Reality of insecurity in Psalm 7 and Christian mission in Nigeria

Abstract

The psalmists in their expressions of anguish, firm trust in God and entreaties conveyed varied aspects of insecurity in their lives. They were threatened by fellow human beings and inexplicable natural disasters. These, however, did not deter them from their unflinching faith in God. Psalm 7, chosen for this study, is an individual psalm of lament; it is replete with realities of insecurity in the life of the petitioner. Similar life situations are experienced by many Christians in Nigeria as they carry out their mission. A literary approach in the design of biblical exegesis was adopted in this study. It is an exegetical method that analyses the syntactical procedure in the text and how the ancient writer persuasively articulated his message. The aim of this study is to understand the message of Psalm 7 for contemporary Christians in Nigeria who are beset by various forms of insecurity, which threaten their lives. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Reality of insecurity in Psalm 7 is a biblical study of the experience of insecurity in the Old Testament and in Nigeria. It is discovered that in both contexts, victims hold tenaciously to their faith in God despite their sufferings. Disciplines implicated are Sociology and Political science.

Keywords

• psalm 7
• insecurity
• christian
• islam
• nigeria
• suffering
• old testament