Should Christians Pray Imprecatory Psalms?

Jesus says that as Christians we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

That should Christians refrain from praying the imprecatory Psalms in the Old Testament, the ones where we ask God to smite our enemies.

That is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Adm. Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question.

At 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook or Instagram or twitter account and email us at questions at core, Christianity.com. Well, we are so excited about today's broadcast because it's the very first day that you can call and interact with pastor Israel live on the air in the past we have been taking your voicemail calls and messages recorded through our website, but now every day at 1130 Pacific 130 central time.

You can call in with your questions live again.

The phone number is 833 the core and is a role as we kick off this brand-new season of core Christianity, can you share a bit about why we started this program in the first place. He absolutely Bill, I would love to so core Christianity started with division of wanting to see people understand Christians understand the core truth of the Christian faith.

The reality is that a lot of believers people who claim to be Christians. We just don't really understand those doctrines anymore doctrine of the Trinity in of the redemption that Christ is provided for us and so our goal has always been to build believers up in the word of God.

That's my that's my passion.

It's one of my greatest joys as a pastor and out let me just say that to give you a window into my own heart. I approach this with fear and trembling. I think about what James said in James chapter 3 don't let many of you become teachers. Knowing that will receive a stricter judgment. So we been praying and asking the Lord for his mercy and and we would want to invite all of you that to pray for us as we begin this new endeavor were so excited. We know that were talking about matters of eternal significance. And so we don't take that lightly. But we know ultimately that the word of God is his life-giving so we want to communicate that the people as as clearly as possible. One of the things that we often hear from Christians today is they sometimes don't feel equipped. They don't feel prepared to talk about their faith, especially after talking to somebody who's a skeptic or an atheist. That's one of the other goals. This program is to really strengthen believers so that they have just this confidence when they're talking about their faith with others absolutely strengthen believers and strengthen the local church right, pastor of a local church and so I want to see Christians get plugged into solid Bible believing churches where they're going to continue to be established and strengthened in their faith so they can answer the questions of skeptics and engage with their non-Christian friends and let's pray as we start this a brand-new season of core Christianity. Could you pray for our team that produces this program and for everyone that's listening today or might listen to this program in the future he would.

I would love to father we come before you today filled with gratitude.

Thankful for your grace, your your goodness to your people ultimately first and foremost in your son Jesus God that you've shown us so clearly that you love us through what Jesus has accomplished for us in God. We want to communicate that that message clearly to those who listen to this program today and and into the future Lord.

And so we ask for your blessing. Pray that you would be with us. We know God that that more than anything we are dependent upon your word and spirit, and so Lord, we look to you and we ask that you would open the hearts and the minds of those who listen that you would encourage your church strengthen believers and even bring those in Lord who who haven't yet seen the beauty of Jesus in the Scriptures. Lord be with us. We pray in Christ name, amen, amen. As I mentioned there's a variety of ways that you can get in touch with us.

You can submit your question through a Facebook, Instagram or twitter. You can email us or you can call us at 833. The core Kyle posted this on or Instagram account. He says why do Christians need the church when our own bodies are Temple of the holy temples of the Holy Spirit.

Didn't the tearing of the veil signify that God could not be contained by a building gal of this this question because I guess that is a pastor want to encourage people that they need the church that the church really is integral to the Christian life. It's it's what God is given for the building up of the believer.

And so the person I want to say you Kyle you mentioned, you know, didn't that the tearing of the veil signify that God is not confined to any space will the primary thing that the tearing of the veil.

When Jesus was crucified. The primary thing that that signified was the fact that we have direct access to the Lord now through the death of Jesus Christ, you know, back under the old covenant. Only the priest could enter into the holy of holies once a year in on the day of atonement. Now we as a priesthood of believers because of what Jesus is done we can approach guided anytime the author the Hebrews make that absolutely clear we come to the Lord by faith in Jesus, we can boldly approach the throne of grace, and so the tearing of the veil. Kyle doesn't doesn't mean that now you know God doesn't work in buildings, as it were, in order, or that the church doesn't matter, we are referred to as the temple of the Holy Spirit individually in places like first Corinthians chapter 6. There, in particular, the apostle Paul is talking about as sexual immorality and how we should abstain from sexual immorality because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of God lives in us, but we are individually not the church and actually Peter the apostle says that we were actually living stones in the temple that God himself is building you see this in first Peter chapter 2 verse five and so you and I are a part of this bigger thing that the Lord is doing this this temple that God is building right now by his word and spirit. I think Ephesians chapter 2 verses 19 to 22. Listen to this. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God to gather we are his house built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself, in whom the whole structure being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit and so Cali see how in that text in a ball there.

In Ephesians 2 makes it absolutely clear as an individual you had one since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the temple that God is building right now on earth is his church and you and I first Peter 25 are living stones in that temple of you say one more thing. I've always thought this is so beautiful about that passage in first Peter 25 know if you were to build a house for God, a temple for the Lord, and you were picking out the stones pick some pretty good stone, ceramic, gold, silver, precious stones, isn't it so marvelous that God is building his temple, and he's using living stones and those living stones are you and me. I mean, I don't know about you bill how you feel, but I don't feel like the prettiest, and yet God in his kindness heat. He's building his church, his temple with living stones by his grace, and so we need the body of Christ. That's where the word of God is preached and I were we continue to grow in our faith.

Thanks for that question. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez if you'd like to call the numbers 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 Steve from Orange County, California. Welcome to core Christianity question? Matthew 27. That was not many years ago I found this and thought I've never heard about all the people who were resurrected when Jesus died. We know how many there were, and how long they were alive or who they were. What do we know more than just that passage about the resurrection of the saints.

Steve really good question and there really isn't a lot that were told here.

One thing is that this is the only gospel account that records this event. Matthew chapter 27 to begin in verse 51 and I'm to read the verses here.

Behold, the curtain of the temple was torn into her just talking about that with the previous question from top to bottom and the earth shook in the rocks worse blitz. The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. And you know a lot of people read that text and I think wait a minute, I remembered that part of the story. As I said this is the only gospel account that records this and there are some people who have tried to spiritualize this. You know, maybe they they you know they went up to heaven or they were raised spiritually or something like that. But the trouble with that is if you spiritualize this and maybe then you're going to spiritualize the actual resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, as I think the best way to take this is that this wasn't just symbolic you know that the cross destroyed the grave that kind of thing. One of the things that Matthew is highlighting for us here and I think this is the big take away with this passage Steve is that the resurrection of Jesus wasn't just about his resurrection that there is a tie between the resurrection of Christ, and that of his followers. And isn't this precisely what the apostle Paul says in in places like first Corinthians chapter 15 talks about Christ being the firstfruits of the resurrection, and because Jesus was raised from the dead.

Guess what brothers and sisters.

You and I we to are going to be raised from the dead. We have the sure hope because of Jesus's resurrection and so I think Matthew is is recording something that actually happened in that what it shows us is that the resurrection of Jesus relates directly to his people and so if there are other questions that this text might pose. You know that we might have after after that.

But the passage really doesn't tell us more than that and so want to be careful not to speak where Scripture doesn't speak.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

Teresa is on the line from Nebraska hi Teresa how are you there and here we have a woman there changed church already. I wanted a culture's. Yeah, thank you for for that question. Teresa appreciate your calling and of course you know there are some denominations that do allow for women pastors know, make certain you know a case for that my position as as a pastor is that the office of pastor teacher in the church in the context of the local churches reserved primarily and and specifically for men you think about what the apostle Paul says in first Timothy three and Titus chapter 1, referring to the qualifications of a pastor than there are other passages in Scripture think of first Timothy chapter 2, for example, first Timothy chapter 2 verse 12 it talks about that position of authority being reserved for men. Specifically, that I don't think that this is Noah.

One of those issues that get a strike that the core of our eternal salvation of that kind of thing but I think that it's an important issue because the Scripture speaks to it and so ordinarily I would say in in the life of the church, according to what the Scriptures teach men should be called qualified men should be the pastors of local churches now that doesn't mean that women in the church don't play a very important role and I think that sometimes in the life of the church that can be minimized and so we don't we don't want to. We don't want to minimize the fact that women as a part of the body of Christ play a very important role that we have these distinct roles and callings that God is given to us in the life of the church different gifts and it's as we come together with those gifts that the body of Christ is built up in love. As Paul says in places like Ephesians chapter 4, and so Teresa, that would be my answer to you sister your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez the number to call if you have a question for us is 833 the core and also we want to mention today we have a very special offer for you. It's a new booklet that a drill has written. It's called seeing Jesus you Absalom.

I'm excited about sharing this with people. I wrote seeing Jesus really with the prayerful hope that it would give people an encounter with Christ. With the living got it. I think one of the issues that many people have today is we assume that we have Jesus to figure it out, and so seeing Jesus's is a booklet had a real devotional booklet. I think that will take readers through four different accounts of the Gospels in the Gospels were we talk about Jesus and what is accomplished for us in and really give you a glimpse I think that that passages of Scripture deep dive into those passages of Scripture in a way that maybe you haven't seen Jesus before so I think it'll be really encouraging for our listeners. Make sure you get your hands on seeing Jesus to receive a copy of seeing Jesus just head over to core Christianity.com/Jesus. And here's the phone number to call 833-843-2673 for help getting that offer or any one of our offers 833. The core that we should mention today is Martin Luther King Day and we want to celebrate that great civil rights leader and pastor I found a couple of quotes from Dr. King that I thought were so apropos they drill, given what's happening in our nation right now. Just wanted to share these with you and see what your thoughts are two different things that Dr. King said he's had so many wonderful things during his ministry, but listen to this. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. And then he also said love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. Well, yeah, I'm in powerful powerful words and I'm glad that were celebrating him today. Happy MLK day.

Let's go to another call, this is Megan from Escondido, California.

Megan what your question for pastor.

Israel so much for doing this really great shell and a lot of people generally last night and my question is at last night while I was reading your last three and it was very talking about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and just the whole chapter is describing who is building the gates and types of gates wherein things like that and there's a lot of passages in the Bible that are not numbers are really distinct details that seem when you're reading them really tedious and I also know that the Holy Spirit include these details for a reason, so I just would like some help on how to best re-needs to get his or things that I should be achingly amazing. Thank you for that question. Sometimes you can read those details and think, okay, is there some sort of deeper spiritual significance to this guy's name or that kind of thing we have to be careful that we don't read too much. I mean, these are historical records were given history here. That's one of the beautiful things about about the Bible what what what this highlights for us. One thing at least it highlights for us is that these were real people in real places real events that took place and so we can read that and gather the information and then glean things from. I think the bigger, broader story, Megan. I mean I think about what Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 10 were he's talking about the wilderness generation in particular and and he's exhorting the Corinthian church.

He said you know don't grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happen to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come so we have in the Old Testament was written for our instruction also is the very same same thing in second Timothy chapter 3 verses 16 and following. This is God's word inspired profitable for instruction, for reproof, for training in righteousness, all of those things and so I would say you know you read it you take the history you see the bigger picture and what's taking place there. You know, the rebuilding of the temple and and it's kind of itching at the beginning of the program.

We were talking about how essentially that's being fulfilled right now through the church through you and I living stones yes on when one since I think that these these institutions there under the old covenant. They service these types and shadows for us to look into the future. There the temple being a type we might say of the church of Jesus Christ today and and we can gather those kinds of or make those kinds of conclusions, but we we want to be careful not to read into some of those things too much and I think that when when we do that's where we can we can get into trouble as were interpreting the Bible. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Matt is calling in from Sacramento, California hi Matt, good what your question for pastor. Israel books of Scripture, would you turn to typically to address division in the church. Yeah well I would say the book of first Corinthians that that would be the first place I would go partially because you know when you read the book 1st printing to realize very quickly that there were divisions that were happening there in the Corinthian church to me. The apostle Paul talks about it. Some people were saying. I am of Paul. I am of Apollo's there were these these real serious issues thing pleasant and by the way, I think one of the things that this illustrates for us magazine we sometimes think the church today is really struggling. It has all these problems. All these divisions, we gotta get back to the days of the New Testament when the church was pure and pristine, but you look at these churches planted by the apostles themselves and they had the same struggles that we have today.

Again, you read the book of first Corinthians, he just thinking used to scratch her head.

Christians are suing each other, their sexual immorality.

There are these real serious divisions and it was interesting to me is how Paul responds to those duties.

What what drives home is the importance of love Matt now a lot of people miss this you you think of first Corinthians chapter 13 and it's it's that passage of Scripture that oftentimes read it at a wedding you know that the beautiful and famous description of love but what people miss is that that was actually written initially as a rebuke to the Corinthian church. Paul is essentially saying, look, this is all the things that all the things that you are not and so I think you know when there are divisions and so often those divisions Matt are rooted in our own pride.

Pride being unwilling to yield to one another and unwilling to humble ourselves. It's the opposite of love, Paul said in an first 2013. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol, and if I have prophetic powers that understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. The Corinthian's were dividing over spiritual gifts. If I give away all that I have and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast, it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. Again, this is so often were divisions come from right insisting on my own way.

It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. So Matt wine.

I don't know if you're experiencing may be divisions in your own church.

It really is a sad thing, a devastating thing, something that we we ought to pray about and I pray for our churches that the Lord would keep us united around the gospel so often the antidote to our divisions is a good understanding a clear understanding what the word of God teaches in this love that's given by the Holy Spirit to spend some time and I would say in an first Corinthians, looking at what was happening there and how Paul responds to them. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez we have time for one more question, and this is an interesting one. Jesus says that this is from an email we received the person want to say their name, but here's what they asked Jesus says that as Christians we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Given that, should Christians refrain from praying the imprecatory Psalms in the Old Testament, the ones in which we ask God to smite our enemies. Yeah, and I'm glad that you said that their bill because a lot of people community might hear that phrase imprecatory Psalms of the Psalms implication imprecation and think what in the world. Is that what it is though Psalms in particular that we read in the Old Testament where the psalmist is saying God destroy my enemies.

Bring your judgment against my enemies, but bill you quoted from the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 verses 44 through 46. He said we are called to bless and not to curse but I say to you, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have do not even the tax collectors do the same no one occasion in James and John went when the Samaritans had rejected Jesus and his ministry lately asked Jesus Lord, do you want us to call down fire and brimstone. I was sort of is this sort of imprecatory judgment that they wanted to bring against them and Jesus rebuked them. They say I think under under the old covenant.

You know you read some of the Psalms and there. The psalmist is responding to the pain, the hurt that they had experience amid it. There were points in Israel's history with the nations were trampling on them, killing, murdering and under that the theocracy of Israel and the old company that made sense to bring them and they were at war. Essentially when Jesus came when he instituted the new covenant, he calls us as he did to love our enemies and you see this in the New Testament you think of Stephen for example, praying for the people who were stoning him to dad's singlet don't count the sin against them there and in acts chapter 7 we are called as Jesus's love.we are called brothers and sisters to love our enemies as well.

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