Psalm 109:17-31 NKJV
17 As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;
As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
So let it enter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,
And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.
20 Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers,
And to those who speak evil against my person.
21 But You, O God the Lord,
Deal with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting,
And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
25 I also have become a reproach to them;
When they look at me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
27 That they may know that this is Your hand—
That You, Lord, have done it!
28 Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, let them be ashamed,
But let Your servant rejoice.
29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame,
And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.
30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;
Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
31 For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those who condemn him.
Today we finish the imprecatory Psalm with a prayer for deliverance and with a confession of hope in the Lord.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matt. 7:1-2). David, the author of Psalm 109, had been judged falsely and harshly by his enemies. He is praying in this Psalm that the Lord would do the very thing Jesus said the Lord would do: that He would measure back to the wicked the same wickedness they had displayed toward David.
But after seeking the Lord’s vengeance against his accusers, David then seeks the Lord’s deliverance for himself, not because he deserves it, but only because the Lord is good and merciful. Instead of wallowing in his anger toward the wicked, David pours out his wounded heart to the Lord. He recounts the evils he has suffered, knowing that the Lord will hear with compassion.
As in the first half of this Psalm, it is ultimately the Messiah Himself who prays this prayer from the cross. The Father allowed His Son to suffer for a while at the hands of wicked men. But the Father also heard His Son’s prayer for deliverance. His death was not defeat. His enemies hadn’t won. The Christ would be raised victorious over those who had accused and condemned Him. And so the Lord Jesus suffered in hope, knowing that God would not abandon Him or allow His impenitent accusers to go unpunished.
So let people curse you! God’s blessing means far more than their cursing. Let people accuse you falsely! Yes, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12). As for you, hope in the Lord and praise Him, too, “For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him” (v.31).
Let us pray: I will greatly praise You, O Lord, with my mouth. Yes, I will praise You among the multitude, for when men condemn me, I know that You will save me. Amen.