Answer:That David and other authors of the Scripture writers uttered such imprecations strongly suggests that certain manifestations of hatred are (or at least were) acceptable. Some would limit their appropriateness to objects that are explicitly named as recipients of covenant curses, and thus to the covenant/theocratic community. However, the motivation for the imprecations seems broader than covenant reasons alone, extending to:
- establishing righteousness (Ps 7:8–9)
- bringing glory to God’s name (Ps 7:17)
- magnifying God’s justice (Ps 58:11 cf. Rom 9:22)
- magnifying God’s sovereignty (Ps 59:5, 7–9, 13)
- protecting God’s holiness (Hab 1:13)
- impelling the wicked to seek God (Ps 83:16–18)
The contemporary relevance of these concerns, coupled with the ample NT evidence of imprecations (Acts 8:20; 1 Cor 16:22; Gal 1:8–9; 5:12; 2 Tim 4:14; Rev 6:10) suggest that imprecations are not dispensationally bound or necessarily incompatible with Christ’s commands to both love and pray for one’s enemies (Matt 5:44). The believer’s proclivity to mingle such imprecations with unholy passions and personal vindictiveness, however, should surely caution against their casual, everyday use.
Stand Firm! 