loathed

December 26, 2015

Yahweh will defeat the wicked (Ps 139:19-139:24)

“O that you would kill the wicked!

O God!

Then the bloodthirsty

Would depart from me!

Those who speak of you maliciously

Would depart from me!

Those who lift themselves up against you for evil

Would depart from me!

Do I not hate those who hate you?

Yahweh!

Do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

I hate them with perfect hatred.

I count them my enemies.

Search me!

O God!

Know my heart!

Test me!

Know my thoughts!

See if there is any wicked way in me!

Lead me in the way everlasting!”

This psalm ends on a bitter note. David asked Yahweh to kill the wicked ones. They are the bloodthirsty, malicious, and evil ones who should depart from David. They were his enemies. He hated those who hated Yahweh. He loathed those who were against Yahweh. In fact, David had perfect hatred for his enemies. Finally, David recognized that he might have a fault. He wanted God to search and test him, know his heart and his thoughts. If there was anything wicked in him, he wanted to be led into the eternal everlasting way. So while he recognized the evil in others, he was also aware of his own shortcomings.

July 7, 2015

Job maintains that he is innocent (Job 9:13-9:24)

“God will not turn back his anger.

The helpers of Rahab bowed beneath him.

How then can I answer him?

How can I choose my words with him?

Though I am innocent,

I cannot answer him.

I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.

If I summoned him,

And he answered me,

I do not believe that he would listen to my voice.

He crushes me with a tempest.

He multiplies my wounds without cause.

He will not let me get my breath.

But He fills me with bitterness.

If it is a contest of strength,

He is the strong one.

If it is a matter of justice,

Who can summon him?

Though I am innocent,

My own mouth would condemn me.

Though I am blameless,

He would prove me perverse.

I am blameless.

I do not know myself.

I loathe my life.

It is all one.

Therefore I say,

He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.

When disaster brings sudden death,

He mocks at the calamity of the innocent.

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.

He covers the eyes of its judges.

If it is not he,

Who then is it?”

Job wanted to defend himself. The sea monster or chaos of Rehab had to bow to God. This was also the name of the prostitute in Joshua, chapter 2, who helped the Israelite spies. He wanted to know how he could prove his innocence. He would have to appeal to mercy. God would not listen to him. He has crushed Job because God destroys both the wicked and the blameless. Job loathed his life since he did not know himself. The judge’s eyes were closed so that now the wicked have control of things.