MAY GOD'S ENEMIES NOT PREVAIL

PSALM 83

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SCRIPTURE READING IN ENGLISH

1 A Song or Psalm of Asaph.

Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;

7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:

12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.

14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;

15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Introduction

It was a momentous time for God's people fighting for their very sovereignty to exist as a nation, sorely threatened by surrounding enemies with annihilation. In the psalmist's heart, he knew that the battle is God's battle for these enemies were God's enemies (v 2a ). The name of God is at stake! Therefore the psalmist pleads for God's urgent intervention so that His enemies may acknowledge God's sovereign rule over all the earth and be at peace with His witnesses (v 18 ).

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit" was the psalmist method of warfare! He prayed and asked for God's power and glory to be manifested to attest to His very presence with His people.

(1) Urgent Intervention Needed (v 1 )

Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

The psalmist implored for the God to show forth His power. He invoked the name of God "??? " attested to His power. He asked God not to rest in silence but to arise to vindicate His people oppressed by His enemies, by three negatives, "??? ". This is used to "a negative wish, express a desire or prayer that something not be, of negative volition." He pleaded for God to vindicate His people, to arise to action, to meet the urgent need of His people.

(2) Unmanageable Rebellion Cited (v 2-8 )

a. Enemies' Great Power Cited (v 2 )

b. Enemies' Superior Reasoning Cited (v 3 )

c. Enemies' Evil Intention Cited (v 4 )

d. Enemies' Unity Highlighted (v 5 )

e. Enemies' Named (v 6-8 )

In surveying the predicament of His people, objectively speaking, God's enemies' seemed superior in every way, especially in their united objective to destroy His people.

(3) God's Faithfulness Recounted (v 9-12 )

The psalmist cited God's faithfulness during the time of the Judges where every men did that which was right in their own eyes. These judges like Deborah and Gideon were specially called of God to deliver His people as they cried by reason of their oppression.

9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

Jabin was the king of Canaan that reigned in Hazor and Sisera was his general. They had 900 chariots of iron and for 20 years, they mightily oppressed God's people (Judges 4:2-3 ). God raised Deborah and Barak. How was the Lord's battle won? This is the account in Judges 4:13-16 "And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left."

As the Canaanite army drew to the side of Mount Tabor, the rain came and the plain became a mud pool. Wheels of the chariots were stuck in the mud, rendering them ineffective for battle. This gave the soldiers of Israel easy targets. The shock of the overflowing banks of the Kishon River that rendered ineffective the deadly fighting machines of the Canaanites put them in disarray. Israel had a field day pursuing and defeating the enemy. How ineffective was Baal, the Canaanite god of the storm! The Canaanites were defeated on home ground! With God on our side, victory is assured!

Only six of Israel's twelve tribes fought the battle against their enemies - Napthali, Asher, Zebulun, Issachar, Manasseh and Ephraim while the other tribes did not join in (Judges 5:15-17 ). Dan, Reuben, Gilead Benjamin, (consisting of half tribe of Gad and half tribe of Manasseh) did not fight. Dan was too busy trading, Reuben decided to stay home, Gad and Manasseh did not consider themselves part of the team since they occupy a territory at the fringe of the Promised Land. Their non-committal attitude was heinous in the sight of God.

10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:

This was the victory of Gideon over the Midianites. Gideon fought God's battle God's way with just 300 men of valor over the overwhelming Midianites who were encamped as grasshoppers in the battlefield. John Wesley made this statement "Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and love nothing but God, and I will shake the gates of hell!"

Oreb and Zeeb were the two princes of the Midianites who were slewed upon the rock and at the winepress by the pursuing men of Gideon (Judges 7:25 ).

(4) God's Wrath Imprecated (v 13-17 )

13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. 14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; 15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. 16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. 17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:

The psalmist pleaded for God to arise and deliver His people from the persecution and oppression of their enemies.

(5) God's Name Be Greatly Exalted (v 18 )

Surely, God will not leave Himself without a witness. May His people continue to walk the strait and narrow way in these last days of compromise and apostasy.