.
QUESTION:
I
am troubled by Psalm 137 verse 9. Who would want to take revenge on babies, and
why is this in the Bible?
Psalm
137 is one of a small group of Psalms that are known as "imprecatory"
or "curse" psalms. It's possible that those who want to see the
infants of enemies dashed on rocks are those who have seen their own infants
suffer atrocities of war. In wars, terrible things happen, and crimes and
massacres happen on both sides. In a world fueled by hate, and lacking the
peace of Christ, we should not be surprised when wars kill and maim the
innocent, displace families and slowly starve refugees to death. Sometimes
Christians will find it hard to understand why these words are found in our
Bible. Such graphic violence seems out of place in a book we look to for hope
and comfort, and in view of God's forgiveness and love. Unfortunately, we
cannot just dismiss these words because they seem harsh and offensive. The
writers of the imprecatory psalms were concerned about something far more
significant than revenge. They were
concerned first for God's holiness -- and recognized that He was offended by
the atrocities committed against His people.
We should remember that the imprecatory psalms are fundamentally pleas
for God to administer justice. We should also recognize that strong emotions in
poetry are expressed in strong language. The psalmists also knew that right
would only triumph when evil had been overthrown and punished. Perhaps the
imprecatory psalms (the best known is Psalm 109) are included in scripture to
express God's approval of a passionate hatred of evil and evil deeds.
SCRIPTURE:
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he
who repays you for what you have done to us -- he who seizes your infants and
dashes them against the rocks. Psalms
137:8-9
50
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