Week 5: Cries for Justice

Cries for justice ask God to make right what is very, very wrong. These are also called imprecatory psalms, which literally means “to invoke disaster upon.” They often contain curses or expressed desire for misfortune to befall one’s enemies. As we read these psalms, it is critical to keep in mind that the enemies are not meant to be understood as those whom we dislike or even people who have legitimately wronged us. The enemies in the psalms are those who stand against God, those who oppose His purposes and embrace open rebellion against Him.