Word of Encouragement (11/03/2021)

Pastor James
November 3, 2021

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been” (Rev. 6:9-11).

The prayer these martyred souls cry out is “imprecatory” prayer. We have what we call the “imprecatory Psalms” in the Book of Psalms. These Psalms cry out for vengeance on the enemy. “Imprecatory” means invoking a curse and vengeance on someone. These “martyred” souls cry out to God, wondering how long before He will judge and avenge their blood on those who dwell on the earth. This prayer implies that those who dwell on the earth are responsible for the persecution and martyrdom they suffered.

These “martyred” souls in heaven address God, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true.” They pray this imprecatory prayer on the basis of God’s character.

God is the sovereign Lord of all—not only of His people but also of those who dwell on the earth. All are accountable to Him because, as Sovereign Lord, He is the Judge of the living and the dead. It is His responsibility to reward the righteous and judge the wicked. It is His responsibility to protect His people and avenge them. (Of course, these souls were not persecuted and martyred because God failed to protect them. He did not promise to shield His people from persecution and suffering in this world. In fact, Jesus warned His disciples and would-be disciples that they must expect persecution and suffering: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34); “A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). What He promised was to preserve our faith till the end and to punish their [and His] enemies in due time.) So, they are asking their sovereign Lord to avenge them for their blood.

God is holy. God will not judge “those who dwell on the earth” as a Partisan, simply because they oppose Him and His people and He doesn’t like it. He is holy. To oppose Him is to be sinful and wicked. As a holy God, He is obligated to punish those that are profane and wicked.

God is true. He is true to His character. He is true to His promise. As a holy and sovereign Lord of all, He promised to judge the wicked and give them what is their due. These martyred souls are appealing to His true character to fulfill His promise.

We can see how beneficial it is for us to remember these attributes of God. The world seems chaotic. Often, the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous are put through all kinds of tribulations and injustices. It is even more difficult when we are the victims of injustice, however small. It is precisely in such times that we must remember that God is “Sovereign Lord, holy and true.” I believe it is Augustine who said that God allows enough injustice in the world so that we do not put our hope in this world as if it were heaven. But He does not allow injustice to prevail all the time so His people do not doubt His sovereign control of the world. I hope this perspective will renew your confidence in God’s sovereign lordship over your life and the world and keep you steadfast in bearing witness to the gospel of God in all that you do.

But how should we apply this prayer to ourselves? Should we pray this prayer against all our “enemies”? We will deal with that question tomorrow!