Every Kind of Evil and Wickedness

“For my love they are my foes; but I am in prayer.” (Psalms 109:4)

It’s believed that David wrote this psalm when he was fleeing King Saul. He happened to go to Nob to meet with the priest, Ahimelech, to ask for food and for weapons. He had escaped King Saul with nothing. (1Samuel 21:1-3) Hesitantly Ahimelech gave him of the holy bread and the sword David had used to kill Goliath. King Saul lied to his men, telling them that David wanted to kill him. That’s when Doeg spoke about seeing him with the priest Ahimelech. “And answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.” (1Samuel 22:9) Saul commands Doeg to kill Ahimelech and all the priests including their families. “And he struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and babes, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests. And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house.” (1Samuel 22:19-22)

These are the circumstances under which David wrote Psalms 109.  It’s called an imprecatory psalm, meaning one in which there is a curse incurred or bad wishes expressed. In this psalm David asked God that his enemies would receive what evil they had given him.

In our verse of study David prays that his love was returned with enmity. David had loved Saul and had only shown him love. “And David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.” (1Samuel 16:21) But jealousy stirred up in King Saul because David was favored by the people. “And David went out wherever Saul sent him, behaving himself wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. And it happened as they came in, as David returned from striking the Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women answered as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry, and this thing was evil in his eyes. And he said, They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given only thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.” (1Samuel 18:5-9) This jealousy grew into King Saul’s desire to kill David.

“For where envying and strife are, there is confusion and every foul deed.” (James 3:16) These are the evidence of jealousy, strife, confusion and every foul deed; all and any evil and wicked work. In Saul’s case it was murder. We wonder sometimes how a parent, spouse or child can kill their families or friends. That there is envy or jealousy at work. There is confusion in their thinking. Their thinking goes berserk and confused. They lose their ability to think clearly because surely a sane mind would not think about killing their loved ones. It begins with some kind of envy. It’s a work of the flesh. And it’s not an isolated work. When the flesh is involved, there are usually several works of flesh manifested. “Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) In Saul’s case, we can identify, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, fighting, jealousy, anger, envying and murder, to name a few. If any of these works show up in you, repent before they become a stronghold and lead you to sin further. Notice that both envy and jealousy are mentioned. They don’t mean the same thing. Envy is when you desire what someone else has. It usually involves two people and has to do with coveting. Jealousy is when you fear losing something you have. It usually involves a third person. And resentment and protectiveness is involved. They are two different things yet similar. They are both works of the flesh and signal involvement in other works of the flesh.

All in all, the Bible warns us about the works of the flesh. They aren’t solitary and can lead a person in a spiral downward to confusion and every kind of evil and wickedness. Recognize the symptoms and avoid them. It leads to a complicated life of strife and unhappiness.

Let us pray:

Father God, deliver me from any work of the flesh. Reveal to me any inclination toward a manifestation of the works of the flesh. I desire Your peace, love and joy in my life which I know can only be found in and through Jesus. I surrender my desires and all that I hold dear, to You. I don’t want anything that would take me from Your love and the peace that Jesus gives. I renounce every work of the flesh that arises. I want it to have no place in my heart. Work in me through the Holy Spirit to live and treasure a life walking in the Spirit. Teach my heart to be generous with all that I am and all that I have because my Lord, they are gifts and blessings from You for me and for me to share with those in need, those who lack love and peace in their lives. Teach me to reflect what being a child of the Most High is like. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.