Worthless Idols (Psalm 31:6-9)

⁶ I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
⁸ You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.

⁹ Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.

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What is striking to me today in this section is the word “hate” in verse 6.  David says that he hates those who cling to worthless idols.  What are we to do with this?  Are we to imitate David in his apparent hatred of unbelievers?  I thought we were to love all people, and especially those who need the gospel?

Although the word hatred is jarring here, the real point of what David is saying is not. It is in fact an attitude that we are to imitate and emulate.  What we have here is an example of a Hebrew idiomatic way of speaking about priorities or emphasizing a difference between two alternatives.  The practice was to state it in extremes and to use the word “hate” to make the point.

For instance, in Luke 14:26, Jesus says “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”  He is not calling on us to hate anyone, but rather stating in the typical Hebrew idiom that our devotion must be to him first.   He is making the point that our relationship with Him is more important than any other relationships.

What is the comparison or contrast in Psalm 31:6?  It isn’t about people at all.  It’s about trusting in the Lord or trusting in idols.  David is stating that he trusts in the Lord and so rejects everything to do with idolatry.

Am I rejecting everything to do with idolatry in my life?  Is my devotion to the Lord greater than my devotion to all other things?  Is that seen in all of my decisions and attitudes?  This passage leads me to self-reflection on the ways in which idolatry is creeping into my own life as I examine what my life and decisions indicate about my priorities.

I pray that the Lord strengthen and grow my devotion to Him, so that my rejection of all forms of idolatry would not just be a confession on my lips, but the actions of my life.

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