And though today’s Text is a rather “mild” such prayer … it is nonetheless quite powerful! “Imprecatory,” they call it.
It is found at the Head (actually Verse 1) of Psalm 68. “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.”
A request that God’s enemies be “scattered,” a Hebrew verb meaning “dispersed, driven away,” and even “broken to pieces!”
Wow!
(Note clearly that this Petition is directed against GOD”S ENEMIES, not my personal antagonists!)
I’d say anyone praying this prayer persistently and sincerely is engaging in spiritual warfare! (Do recall that Paul, in his classic Ephesian 6 Paragraph about battling evil ended that Sequence with the subject of prayer! Just compare Ephesians 6:17 with the following 18th verse.)
The very idea of praying God’s enemies “away,” how thrilling!
There’s nothing violent here, nothing sinister. Just asking God’s Will to be done on planet earth! (Now this is sounding like the Lord’s Prayer a little bit! “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Quoting Matthew 6:10.
Then I remembered that Psalm 68:1 (discussed above, our Text today) is alluding to a prayer Moses prayed time and time again as he led the Jews through the desert wilderness toward the Land of Canaan. Here it is …
“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and LET THINE ENEMIES BE SCATTERED; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.” Numbers 10:35
Wow!
But here’s the question. Can we pray this prayer today? In the Age of Grace, the Church Age?
I think that if God still has enemies … probably more than ever, truth be told … we can (and should) still pray this Prayer!
“Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.”
That, if answered, would nearly empty a lot of American cities, schools and courthouses! Or so it seems.
But really, asking God to deal with His enemies is no more than praying that Line from Jesus’ great Model Prayer … “Lord, Thy Kingdom Come!”
Because once that happens (when Jesus returns to earth) none of God enemies will be left here!
They will be scattered, or worse!
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
.