Sermon Tone Analysis

“How shall we sing?”

- “How shall we sing?”

I. Read Passage: ...

Intro: Kids Psalms / A difficult Psalm to Sing /

Different Types of Psalms

1. Wisdom – , “Blessed is the man who…”

2. Thanksgiving: , “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good...”

3. Praise – , “Bless the LORD, O my soul”

Intro: Kids Psalms / A difficult Psalm to Sing /

4. Lament- , “My God my God why have you forsaken me”

5. Trust - , “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

6. Deliverance- , “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.”

7. Royal/Messianic- , “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed”

8. Imprecatory

Read Passage: ...

An Imprecatory Quite Time

, , ,

· Ok, it is…

B.

1. Wisdom – “Blessed is the man who…”

2. Thanksgiving: , “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good...”

Psalm 137- “How shall we sing?”

I. Read Passage: Psalm 137

II.

Intro: A difficult Psalm to Sing

A. An Imprecatory Quite Time:

· Psalm 136:1, Psalm 137:1, 9, Psalm 138:1

·

B. Different Types of Psalms

1. Wisdom – Psalm 1 “Blessed is the man who…”

2. Thanksgiving

3. Praise – Psalm 103, “Bless the LORD, O my soul”, Ps. 96 theme of the nations rejoicing

4. Lament- Ps. 22, “My God my God why have you forsaken me”

5. Trust

6. Deliverance

7. Royal/Messianic

8. Imprecatory

C. Why is it called an “Imprecatory” Psalm?

· These “imprecatory psalms” are prayer songs so designated because of their particularly vigorous attitude toward the enemy.

The verb “imprecate” means “to pray evil against” or “to invoke curse upon” another, hence the name for these prayers.

– Asbury Commentary

Could you sing this song?

Should God’s people pray for the destruction of another human being?

What are we as Christians to do with this? 2Tim.

3:16 says that all scripture is God breathed, so we must believe that there is something profitable and necessary for us to understand about Imprecatory Psalms.

For it is only by His word that we can better understand who God is and by it for Him to correct our thinking on how to view evil in the World.

III.

Sermon:

First, Psalm 137 teaches us that…

A. God will punish all evil

a. Historical Context: Exposition of 137:1-9

i. Babylonians

Spurgeon Quote:

“Let those find fault with it (Psalm 137) who have never seen their temple burned, their city ruined, their wives ravished, and their children slain; they might not, perhaps, be quite so velvet-mouthed if they had suffered after this fashion.

It is one thing to talk of the bitter feeling which moved captive Israelites in Babylon, and quite another thing to be captives ourselves under a savage and remorseless power, which knew not how to show mercy, but delighted in barbarities to the defenseless.

The song is such as might fitly be sung in the Jews’ wailing-place.

It is a fruit of the Captivity in Babylon.”

1. Modern day Babylonians

a. Wicked Slave Owner

b.

Adolf Hitler

c. Rwandan Genocide: Hutu/Tutsi

d.

Sex Slave- Trafficking Industry

e. Abortionists

f.

ISIS

B. We are evil… But Christ Died for His evil enemies!

a. Historical Context: Israel Deserved their captivity…

i. Idol Worship.

Prophets warned them.

b.

And so do we!

Romans 5:6-10:

i. Ungodly

ii.

Sinners

iii.

Enemies of God

iv.

SPURGEON: “Venomous Snake.”

Piper Quote:

There are a group of psalms that are called imprecatory psalms because they include imprecations, that is curses, judgments against God’s enemies.

These psalms are usually considered problems for Christians because Jesus taught us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27–28).

And Jesus prayed for his enemies on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

So it sounds like these psalms are doing the opposite of what Jesus said and did.

Conclusion: How than shall we sing?

A. How than shall we pray when we encounter evil at it’s worst?

a.

While watching the news of rapists, murderers, sex traffickers, child molesters, oppression, corruption, social injustice, terrorist attacks, ISIS ravaging through villages killing and raping women and children… “Basically, realize that calls for justice are absolutely right, and remind us how important God’s holiness and justice are.

But secondly, recognize that the Psalmists did not have the justice of God completely satisfied in Christ.

Thus we pray for our enemies, not wish them ill.

Yet we as Christians can pray these Psalms as longings for social justice and hatred against the “power and principalities” behind the world.

– Tim Keller

b.

Judgment Day is coming… Entrust Judgment to the government and to Him who gave the government the power of the sword to reflect the coming eschatological judgment.

c.

But it’s been over 2000 years… 2Peter: The Lord is tarring intentionally… Evil continues so that we might be saved.

Christ comes back 10 years ago and I would be condemned to Hell apart from Christ for all eternity.

B. How than shall we sing in the face of evildoers?

a. Sing of the Gospel, where Justice and Mercy meet.

1.

Instead let us not call down a curse, but declare them accursed all ready.