Slay the Wicked! (not literally, but...)

Thinking about last night’s sermon and especially about the angrier parts of David’s Psalm 139, specifically verses 19-22:

If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

It may sound weird, but I like this part, not the literal violence, but definitely the sentiment. I like how worked up David gets about people disrespecting his God.

Too often, apathy is my response to evil. I see people laughing about God, disobeying His law, and trampling His word, and my response is to change the channel or walk away. Rarely, if ever, am I enraged.

I think the intensity of David’s reaction is a sign of the intensity of David’s love. He can’t bear to see the One he loves mistreated. That’s beautiful—and inspiring.