Let’s read from that psalm of David.  Psalm 139:19-22 says, “Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.”

In this psalm, King David is in awe of the Lord and His blessings.  He wrote in verses 17-18, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”  I’m reminded of that Sunday School song, “Count your blessings, name them one by one…”

In verses 19-20, David gives vent to his feelings toward the wicked and prays that they may depart from him.  We read similar thoughts from Isaiah in Isaiah 11:4, “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”  Even as the psalmist recounts the blessings of knowing the Lord, he also realizes God’s thoughts towards those who reject Him and continue in their wickedness.  He is appalled at those who would reject such a loving God and choose to live in sin. 

In verses 21-22, as David considers the holiness and goodness of our righteous God, he speaks of his hatred towards those who hate God.  It’s impossible that someone can at once love the Lord and love His enemies, in the sense that we would admire and imitate their actions.  David would later write in Psalm 119:158, “I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.”  Jehoshaphat at one point allied himself with God-hating Ahab, a terrible stain on his otherwise consistent character.  It became necessary that Jehoshaphat be corrected for his error, and so we read in 2 Chronicles 19:1-3, “And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, SHOULDEST THOU HELP THE UNGODLY, AND LOVE THEM THAT HATE THE LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.”

We are right in hating those whom the Lord hates.  David wrote in Psalm 5:4-5, “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: THOU HATEST ALL WORKERS OF INIQUITY.”  It doesn’t seem that David hated with a simple emotional feeling.  No, his hate was towards those who turned against God and loved living in iniquity.  We see here that God hates “ALL WORKERS OF INIQUITY.”  Yet, He desires their repentance so they might be saved.  2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that all should come to repentance.”  We also read in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT.”  So, how should we respond to those who hate the Lord?  We should hate the very thoughts they think, the very acts they commit, the very ground they stand on…yet we should have a love and concern for their souls.  We should desire their salvation, even as the Lord does.  That is how we truly “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).  (CC)  (706.6)