Psalm 83:13-18 "O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind..."

O my God, make them like whirling dust,
 like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest,
 as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so pursue them with your tempest
 and terrify them with your hurricane.
Fill their faces with shame,
 so that they may seek your name, O Lord.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
 let them perish in disgrace.
Let them know that you alone,
 whose name is the Lord,
 are the Most High over all the earth.
 (Psalm 83:13-18)

Question:

I find this language and these words to be so troubling, and I honestly don’t understand. How can I find the peace of the Inner Christ, yet also let these supplications for VIOLENT revenge guide me? I need your help; thank you!

Comment:

There are certainly many, many Bible passages in the Hebrew scriptures that seem almost shocking in their anger and violence. It's important to remember, I think, that metaphysically the writings of the Bible do not define an ideal; they rather describe a process of spiritual growth and awareness. As we move forward toward our spiritual purpose of expressing our true Christ nature and thereby creating the kingdom of heaven, we can expect to make a lot of wrong turns and find ourselves in some very dark, scary places. The Bible reassures us always that it's all part of the journey. There is not one specific step that will allow us to fully express our Christ nature; we will get there as the culmination of many, many steps.   If we understand that all characters in the Bible metaphysically represent thoughts in our consciousness, we can recognize that we have, indeed, found ourselves in the consciousness described in this Psalm—overwhelmed by opposing forces, highly indignant at the situation in which we find ourselves. We have progressed far enough at this stage that we no longer believe the solution lies in ourselves. We recognize the importance of calling upon the divine as our source of strength. We still see that divine energy as an expression of wrath and punishment, because that's where we are in our own consciousness. It will take the teaching and example of Jesus to show us that the strength of the divine lies, not in resistance, attack and violence, but in surrendering to the infinite power of divine love.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed