The Complaint God Hears: Psalm 64–Supplication through the Scriptures
The Complaint God Hears Psalm 64 “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” Perhaps we’ve all chanted that phrase on the school yard particularly after something hurtful has been said to us. While we wish words could never hurt us, too often we know the hard reality: words can hurt. In Psalm 64, the psalmist is being attacked verbally. The enemy's words are being shot like arrows, used as swords, and coupled with evil purposes and secret plots (64:2-5). Their tongues were exactly as James describes, “the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity” (James 3:6). These wicked men thought God would not see. They were unconcerned about justice. In this context, it would be easy for David to return evil for evil, to give as good as he got. It would be tempting to seek vengeance and exact his own justice. He could rehearse what has been done against him to others and rally people to his side. He could send Joab, the commander of his army, to seek ...