May 3, 2017
Central Truth
As the Israelites tended to stray and trust in themselves, so, too, do we. When we try to be our own savior, we will be overcome by the powers of this world. Let us not forget who reigns supreme and whom we belong to.
[T]hat they may know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth.
(Psalm 83:18)
1
O God, do not keep silence;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2
For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
3
They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your treasured ones.
4
They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5
For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
6
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
7
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8
Asshur also has joined them;
they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah
9
Do to them as you did to Midian,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10
who were destroyed at En-dor,
who became dung for the ground.
11
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12
who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
of the pastures of God.”
13
O my God, make them like whirling dust,
1
83:13
Or like a tumbleweed
like chaff before the wind.
14
As fire consumes the forest,
as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15
so may you pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your hurricane!
16
Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O LORD.
17
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace,
18
that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the LORD,
are the Most High over all the earth.
Growing up, I loved board games, especially Risk. I remember one game in particular. I was down to my last territory, Northern Europe, which is exposed to enemies in every direction. It was not a great place to be, and my "enemies" were particularly ruthless because of my ungracious winner's spirit. (The Lord is still redeeming me in that area.)
In Psalm 83, Israel is surrounded by enemies on every side, and the author, Asaph, immediately pleads for deliverance. He asks the Lord to break His silence and take action.
In reading through today’s Scripture, Psalm 83:9-12 takes us back to two different accounts of deliverance: Judges 7 when Gideon defeats the Midians, and Judges 4 when Barak and Deborah defeat Sisera's army. The psalmist is reflecting on the times the Lord delivered His people! The psalm closes with the reason for Asaph's supplication, "that they may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are Most High over all the earth." The beauty of this psalm is found in the author's knowledge of where deliverance is found—in Elohiym (God). So that is where he turns for help.
In the New Testament, Romans 8:18-23 echoes Asaph's plea for future redemption and deliverance. Also, Jesus tells us in John 10:27-29, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." If we have trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, this promise is for us. It reminds us that although attacks from the enemy are ever-present, we will not be overcome. Remembering this truth helps us look to the eternal, as opposed to the temporary. It also helps us trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. In doing so, the world will see that Jesus Christ is Lord.
1. Take a moment and think about your life with and without Jesus. How did you, and how do you, try to be your own savior?
2. Search your soul and ask where you desire God's deliverance? Do you truly believe He can deliver you?
3. In our moments of doubt, temptations, or trials, how do we remind ourselves that we belong to God and we will not be overcome?
4. Who do we say Jesus is, and how do we show that to a broken and desperate world?