The Other Side of the Coin
to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, Psalm 149:7-8 NIV
To bind – We discovered that naqam, the Hebrew word for “vengeance,” is an essential element in the holiness of God. We realized that this idea, even if it seems to parallel the Islamic teaching, is still far afield in its application. After all, although YHVH’s holiness demands justice and justice entails vengeance, YHVH is a God of mercy and compassion. In fact, He defines Himself with those terms (rahum and hen) first. So maybe we were too quick to suggest that our idea of vengeance can be applied to the Hebraic idea. In fact, when we read the rest of David’s psalm, we find that the notion that vengeance means bloodshed is strikingly absent from this poem.
Notice David’s poetic parallelism (when the first thought in Hebrew is repeated with different words in the second thought). Vengeance is “binding,” not “executing.” We tend to think of vengeance in Hollywood terms. Blood and death are always involved. But not so in David’s thought. What is involved in binding the strong man, putting those who resist and reject the Lord in shackles so that they can no longer do any damage? Binding implies making something powerless. This is not capital punishment. [There are situations that call for capital punishment, but David doesn’t list any of them here.] Those who are bound are simply restricted—and able to repent and be restored. Without any doubt, the general purpose of God’s vengeance is repentance, not vindictive retribution. God punishes in order that men may return to Him.
David’s choice of the word goyim indicates that in his mind God’s punishment will fall upon those who are not of the Kingdom. We would naturally assume he means Gentiles, but that might be a bit hasty. Who are those who reject God’s sovereignty? Who are those who refuse to follow His instructions? Who are those who spurn His honor and insult His name? Are they not the ones who claim that the God of Israel has no relevance to their lives? Are they not those who, according to David, do not walk in His ways, do not avoid the seat of sinners, do not despise the counsel of scoffers? And who falls into that category today? Who lives apart from the ways of YHVH? Perhaps we are not as comforted as we would like to believe.
Vengeance is a big topic in the world today. Religious or otherwise, the contemporary scene is filled with concern about vengeance. Perhaps we need a clearer Hebraic view of the term. Perhaps we must see vengeance from God’s perspective—the vehicle that He uses to bring those who reject Him into alignment with the truth. Death accomplishes nothing if the goal is repentance. But punishment does. Punishment removes spiritual arrogance, realigns spiritual awareness and demonstrates the folly of theological fabrications. Punishment is a necessary part of growth. We might not like God’s version of correction, but without out it we would one day experience wrath, and that is the termination of the repentance process.
Topical Index: vengeance, bind, punishment, repentance, Psalm 149:7-8
Bind. Another word for a shepherd’s crook? A shepherd’s crook takes a sheep by the neck so as to halt and change it’s direction. It can be a choking and frustrating thing to be snatched around. It would be worse to run off the edge of your cliff.
When I read Deut. 28, that list of curses reads like a lineup of ways to slow a body down or reverse their direction; to make them think twice, stop, or, best of all – yelp for help! I know they accomplished that for me! Halleluah! All He does is mercy. Even death can be mercy. His heart is pitiful and tender. Even when He is allowing us our choices. Praise His Holy Name!
In Matthew 12 and other places, Yeshua speaks about binding the strong man in the context of not allowing evil to continue the upper hand in a person’s life. He cast out evil by preventing it from having control. And then He would typically warn the person to go and sin no more; to not let it back in. He was breaking the power of evil- the power of those curses. If you don’t think so, go back and look at the list of those curses. It covers the things He was healing the people of, does it not?
When David hates his enemies with perfect hatred, could it not include the evil in his own life that was messing him up? Is not evil God’s enemy as well as ours? Did not those evil spirits curse Yeshua as they came tearing back out of their victims?
I think when I choose to sin (make a fear-based instead of a faith-based decision) I am choosing to let the wrong spirit, instead of the Holy Spirit, have the upper hand in that part of my life. It comes complete with accompanying curses, and my choosing capacity is limited in like manner, as those curses slow me down. In my experience, fear is a strong ‘man’ that, more than any other factor, can bind me – limit my freedom – to choose. And a spirit of fear is not of God. That’s for sure. I am told that it is not from Him and it is certainly not included in that beautiful list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit!
When I hate sin with a hatred that is perfect, I separate myself completely from identifying with that sin. Repentance is falling out of agreement with everything that is not of God in my life. It is no longer part of me. It is no longer ‘my’ fear, or ‘my’ sin. Hurray! That frees God up to nuke that monster back out of my life without destroying or hurting me. Halleluah! With chaos gone, I am free again to choose. But next time around, I don’t think I will make that choice again! I think I will “go and sin no more”, thank you very much! I sure would hate to leave my castle empty of a correct Spirit, and therefore vulnerable to the wrong ones (like fear or bitterness) again. When I put God on the throne in that part of my life, I am filled up with the right Spirit, and there is no room at my inn for the wrong ‘guidance’. Faith has a free rein, and fear, bitterness and the like do not yank me around and freeze me in my tracks. I like faith better! Halleluah!
Well said. The last paragraph reminds me of Korah’s rebellion and the instruction to separate from him.
You know, Gabe, I have spent some time thinking about Korah. He was given a chance to repent. Everyone gets that. He had the same chance we do to separate ourselves from sin, and be holy. Sin is the thing in me that is NOT me. It isn’t God, either. It is alien. Therefore, I don’t miss it when I am separated from it. Halleluah! I know the heart of YHVH is that He has us all on one side, and all the junk on the other, before He goes for that revenge. It is when we don’t want to let go of it for all the ‘reasons’ we think we have, that we end up getting hurt. Sin is under a curse; death is heading straight for the Abyss. We need to let go of it before it gets there. Choose life! As for me and my house….working on it!
Like your comments indeed; the only fear we are encouraged to have is the FEAR of YAH. Arnella
Thank you!
Not simply a case of forgive and forget! Without coming to terms/knowledge with one’s faults, repentance will not come, then there is no seeking for forgiveness.
Without correction, “we would one day experience wrath, and that is the termination of the repentance process” should be sobering.
Very helpful TW, Skip. Thank you.