Praying Our AngerPsalm 137

Psalms of ‘orientation’ (Hymns of praise)

Psalms of ‘disorientation’ (Laments)

Psalms of ‘re-orientation’

Psalms of ‘orientation’ (Hymns of praise)

Psalms of ‘disorientation’ (Laments)

Psalms of ‘re-orientation’

imprecatory Psalms

imprecate: to invoke evil upon or curse

one’s enemies

imprecation

cry for JUSTICE

Plea for God to bring judgment against evil

In praying your anger, …

1. bring everything honestly to God.

a. Bring your emotions to God.

Psalm 137:1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres.

3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!

6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!

7 Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!"

8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!

9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

In praying your anger, …

1. bring everything honestly to God.

a. Bring your emotions to God.

b. Bring the entire situation to God.

Psalm 137:1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres.

3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?

In praying your anger, …

1. bring everything honestly to God.

2. re-affirm your faith in God.

4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!

6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!

In praying your anger, …

1. bring everything honestly to God.

2. re-affirm your faith in God.

3. ask God to intervene and bring justice.

7 Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!"

8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!

9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

In praying your anger, …

3. ask God to intervene and bring justice.

a. ask God to judge

7 Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!"

In praying your anger, …

3. ask God to intervene and bring justice.

a. ask God to judge

b. ask for justice to be fair

(principle of “lex talionis”)

8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! 9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

In praying your anger, …

3. ask God to intervene and bring justice.

a. ask God to judge

b. ask for justice to be fair

(principle of “lex talionis”)

c. ask for God’s will to be done

Obadiah 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord concerning Edom:

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you … who say in your heart, "Who will bring me down to the ground?"

4 Though you soar aloft like the eagle, … I will bring you down, declares the LORD. … … …

10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.

11 On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

> rejoiced / gloated over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; (v.12)

> entered the gate of God’s people and looted their wealth in the day of their calamity. (v.13)

> stood at the crossroads to cut off fugitives; and handed over survivors in the day of distress. (v.14)

15 … As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

Isaiah 14:4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: "How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased!

5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers,

6 that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution. … …

12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

13 You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; … …

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'

15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home? … … …

22 "I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity," declares the LORD.

In praying your anger, …

3. ask God to intervene and bring justice.

a. ask God to judge

b. ask for justice to be fair

(principle of “lex talionis”)

c. ask for God’s will to be done

In praying your anger, …

1. bring everything honestly to God.

2. re-affirm your faith in God.

3. ask God to intervene and bring justice.

4. pray in light of what Jesus has said and done.

Matthew 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.‘

22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; …

Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

Matthew 5:43 You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies."

44 But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.

Luke 6:27 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Luke 19:41 And when Jesus drew near and saw the city (Jerusalem), he wept over it,

42 saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will … hem you in on every side

44 and shall dash you to the ground, and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Luke 19:41 And when Jesus drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,

42 saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will … hem you in on every side

44 and shall dash you to the ground, and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

“Father, forgive them; they know not what they do!”

In praying your anger, …

1. bring everything honestly to God.

2. re-affirm your faith in God.

3. ask God to intervene and bring justice.

4. pray in light of what Jesus has said and done.