Have you ever noticed how many of the psalms have as their theme a plea to God for protection from the psalmist’s enemies? Even allowing for the fact that the ancient Near East was an environment where the rule of law did not always hold sway, it kind of makes you wonder what the psalmists (especially David) were doing to create so many enemies?

Judging by the content of the prayers themselves, all the psalmists were guilty of was trying to live a righteous and upright life in the face of much evil and lawlessness (see Ps 7:8; 17:1-3; 18:20-24; 40:9-10; 119:121).

Okay.

But having written a book about the problem of Christian Pharisaism, which often manifests itself in attitudes of self-righteousness and super-spirituality, I have to admit that I get a little nervous around people who are in the habit of insisting that their provocative actions are completely innocent, their motives entirely pure, and their cause indubitably just. I also grieve whenever I see or hear of people acting in a deliberately belligerent, obnoxious manner because they are absolutely convinced that defending God’s honor or advancing God’s concerns depends upon their doing so. It’s not that I’m suggesting that the psalmists (especially David) were self-righteous, super-spiritual jerks, I’m just saying that I hope that not too many contemporary readers of the psalms will be guilty of justifying the presence of a plethora of unnecessary enemies in their lives on the basis of them.

Then again, it’s also true that, as Mark Twain once observed, there’s nothing more annoying than a good example.

Furthermore, along with the Scriptures, everyday life teaches us that it does sometimes happen that essentially good people will be persecuted by less good people for no other reason than because of their commitment to please God.

Just ask Jesus. 

In his book, Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel includes a cogent quote from the writings of Martin Bell. Speaking of Jesus, Bell writes:

“There he is. In the temple again. Causing trouble. Speaking very differently from other preachers. Speaking with authority about sorrow, anxiety, sickness, and death. Penetrating the dark corners of human existence. Shattering illusion. Make no mistake about it; this is a dangerous man.”

To some people, Jesus was a dangerous man.

Hmm … aren’t we called to emulate this dangerous person? Didn’t Jesus warn his disciples in John 15:18-22 that, to the degree they successfully re-present him to the world, they should expect to be hated and persecuted as we was? It was certainly not the case that Jesus was a self-righteous, super-spiritual jerk. Rather it was because he was so very committed to living his life in a righteous manner in his relations to God and his neighbors, and called for others to strive to do the same, that he got on people’s nerves, making a number of necessary enemies in the process.

These musings have the effect of causing me to wonder: Does anyone in the world consider me dangerous? If not, why?

Indeed, having thought about the matter some, I’ve come to the conclusion that this may be why so many of the psalms contain prayerful, heart-felt appeals to God for divine protection against the psalmist’s enemies. The same Holy Spirit that inspired the composition, collection and canonization of the psalms inspired the Apostle Paul to write:

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted… (2 Timothy 3:12)

So, instead of wondering why so many of the psalms are about protection from one’s enemies, and instead of worrying about too many contemporary readers justifying the presence of too many unnecessary enemies in their lives on the basis of them, maybe I should be wondering why I don’t have more necessary enemies of my own.

Weird, huh?

Something to think about.