“The Lord Hates Anyone Who Loves Violence”

We live in a violent world; it becomes more violent every day. But Psalm 11 tells us that the Lord hates anyone who loves violence. How do we reconcile that with the state of our world?

Scripture:       

1 Samuel, chapter 18; 1 Chronicles, chapter 6; Psalm 11; Matthew, chapter 3

Psalm 11 (CEB):

I have taken refuge in the Lord. So how can you say to me, “Flee to the hills like a bird because the wicked have already bent their bows; they’ve already strung their arrows; they are ready to secretly shoot those whose heart is right?” When the very bottom of things falls out, what can a righteous person possibly accomplish?

But the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord! His throne is in heaven. His eyes see – his vision examines all of humanity. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked, his very being hates anyone who loves violence. God will rain fiery coals and sulfur on the wicked; their cups will be filled with nothing but a scorching hot wind because the Lord is righteous! He loves righteous deeds. Those whose heart is right will see God’s face.

Observations – The Lord Hates Anyone Who Loves Violence

It might seem strange to people with a passing knowledge of the Old Testament to read that his very being hates anyone who loves violence. Why are there so many stories in the Old Testament where God commands Israel to wipe out other people? One of the biggest contrasts between the Old and New Testaments relates to violence. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45, CEB). How do we reconcile this?

I think the key is in the phrase anyone who loves violence. We live in a violent world. There are times when good people must resort to violent measures to protect others. If everyone lived according to Kingdom principles, violence would not only be unnecessary; it would be unheard of. But not everyone follows Jesus’ call to love your enemies. That call – and the example of Jesus – leads us to be willing to lay down our lives, but it does not mean that I should not protect those whom God has called me to protect.

And because of that, sometimes even good people must resort to violent means. But that does not mean that we love violence. If we get to the point where we “relish the fight,” we should be very concerned. And while God certainly called people into battle in the Old Testament, we should not become comfortable with assuming that God is calling us into that kind of battle today. “We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12, CEB). That’s the kind of battle God has called us to.

“What Can a Righteous Person Possibly Accomplish?”

I see a connection between the statement that the Lord hates anyone who loves violence and David’s comment in verse 3: When the very bottom of things falls out, what can a righteous person possibly accomplish? If we think that it all depends upon us, we could conclude that “violence is the only option.” “We have to fight fire with fire!”

But in reality, when the bottom falls out and we recognize that there’s nothing we can do, that’s when we trust all the more in God. But the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord! We may not see everyone, but God does. When we don’t understand, God does. If we think there’s nothing that we can accomplish, we can trust in the One who is all-knowing and all powerful. He doesn’t need us to “fight fire with fire.” He calls us to trust in Him.

Application – The Lord Hates Anyone Who Loves Violence

Unfortunately, I think there are ample examples of believers who have become comfortable with violent means because of the world we live in. But God calls us to trust in Him. Verse 6 of this psalm tells us that God will rain fiery coals and sulfur on the wicked. That will happen in God’s time, not ours.

As I thought about that, my mind went to the passage in Luke 9 where Jesus and his disciples are starting for Jerusalem. “Along the way, they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival, but the Samaritan villagers refused to welcome him because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and Joh saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to consume them?’ But Jesus turned and spoke sternly to them, and they went on to another village” (Luke 9:52-56, CEB).

Call down fire from heaven? I don’t have that in my “arsenal.” And I certainly don’t think God wants me to build up an “arsenal” so I can handle things that way. Violence may be a “necessary evil” in this world, but we shouldn’t ever become too comfortable with it. “God said to Noah, ‘The end has come for all creatures, since they have filled the earth with violence” (Genesis 6:13). If we accept that violence is at times a “necessary evil,” we need to remember that it is still evil.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for reminding us that although violence is a part of this world, it is not pleasing to you. If we are faced with the need to use violence – as individuals, or as a nation – help us to remember that it is a necessary evil, not something good. Guard our hearts from the temptation to love violence, to embrace it because it achieves something we want. Help us instead to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness, and allow you to work according to your purposes. Amen.