1 O God, do not be silent!
Do not be deaf.
Do not be quiet, O God.
2 Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies?
Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up?
3 They devise crafty schemes against your people;
they conspire against your precious ones.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation.
We will destroy the very memory of its existence.”
5 Yes, this was their unanimous decision.
They signed a treaty as allies against you—
6 these Edomites and Ishmaelites;
Moabites and Hagrites;
7 Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites;
and people from Philistia and Tyre.
8 Assyria has joined them, too,
and is allied with the descendants of Lot. NLT
Can you think of any examples as to why someone might think that God could “sit idly by, silent and inactive”? Explain.
In verses 2-4, what does the writer say is happening around him?
This psalm was written over 2,700 years ago. Taking current situations into consideration, describe the perilous history of Israel and its enemies.
In verses 5-8, specific nations are mentioned as aligning against Israel. Consider these questions:
- What would it be like to be threatened by enemies throughout your nation’s history?
- What would that do to you faith, both in positive and negative ways?
- How could this scenario cause you to grow deeper in your faith?
- How could this scenario weaken your faith?
- How does verse 1 become more real in this scenario?
::::: APPLICATION CHALLENGE :::::
Whatever challenges surround you in the next 24 hours, pray for strength to remain resolute in your faith… and pray for God to act.
Dear Ken
Can you tell me who are all the modern day nations mentioned here specifically please?
Thank you
Hi Debra, great question… This is a question that many people wonder about, especially in times of Middle East conflict. The nations mentioned in these verses are contextual, historical people groups that engaged with Israel in multiple ways, including battle, 2,700 years ago, and some have lineage back as far as Abraham and Ishmael (see Genesis 25:12-17; 1 Samuel 4; 2 Chronicles 20, for instance). Some would say this psalm points prophetically to the long-struggle of nations against Israel. But the modern-day nations do not necessarily reflect the geographic boundaries and political entities of the Psalm 83 nations. Current conflicts do, however, give us a good idea of the passion and deeply rooted struggles embedded in this Psalm.