Shame Worth Saving

“Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.” (Ps 83:16 AV)

 This is a peculiar verse.  The psalmist is speaking of many of Israel’s neighbors.  He may be writing at a time when Israel was losing influence and control over its neighbors.  When God began to judge Israel, the first thing to go was the territory closest to them.  As the LORD began to judge Israel the likes of Edom and Moab rejoiced in it and took the occasion to rebel.  The psalmist is asking for judgment upon Israel’s neighbors, but in our verse, he is asking for a rather unique outcome.  He is not asking for their destruction.  He is asking for their conversion.  The psalmist is not asking shame to visit the enemy as just recompense for their sin.  Which it would be.  What is asking is the shame turn to conversion.  The is not peculiar if we remember the Spirit of Christ which would desire the same.  It is only peculiar if we think in a more carnal way.

It is in our nature to want justice.  If we have been wronged, we want it made right.  If we have suffered a loss, we want to gain that loss with interest.  Yet, the psalmist does not want justice as much as he wants the wicked to seek God.  A child grew up in an abusive situation.  This child, naturally grew resentful towards his abuser and over time, because distant to this individual.  When he had grown and was out on his own, he discovered deep-seated anger issues and the inability to build healthy relationships.  He attributed these dysfunctions as the residue of the abuse he had suffered.  A man of God came along and began to work with him.  After a few months, this young man accepted Christ as his Savior.  Over the next few years, this fella read and studied his bible.  As he did, he discovered some truths about himself and the one whom he resented.  He discovered sin has a horrible effect on both the sinner and his victim.  He began to internalize what might cause his abuser to act out the way he does.  When he began to realize the full consequences of sin, a transformation began in his heart.  He no longer held resentment.  Rather, compassion took the place of anger.  No longer did he want justice.  Rather, he prayed every day for the salvation of his abuser.

This is the spirit of the above verse.  We want shame to come.  We may even want it to come upon us.  Which we should.  But we should not want shame to come for the mere goal of them feeling bad for what they have done.  We shouldn’t want shame to come as a way of punishing the offender.  We should desire shame for the conversion of the wicked ones.  No matter what they have done to us.  We use the phrase, “shame on you” when we want others to feel bad about what they have done.  Perhaps they should.  One wonders if we would follow that up with, “but Jesus loves you anyway.”