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#DailyDevotion The Lost Art Of Cursing

58 Will you, O judges, really say what is right? Will you judge the people fairly? 2No, you act with perverse minds, and your hands commit violence in the land.


The judges of Israel had two functions. One was to say what is right and deliver justice to those who were wronged. They were saviors in a sense. The other was to condemn those who do wrong. I guess it must be part of the human condition that we will always have judges who do not act according to their calling. Instead of judging rightly and showing no partiality, they use their positions of power to advance their own wealth and power. Even with David as king, the courts of Israel were not always fair to those who could not afford a bribe. We also do not know if we go to court what will happen. Does the other person wield influence with the judge we don’t have? One may particularly wonder if we have to go up against a business or corporation.

3The wicked are wrong from the womb; from their birth they go astray and tell lies. 4Their poison is just like the venom of a snake. They are like a deaf cobra shutting its ears, 5unable to hear the sound of the charmers, or anyone trained to cast spells.

Well it is true, we all from conception are sinners and wicked people. God must interject Himself into our lives with the Word of Good News and the Sacraments He attaches that Word and causes us to be born of God. While many of us sinners go about our day trying to mind our own business, and nevertheless get caught up in sins anyway, there are those who seek evil and pursue it. Such are the people David describes here. They cannot help but lie even if they don’t have to. They sin continuously with their lips and their tongues causing strife through lies and gossiping. They are such people who cannot hear nor will receive instruction, even on basic human morality.

6O God, break the teeth in their mouths! Knock out the lions’ fangs, O LORD! 7May they disappear like water flowing away, and shoot their arrows as if they were blunted. 8May they pass on like a snail that leaves a slimy track, or a stillborn child that didn’t see the sun. 9Before your pots feel the burning thorns, whether still green or burning, may God sweep them away.

We certainly have lost the ability of cursing today. Perhaps that’s a good thing. What we consider cursing is nothing but vulgar language. In these verses we learn what cursing really is, calling down evil upon people in the LORD’s name. Asking God to wreak havoc on our enemies. Can we pray these verses considering the LORD Jesus said in Luke 6, “28bless those who curse you, and pray for those who insult you?” Jesus though, certainly prayed this psalm. It is the Word of God. But how can we pray this? We do it praying it would mean repentance for the person harming us. We can pray it against the forces of evil behind the sinful of our enemies. I find if I pray this with a particular person in mind, I just end up saying, “LORD, I don’t what this to happen. I just want the person to leave me alone.” I also remember that this is the ultimate fate though of those who live wicked lives and do not repent.

10The righteous will be glad when he sees vengeance and washes his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11Then people will say, “The righteous are still rewarded, and there still is a God who judges the earth.”


Such is the vision of the Last Day when Jesus judges the earth. It will not be pretty. Everyone who complains, “Why does God do anything?” will themselves regret they ever said that as the LORD. We who put our trust in the LORD Jesus Christ will be rewarded on that day and receive our inheritance from Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Father, we pray you bring all our enemies to repentance so they may also escape the judgment of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Keep us faithful. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Rev. Guillaume J. S. Williams, Sr.

The Reverend Guillaume Williams is the Pastor of Hope Lutheran Chapel of Osage Beach, Missouri. His pastoral ministry with Hope began in 2005 where he preaches the Christ crucified.

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