How do you resolve
this glaring contradiction in the Bible? Read Psalm 69 especially verses 18-28. Now read Luke 6:27-35. How do you deal with this? This is a significant issue in light of the organic connection between David and the one who was to sit and now is sitting on David's throne.
3 comments:
Hello Mr. Veeno,
You can crash here anytime. I guess it is a rhetorical question. I intend to follow up with more questions in the same vein. Coming in with an answer at the end. So stop back. Most of my readership is relatives and a few friends. So, it is usually pretty quiet around here.
For now, my only response to your answer is that it leaves us with very little in the way of understanding David and the Psalms. How are we supposed to see or appropriate anything from David's approach to his enemies?
One thing I have just heard recently (from at least two different theonomists, although I don't know if it is a cause or effect of theonomy itself) is that 'turn the other cheek' and 'give your cloak also' and 'go the extra mile' were all references to peacefully accepting impositions of Roman military overlords.
And I don't think necessarily that David was wrong; at least he is imploring God to work God's justice. Loving your enemies doesn't have to include wishing (or praying) that they will get off scot free. (Although Jesus prayed that his crucifiers would be forgiven)
Two Scriptures do not, by definition, contradict, so any seeming contradiction is more a feature of our own (lack of) understanding.
In this particular case I see the misunderstanding as being a failure to differentiate three classes of 'enemies':
1) Personal enemies: people who don't like us and say mean things about us.
2) Corporate enemies: people who are acting against us in our role as leader of those in our charge; attacking our wife, our country, etc.
3) Gods enemies; Satan, blasphemers, Judaizers, etc.
So when Jesus said 'love your enemies' or 'turn the other cheek' he was referring to enemies in sense one... people who insult you (slapping on the cheek was an insult)... these people are to be forgiven, treatedly kindly (which will heap coals of fire on their head).
David, however, was a king. His 'enemies' were people who wished to destroy the kingdom God had given him to rule; either directly through military action or indirectly through spiritual and dynastic attacks.
In addition these verses are all pointing toward Christ and his suffering; thus it refers to the enemies of God.
Enemies of those in our charge are to be 'put to flight' and 'destroyed'. Enemies of God are to be 'utterly destroyed'... as would we be in our sin except for the redeeming work of Christ who tranforms us from enemies into sons.
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