). That’s not OK.

Nowhere is bullying more intolerable than when it’s levied at God’s children and the gospel they embrace. Psalm 94 is a case in point. The song is constructed in an inclusio that capsulizes its clear message. The verbs translated “repay” in verse 2 and “pay them back” in verse 23 are from the same root, forming the song’s bookends and giving direction to everything in between. Furthermore, the repeated phrase destroy them (v. 23) reaches back to the repetitive introduction of the “God of vengeance—God of vengeance” in verse 1. So the psalmist closes the loop of the initial heart cry by cementing the truth that God ultimately will destroy his enemies for all their willful wickedness, self-serving speech, and dictatorial and domineering deeds. The psalmist ends where he began—with a solid confidence that God will act according to his nature on behalf of those for whom he cares.

The bottom line is that God cannot and will not put up with “proud” (v. 2) bullies who act on their own accord without any regard for him, his people, or his orderly rule (cf. Pss 10:2; 31:18; Prov 29:23; Isa 2:12). Consequently, he will exercise his vengeance in his time. Whether it’s an atheistic special interest group that sues a Christian baker for refusing to bake a cake for a transgender celebration, a student who gets pushed around on a playground for her faith, a family who’s forced to remove a nativity scene from the yard because of the pressure from a homeowners’ association, or a people group who are the victims of genocide at the hands of an evil regime, God promises to hear and see and respond.

Christians are never to take the pursuit of justice into their own hands and presume to be the instruments of God’s vengeance. Paul reminds us, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom 12:19). On the contrary, Jesus instructs us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). Scripture compels us to live in the mysterious tension between leaving vengeance to God and praying for him to exercise it. So, while gripped by a burden for all to believe the gospel, believers should aggressively appeal to God to exercise his vengeance on bullies and to bring about his justice. To that end the psalmist gives us five appeals we can make to God.

Appeal to God’s Character

Psalm 94:1-2

The writer knows that God is always faithful to himself and, therefore, that the most potent prayer is one that appeals to his character. So he addresses his plea to the “God of vengeance” twice in verse 1, and then to the “Judge of the earth” in verse 2. Moses attributed the first title to God’s assertion about himself when he included in his song the claim “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay” (Deut 32:35). Abraham used the second title to question God about his judgment of Sodom: “Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?” (Gen 18:25). This is God’s character as recognized by his people.

The specific nature of the psalmist’s request is that this God of vengeance and judge of the earth would “shine! Rise up” (vv. 1-2). He wants the Lord to make a grand entrance in his royal splendor and bring justice to the anarchy caused by all the people who’ve intimidated God’s people and exalted themselves as their rulers (cf. Deut 33:2; Ps 80:1; Isa 2:20-21; 3:13-14; 6:1). He wants God to explode on the scene, wield his just sword, and lower the boom on these arrogant bullies.

It’s not a vindictive response that the psalmist wants from the earth’s Judge. He wants him to give them “what they deserve!” God’s vengeance is never vindictive but merely a response to the evil that wicked people incite (Ps 28:4; Lam 3:64; Rom 12:19; 1 Thess 4:6). The psalmist’s prayer here is consistent with the character of God that’s reflected in other psalms that call for divine recompense of wrongs (Pss 35:23-24; 58:11; 76:8-9; 82:8; see also Isa 51:1).

Once again we’re reminded in this passage that it’s more than wishful thinking when we appeal to what God claims about his own character. It’s solid intercessory ground. Believers can and should ask God to respond to those who bully the gospel and its adherents, and we should ask on the grounds that this is who he is. He is the “God of vengeance . . . [and] Judge of the earth.” Therefore, it follows that he can and will act accordingly.

Appeal to God’s Covenant

Psalm 94:3-7

After appealing to God’s character, the psalmist turns his attention to God’s covenant with his people. The key to understanding this section is found at the end of verse 7 when the songwriter points out the enemies’ identification of God as “the Lord . . . the God of Jacob.” Both of these names reach back to God’s covenantal relationship with Israel and essentially form the basis of the psalmist’s complaint in this section. Basically, he’s calling attention to the fact that the evildoers are mocking God for not responding to the plight of the people with whom he made his covenant promises. In fact, his enemies are claiming that he “doesn’t see . . . [or] pay attention” to their slaughter. Their obvious insinuation is that God doesn’t care.

The psalmist’s appeal to God’s covenant with his people is strengthened by his references to “your people . . . your heritage” (v. 5) for whom God had promised to care (Deut 4:20; Ps 28:9). The songwriter knows that whenever the wicked assault God’s people, they arrogantly attack the Lord himself. He specifically calls attention to “the widow and the resident alien . . . [and] the fatherless” (v. 6), all of whom need God’s particular protection because of their vulnerability, and all of whom he had promised to defend (Exod 22:21-22; Deut 10:18; 24:19; Ps 10:14; Mal 3:5; Jas 1:27). Yet these evildoers “crush . . . oppress . . . kill . . . and murder” them (vv. 5-6), while the God who had promised to be their defender appears to ignore their trouble.

This appeal forms the basis for the basic question on the table: “How long will the wicked celebrate?” (v. 3). The psalmist isn’t questioning God’s nature or ability. He’s just noting that the night is dragging on and the knees of his covenant people are buckling while the wicked are having a party. They “pour out arrogant words . . . [and] boast” (v. 4) in a continual tirade of superior speech and rude rhetoric (cf. Pss 31:18; 59:7; 75:4; 1 Sam 2:3). They’re taunting the people of God, like a victorious boxer standing over his fallen opponent and mocking his defeat.

On this side of the cross, believers sometimes feel the same way. It seems that God often turns a deaf ear to the worldwide persecution of his people, the escalation of terrorists against the Christian faith, and the growing bias against evangelicals even in America. Yet we can be sure that God is sovereignly working on behalf of his people through the gospel. Quoting from Jeremiah 31:33, the author of Hebrews reminds believers that God said,

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Heb 8:10)

God wrote his law on our hearts and minds through the gospel. Because we are his people, we can appeal to his covenant with us in Christ Jesus, a covenant in which he’s promised to love and care for us (Rom 8:31-39; Heb 13:5-6), to orchestrate our suffering to shape us into Christ’s image (Rom 8:28-30), and to bring vengeance on the enemies of the gospel (Rom 12:19; 2 Thess 1:5-10).

Appeal to God’s Creation

Psalm 94:8-11

The psalmist next turns the evildoers’ taunts back on them by appealing to God’s role as Creator. In response to their derision that God is imperceptive (v. 7), he rebukes them as being the ones who are “stupid people” (v. 8). The English adjective here is a verb in Hebrew, putting the emphasis on behavior instead of ability. The writer basically says they’re acting like senseless and irrational animals, “fools” who lack the ability to comprehend. So he counters with the demand for them to “pay attention” to the real truth about God’s nature and rhetorically inquires when they will “be wise” enough to do so.

To support his retort, the songwriter uses three rhetorical questions (see vv. 9-10a) and one strong declaration (see vv. 10b-11) to highlight God’s nature as Creator and, therefore, the one who is more than capable of vindicating his people. God actually is the one who “shaped the ear . . . formed the eye . . . instructs nations . . . [and] teaches mankind knowledge” (vv. 9-10). Consequently—and in contrast to the claim in verse 7—he does in fact “hear . . . see . . . discipline . . . [and know] the thoughts of mankind” (vv. 9-11). The final qualification that man’s thoughts “are futile” (v. 11) is intended to be a particular rebuke of these wicked opponents. Even though they think they are powers to be reckoned with, like all of humanity their faulty feelings are futile in the court of the one who created them (cf. Pss 39:5; 78:33; Eccl 1:1).

The psalmist understood that an appeal to God’s creative activity is irrefutable. If God created us, then surely he’s capable of hearing the cries of his people and responding to them. Not only that, he merits our lifelong pursuit and allegiance. This is at least one of the reasons the host of heaven in John’s revelation cries out, “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created” (Rev 4:11). He’s all-sufficient for our needs and all-deserving of our worship.

Believers in Christ today have the same basis of appeal when we’re bullied for our faith. Speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul says,

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. (Col 1:15-16)

Jesus was there at the beginning, and he is the beginning of all things (John 1:1). As Creator of the universe, he stands ready to act on behalf of his persecuted followers according to his nature. He hears and sees our dilemma, and he promises to act in response to our appeal to his creative power.

Appeal to God’s Commands

Psalm 94:12-15

The psalmist’s fourth appeal is to the promised benefit of those who obey God’s commands. Contrasting God’s wisdom with the foolishness of his enemies, he pronounces everyone who adheres to God’s commands to be “happy” (v. 12; cf. 1:1). The verbs discipline and teach describe the application of God’s wisdom, and they’re the same verbs as those used in verse 10. All wisdom comes from God, and his common grace makes it available to all people, even the wicked who oppose him. However, God is so desirous that his people not miss it that he wrote it down for them in his “law” (v. 12; cf. Pss 19; 119). And the psalmist exults in the victory God’s people experience when they align themselves with his commands in the school of divine wisdom.

The next three verses unpack some of the divine blessings experienced by God’s pupils. First, those who obey God’s commands are blessed with “relief from troubled times” (v. 13; cf. 49:5), an inward tranquility when times are bad. He promises to provide relief “until a pit is dug for the wicked”—until they get what’s coming to them (cf. Pss 7:15; 9:15; 35:7; 57:6; Prov 26:27; Eccl 10:8). In the economy of God, the wicked don’t always get their just recompense immediately. But the righteous can rest assured that it’s coming, and they can do so with the inner quietness that God provides.

Second, those who obey God’s commands are blessed by the confidence that he “will not leave . . . or abandon” (v. 14) them during their seasons of trouble. Why? Because they are “his people . . . his heritage.” This is God’s answer to the earlier call of distress (v. 5). He never goes back on his pledge (1 Sam 12:22; Rom 11:1-4). Consequently, his children live in the blessed assurance of his imminent justice and vindication because they belong to him.

Third, those who obey God’s commands are blessed with the assurance that righteousness ultimately will win the day (v. 15; cf. Ps 72; Isa 11; 32). Like the pit being dug for the wicked in verse 13, God is storing up his vengeance on them and will one day unleash it with unbridled force. On that day the righteous will be vindicated and “all the upright in heart will follow it” (v. 15). Righteousness and justice are the promises of God’s kingdom, and those whose hearts are given to his commands seek it with their entire beings.

The kingdom of Christ is characterized by God’s righteousness and, therefore, believers should pursue it above all else. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt 5:6) and, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matt 6:33). True satisfaction of the soul, provision of the necessities of life, and more are the blessings that await those who seek his righteousness. Jesus also said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt 7:24) and, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). When praying for God’s vengeance on the enemies of the gospel, we should appeal to God’s economy of blessing the citizens of his kingdom as they walk in obedience to Christ’s commands and pursue his righteousness.

Appeal to God’s Comfort

Psalm 94:16-23

The final appeal the psalmist makes is to the comfort God so faithfully provides. God’s steadfast love is introduced with two rhetorical questions that return to the cry for vindication in verses 3-7. The writer rhetorically asks, “Who stands up for me against the wicked? Who takes a stand for me against evildoers?” (v. 16). The next three verses list three when-I-was-X-God-did-Y confessions that reveal the expected answer to the psalmist’s loneliness. At every turn the compassionate and caring presence of God was there to bring comfort to his servant (cf. 124:1-5; 139:23).

The final confession, found in verses 20-22, is a pregnant testimony to God’s compassionate comfort. The psalmist again rhetorically poses the question as to whether the reign of evildoers and their unjust laws can coexist with God’s reign (v. 20). In their unrighteous leadership and legislation, “they band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death” (v. 21). Through the darkness of night, it appears as if the oppressors were in power and their mischief was the law of the land (cf. Eccl 4:1). And from all appearances, evil was going to win the day as well.

When the sun rises, however, a different picture emerges. The conjunction but at the beginning of verse 22 calls attention to the one who ultimately will win and come to the rescue of his children. Using metaphors consistent with David’s songs, the psalmist celebrates something that’s even better than the vindication God will bring for his own and the vengeance he will levy on their enemies. God proves himself to be a superior ally over any assault the enemy can muster, and that’s a huge comfort to this poet.

Even though he had asked, “How long?” (v. 3), and God’s silence seemed to indicate that he didn’t care, the unwavering answer to the psalmist’s question in verse 16 is that God won’t allow evil to have the upper hand for very long. I love the way VanGemeren summarizes the conclusion of this psalm:

The closure of the psalm restores harmony to an otherwise disturbing psalm. The psalmist has posed many questions and has asked God to respond by bringing in the fullness of his kingdom. In these verses the psalmist calls on the godly to cast their lot with his God, who alone is the fortress of his people and to whom alone belongs vindication. (VanGemeren, Psalms, 616)

Although the psalmist prays for vindication, he trusts the Lord to orchestrate the events and timing of his kingdom, including the vindication of his servants and his vengeance on every manifestation of evil. While the wicked seem to go unopposed for a season and their rule appears to be the norm, God is sovereignly in control of it all. Who could ask for a greater comfort than this?

The conclusion of this psalm leaves believers with several clear applications. One, we should find great comfort in him who is our stronghold and the rock of our protection (v. 22), who sovereignly controls the events of our lives, and who will vindicate our suffering in his time. Two, we should do everything in our power to comfort one another in the midst of suffering. God—in Christ—has acted to provide comfort for his suffering children through the gospel, and he uses us as instruments to administer that comfort. In one of the most beautiful passages in the New Testament, Paul writes,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort. (2 Cor 1:3-7)

Three, we should ask God to vindicate our suffering by exercising vengeance on our enemies. Christians can and should appeal to God to act with vengeance on those who assault the children for whom he cares. Four, we should leave the matter in the hands of the God of vengeance and Judge of the earth. He will repay the opponents of the gospel and wipe them out in his time (v. 23).

Conclusion

My observation of the contemporary Hollywood renditions of all the comic book heroes I grew up with certainly is limited. However, it seems to me that the writers—and the culture they reflect—have a difficult time embracing good guys who are distinctively good. It appears we now have to bring these superheroes down to a level that is more relatable to our own depravity. Consequently, we pit Batman against Superman, we magnify dissension among the ranks of the Avengers, and we exploit and even magnify the weakness in every one of our heroes. The lines between good and evil and right and wrong seem to be much blurrier than they used to be. When it comes to God’s vengeance against those who bully Christians and their gospel, however, the lines won’t be blurry. He will show no weakness, and there will be no question about who’s in the right. God will win the day, so his children can and should pray with confidence to that end.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Is it godly to pray for God’s enemies to get “what they deserve”? Is this consistent with God’s character?
2. How do we, as followers of Christ, reconcile this request of the psalmist with the command in the New Testament to love our enemies?
3. The psalmist has no qualms about appealing to God’s character in prayer. Do you claim God’s character in your prayer life? How does speaking and meditating on God’s character in prayer change our prayer life?
4. The psalmist has, in his mind, a valid complaint—that God is late in his vindication of his people. Where can we find both peace and strength when God seems to delay his justice in our lives?
5. How does God’s sovereignty over creation give confidence to our prayers?
6. The psalmist in verse 19 states, “Your comfort brings me joy.” How should we then view trouble in our lives? Should difficult circumstances drive us to find our hope in God? How should we let them drive us to prayer?
7. Verse 11 reminds us of God’s complete and unhindered knowledge of the thoughts of man. How does this comfort us? How does this truth also compel us to live holy lives before him?
8. Verse 12 cites the promise of God to give rest to his people. Does he give rest to our earthly lives or eternal lives? In Christ, how so?
9. The psalmist has absolute certainty that God will fulfill his promise to not abandon his people. How was this promise eternally solidified in Christ?
10. Consider verse 15. How does God’s administration of justice spur us on to follow holiness?