What does it mean when God says, "Vengeance is mine" (Romans 12:19)?

Romans 12:19. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." This is a kindred precept to the previous injunction, not to render evil for evil: still, it is varied and amplified. The Christian, under any provocation, must never avenge himself; we must leave that matter to God, who, in His own good time, will certainly avenge His "dearly beloved." Nothing can be more touching and beautiful than these terms of endearment. Just when provoked and excited to retaliation by wicked and unreasonable men, the voice of tenderest love is heard rising above the strife of human passions: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath." Retire from the scene; give place to my government, because of the injury you have received. It is my prerogative to punish. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." See Deuteronomy 32:35.

The knowledge of God, as the avenger of His people's wrongs, is not intended to awaken in our hearts the smallest desire that the divine vengeance should overtake our enemies. This we must watch against as a secret desire for we are prone to count on the divine vengeance falling on those who have injured us; and such expectations are closely allied to the hope that it may come. This must be guarded against; it is natural to us, and bordering on the principles of the world. It is a most unhappy thing to be dwelling, either in our own minds, or in conversation with others, on the injuries — supposed or real — which we have received. How much happier to forget them, and commit ourselves and all our affairs into the hands of the Lord! To advance in arms against our enemies; to watch for their halting; to wait our opportunity to give out what we have been nursing within; to exaggerate their failures, that they may receive double for their sins; to rejoice inwardly when we think they have been repaid in their own coin, is to indulge a spirit entirely contrary to the mind of the Lord in the passage before us, and to the whole genius of Christianity. To the Lord alone rightfully belongs the prerogative of vindicating the innocent, and of punishing the guilty.

This may mean the sacrifice of personal rights, but if walking by faith we shall steadfastly refuse to avenge ourselves. Let the enemy rage if he will, but let us never rush to our own defense. “For it is written, Vengeance is Mine: I will repay, saith the Lord.” Good for us to remember that only our God knows both the time and the measure of recompense that is perfectly suited. “Faith can firmly trust Him, come what may.”

(Vv. 19-21). Finally we are exhorted as to showing a right Christian spirit in connection with wrongs that we may have to meet. In a world like this we may have to suffer wrong, face insults and opposition, and that even from professing Christians; but come from what quarter it may, we are not to attempt to avenge ourselves, but quietly give way to wrath. Naturally we should seek to revenge a wrong, but this the Lord does not entrust to us. Vengeance He keeps in His own hands, for He has said, "Vengeance is mine: I will repay says the Lord" (Ps. 94:1). Our part is, under all circumstances, to maintain the Christian spirit and seek to win our enemies by shewing kindness to those who have acted wrongly toward us. Thus acting we shall not be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Self-confidence is another and kindred danger, which in such a world as this would soon ensnare the saint in retaliation. In every way contrariwise we are called to be witnesses, not of the first man, nor of the law, but of Christ, and hence to be above suspicion before all men in providing things good or comely (for such is the true sense here, rather than benevolent); and this too in a spirit of peace with all as far as depends on us. It is a solemn thought that wrath and vengeance belong to God. It becomes us, instead of avenging ourselves, to bend before the blast, looking to God; nay, to render service to an enemy in need and distress. This will bring him to a point with God or with you: if he melt, so much the better for all; if he harden himself, so much the worse for him. For the Christian it is exercise in the divine nature, that is in faith and patience and love. For the christian rule is Christ, not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome it with good. So God, in our own case as with all who love Him, overcame our evil with His good in Christ our Lord; and now also He gives us to be imitators of Him in grace, which wins the victory in His sight and to our own consciousness, even when we may seem most downtrodden before the world. For this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith — of course faith working through love.

In earnest entreaty the psalmist addresses the "Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs" (v. 1), for God is the only One who has any right to exercise vengeance. If man tries to avenge himself, he will always go beyond what is perfectly just and right. We can never be trusted to make perfectly fair judgments in our own case. We may think too that judgment ought to be carried out more quickly than it is, but God knows better than we both the time of judgment and its character. Interestingly, the psalmist adds, "shine forth," though possibly he did not understand the force of what he wrote. Has God "shone forth"? Yes, in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus, in whose face all the glory of God is shining (2 Cor. 4:6). Is not the shining of that face the full answer to the need of saints of God who endure days and months and years of suffering?

Under the law of Moses it was enacted 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' Matt. 5:38; Ex. 21:24. With the Christian it is quite different: having been dealt with in grace, he must act also in grace towards others. The word to him is "Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." Rom. 12:19; Rev. 6:10; Rev. 19:2. Now it is the day of grace; but there is a day of vengeance coming for those that "know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 1:8. The duty of a Christian in not avenging himself in no way clashes with the exercise of the government of God by magistrates, who derive their authority from Him, in repressing and punishing evil.

When it has been a question of God acting in government, then again and again He has been pleased to use His people as instruments of His government. Now that it is a question of His grace being heralded through the earth, His normal way of acting is through human servants. But when it is neither grace nor government, but God executing wrath and vengeance on men in whom human sin has risen to its dreadful climax, then He acts alone. He has said, "Vengeance in Mine; I will repay." It is His sole prerogative. No other may share it with Him.

(Vv. 1-2). The Psalm opens with a prayer. The godly man finds himself, not only in a world in which the people of God suffer, and the proud prosper, but, where to natural sight it might seem that God is indifferent. Therefore the Psalmist prays that God would "show" Himself, act on behalf of His suffering people, and deal with the proud. At the same time it is realised that "vengeance" belongs to God. This, surely, is a truth of which the Christian needs to be reminded, for the Apostle Paul can say to us, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." In the presence of provocation, anger, and deliberate insults, let us beware of seeking to take vengeance. The insults and injustice may arouse righteous indignation, we cannot be trusted to take vengeance. That the Lord keeps in His own hands. Our part is to "give place" unto wrath. If a person's anger makes me angry, then I am "overcome of evil" (Rom. 12:18-21).

Vengeance is truly a terrible word when it comes from the mouth of God, and if we turn to verse 4 of Isaiah 63 we shall find it referred to again. It means retribution exacted for wrongs committed, and all the wrongs that men have committed are primarily against God. A day is coming when God Himself will bring retribution on the heads of sinful men; judging "the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained," as Paul told the Athenians, recorded in Acts 17. When that comes to pass, it will "comfort all that mourn," because their mourning will be not for their own personal troubles, but rather for the evil and chaos that will fill the earth, the sinfulness of men having then reached its climax. When men have filled the cup of their iniquity to the brim, God will strike by the advent of Christ. And to those who mourn, though few in number, what a comfort that will be!

Let it not be thought however that this vengeance is vindictive. It is the very opposite. It is God’s “strange work”; His “strange act.” It is swiftly and surely executed “in righteousness,” but in view of salvation. If salvation was to be brought to the servants of the Lord—the feeble remnant—this work was necessary; therefore mercy is behind it all; for when The Great and Glorious Avenger returns from its execution in the land of Edom, travelling in the greatness of His strength, He declares Himself “THE MIGHTY TO SAVE,” saying, “I that speak in righteousness, Mighty to Save” (Isa. 63:1). That is the work He delights in; but because of who He is, righteousness must mark all His ways.