Break Their Teeth!

Irreverently, when saying the pledge of allegiance, I sometimes replace “liberty and justice for all,” with “liberty and justice for the rich.”  I’m not exactly joking!  In this nation, which I love, injustice is rampant. Perhaps I am just a reflection of my generation, but I have seen too many where people with authority misused power – in government systems, in financial institutions and yes, worst of all – in churches – to trust ‘the system.’ 

I fear power because I no longer trust those who are entrusted to wield it.  As one who holds a little bit of authority in a local church, I’ll readily admit that sometimes I chafe under the restrictions imposed by committees and boards. However, I know those structures are there to create accountability, which is good and necessary.

The cry for justice – whether it is a little kid with a teacher who is unfair or a person abused by their boss – is  something with which we can all identify. I am comforted by a group of Psalms, the hymn prayers of the Scripture, that are called the ‘imprecatory’ Psalms. They are prayers that call down curses on enemies!  Christians, who learn to ‘turn the other cheek’ from Jesus wrestle with these prayers.  Can we really pray such things?  Is it right to feel such indignation?

Take a look at one of those Psalms. “Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be.”  There’s the set up.  Injustice is real. All appeals for corrections have fallen on deaf ears. 

So, what does David ask of the Lord?    “Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.”   That’s not at all subtle, is it?  Smash them in the mouth, Lord!  Let them die like a slug who is caught under the hot sun! 

“Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns— whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away. The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” (Psalm 58, NIV)  I’m glad he comes round to the close that justice rests, in the end, with God.

Justice is part of the character of God.  A recurring theme in the Scripture is His anger with those who take advantage of others, who use violence to force their way, or who oppress those without power. "Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous." (Deuteronomy 16:19, NIV) "Justice is a joy to the godly, but it terrifies evildoers." (Proverbs 21:15, NLT)  One of the prophecies about Jesus promises that "with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked." (Isaiah 11:4, NIV)

Part of being able to forgive as Jesus teaches those of who are His disciples is trusting in the justice of Almighty God! Forgiveness is not sweeping wrongs done to us under the rug, trying to insist, “It doesn’t matter.”  Tell that to a young woman who was abused by a man.  Tell that to a wife beaten by her husband. Tell that to a man facing execution because a corrupt prosecutor hid exculpatory evidence.  You can’t! Justice is too precious.  We need the imprecatory Psalms in order to forgive.  We need Someone to whom we give our hurt, Someone we can trust to bring about justice in His time.  When we give it to Him, then we can release the other person from indebtedness to us, and that is true forgiveness.

Yes, I recognize that sometimes we hang onto slights and hurts not worthy of the effort.  If we are secure in the Love of Jesus, many things just won’t matter to us.  If someone is rude, we won’t even take notice. If we don’t get invited to the party, we’ll just be filled with such grace, we’ll take no thought. But, when it really matters, when injustice is done,  we can take the sorrow, the pain, our cry for justice to God.  “Break their teeth,  Lord.”  And, with that, we can lay down the anger, release the rage, and with forgiveness, defeat evil with bold love that hopes for justice, not at our hand, but from the Hand of the One who judges with perfect justice.

_______

God Of Justice

God of justice, Savior to all.

Came to rescue, the weak and the poor.

Chose to serve and not be served.

To act justly every day,

Loving mercy in every way,

Walking humbly before You, God.

Jesus, You have called us.

Freely we've received,

Now freely we will give.

We must go-

Live to feed the hungry,

Stand beside the broken,

We must go.

Stepping forward,

Keep us from just singing,

Move us into action,

We must go.

Fill us up and send us out!

Fill us up and send us out!

Fill us up and send us out, Lord.

CCLI Song # 4447128

Tim Hughes

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CCLI License # 810055