Psalm 139 is well-known in the pro-life community because of verses 13-16. My sense, though, is that verses 19-22 don't usually get quoted at pro-life meetings!
What do we do with language like, "Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!", or "Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?", or "I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies."?
I want to start with two observations: First, hatred is not necessarily inconsistent with love. Hatred is not just a "feeling" β certainly hatred is a strong word β if I hate someone, I loathe them β I despise them β I want them to be destroyed! But I can hate a person and love the same person at the same time!
Here's how it works: Why do I love you? Well, I love you because you are made in the image of the God that I love. And if I am to love him with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength, then I must love everything that reminds me of my God! But if I love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, then I must also hate everything or everyone that harms or destroys that which I love!
So insofar as you are loving God and neighbor β I love you. And insofar as you are harming God and neighbor β I hate you.
This is why I both love and hate myself.
And that brings me to my second introductory observation: this is a Psalm of David. We should hear this song in the voice of David β and particularly, in the voice of Jesus, the Son of David!
When Israel sings this song, they are to remember that this is what David is saying β and so Israel sings this song with and in David. And so therefore, when the church sings this song, we sing this song in and with Jesus.
Featuring a sermon puts it on the front page of the site and is the most effective way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands including all mobile platforms + newsletter.
Text-Featuring a sermon is a less expensive way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands on the right bar with optional newsletter inclusion. As low as $30/day.
