Psalm 83:17

Psalm 83:17

May they ever be ashamed and disgraced

This verse may initially seem to be contradictory. How can we pray that people be ashamed and dismayed and perish in disgrace? I think the writer is talking firstly about the time that Israel’s enemies have left in this world, and then he is anticipating their future destiny.

A plea like this, in our age of tolerance, seems to be both vengeful and driven by anger, however, we need to remember that things were very black and white at the time this was written. You were either one of God’s chosen people or you were not. You were either appointed to live in God’s land or you were an unwelcome intruder. You either believed the Torah and the other Scriptures or you were a pagan who followed other Gods – and every culture worshipped someone. There were no grey areas and those who were outside of God’s promises were excluded from His blessings. In this context it was right to pray that the pagans ought to be, “Forever ashamed and dismayed.”  Has this changed?

Last night was Hallowe’en, the name means “Holy Evening” and it used to be a time for Christians to prepare for the holy All Saints Day that followed.  The early Christian church recognised the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, which occurred on November 1 but kicked off the evening before, this is considered the earliest known root of some of our modern Hallowe'en traditions. It marked an important time of year when seasons changed and observers believed the boundary between this world and the next became especially thin, enabling them to connect with the dead, which is where Hallowe'en gains its "haunted" connotations. The early pagan holiday of Samhain involved a lot of ritualistic ceremonies to connect to spirits and it was believed that on that day, the souls of the dead returned to their homes, so people dressed in costumes and lit bonfires to ward off spirits.

May all who practice these traditions, “ever be ashamed and dismayed.” And if they continue to defy, disobey and disbelieve the true God, then, “may they perish in disgrace”, for they are not only defiling themselves, but also their children.” 

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