War Psalms

of the

Prince of Peace

Lessons from the Imprecatory Psalms

second edition

JAMES E. ADAMS

© 1991, 2016 by James E. Adams

First edition 1991

Second edition 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—except for brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, without the prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865-0817.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (ASV) are from the Holy Bible, American Standard Version. Published in 1901. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611.

Italics within Scripture quotations indicate emphasis added.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Adams, James E., 1946- author.

Title: War psalms of the Prince of Peace : lessons from the imprecatory psalms / James E. Adams.

Description: Second Edition. | Phillipsburg : P&R Publishing, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016031377

| ISBN 9781629952734 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781629952741

(epub) | ISBN 9781629952758 (mobi)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Psalms--Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Blessing and cursing in the Bible.

Classification: LCC BS1445.I46 A32 2016 | DDC 223/.206--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016031377

SDG

To my wife,

Nancy Anne Radu de Adams,

“bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,”

whose participation in the composition

of this volume makes it our book.

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Chapters

1 Those Puzzling Prayers from the Psalms

2 Are These Prayers the Oracles of God?

3 Who Is Praying These Psalms?

4 Are Jesus’ Prayers Contradictory?

5 May We Pray the Imprecatory Psalms?

6 How Can We Preach These Prayers?

7 Marching to War in God’s Kingdom!

Epilogue

The Psalms—Christ’s Prayer Book

Appendices

1 The Christian’s Duty Towards His Enemies

2 Two Sermon Summaries

3 The Messianic Cup of Wrath and Joy

4 Index to Psalm Imprecations

5 New Testament References to the Psalms

Bibliography—Help from Good Books

Gratitude

Foreword

I cannot enthusiastically enough commend Jim Adams (no relative of mine except in the Second Adam) for the work he has done in dealing with a difficult and all-too-often neglected area of preaching! And, of even greater importance, he has done so sympathetically and biblically.

Pastor, how often have you shied away from preaching on these large tracts of scriptural turf called the “imprecatory psalms”? How often have you wondered how they could be a part of the Word of God? Well, you have to wonder no longer; you need avoid them no more—War Psalms of ...