READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART LXV
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Psalm 109
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Psalm 109 resembles a Mesopotamian namburbi, or “untying”–a prayer for the undoing of a magical spell. Hence, words–evil words–feature prominently in Psalm 109. The psalmist also utters a curse upon his enemy and the foe’s family. Why? Ironically, the answer is:
because he was not minded to act kindly,
and hounded to death the poor and needy man,
one crushed in spirit.
He loved to curse–may a curse come upon him!
He would not bless–may blessing be far from him!
–Verses 16 and 17, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
The psalm concludes with a reason God should rescue the psalmist: he will praise God in public.
Walter Brueggemann, writing in The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary (1984), mentions what he considers to be
the main problems of the Christian faith.
Those problems are:
the problem of trusting a God who seems not available, and the problem of caring for a neighbor who is experienced as an enemy.
–81
According to Brueggemann, the former is the problem in Psalm 88, and the latter is the problem in Psalm 109. The neighbor/enemy in Psalm 109 seems to be beyond love–the psalmist’s capacity to love, anyway.
The psalmist relinquishes rage to God. This indicates confidence that God will hear and act. This relinquishing of rage to God is also irreversible. And God is more forgiving than the psalmist.
We all have a mental list of people who make us livid. Perhaps their actions should make us livid; righteous anger at injustice is real. Yet do we think of these people as being beyond love? Are they beyond our love? Perhaps. Yet they are not beyond God’s love; nobody is.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 8, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF CORNELIA HANCOCK, U.S. QUAKER NURSE, EDUCATOR, AND HUMANITARIAN, “FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE OF NORTH AMERICA”
THE FEAST OF SAINT JEROME EMILIANI, FOUNDER OF THE COMPANY OF THE SERVANTS OF THE POOR
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN OF MATHA AND FELIX OF VALOIS, FOUNDERS OF THE ORDER OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPHINA GABRIELLA BONINO, FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA ESPERANZA DE JESUS, FOUNDER OF THE HANDMAIDS OF MERCIFUL LOVE AND THE SONS OF MERCIFUL LOVE
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This is post #2850 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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