(Psalms 10, 11, 12)
So in today’s reading (Psalms 10, 11, and 12) David goes on and on about “arrogant,” “wicked” men who don’t know or honor God and hide their sin and think they will never be brought to justice. He prays for God to “break their arms” and “call them to account for their wickedness,” and “rain fiery coals and burning sulfur on them,” and “cut off their lips and cut out their tongues.”
And when I read that I’m thinking, “But what about the time when David was arrogant and wicked and didn’t honor God and hid his sin and thought he would never be brought to justice?” On at least one, long, famous occasion David was the guy he was praying against! And my guess is that he wouldn’t have wanted his arm broke, lips cut off, or tongue cut out. He didn’t want to be called to account or see if his umbrella could protect him from the fiery coals and burning sulfur.
This is why I’ve always been a fan of giving compassion to “sinners” rather than judging and demanding justice. And this is why Verve is going to be a church full of grace wholesalers.