Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.
23 The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.
24 A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand their own way?
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider one’s vows.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them.
27 The human spirit is[a] the lamp of the Lord
that sheds light on one’s inmost being.
28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
through lovehis throne is made secure.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.
30 Blows and wounds scrub away evil,
and beatingspurge the inmost being.
God and Man’s Judgment
The New Testament tells us to not repay evil for evil, but in stead leave room for God’s wrath. The wrath of the Lord is an appropriate execution of justice from a truly righteous source. When we as humans hold vendettas it corrodes our soul. My grandmother held grudges and I believe it physically twisted her body. She thought that her anger was an exercise in power and control over the person who offended her. We need to realise that we do not hold such power and we need to relinquish such false notions to God. Forgiveness from one human to another is a true healing experience.
Questions
- Why shouldn’t you say, “I’ll get you for that?”
- What keeps a king safe?
- Why is it surprising in the Old Testament to find forgiveness preferred over judgment?
- Who do you need to forgive?
- Do you wish for justice in a situation? How can you let it go?
Plymothian 