seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 83[a]
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.(b)
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.(b)
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
a. Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
b. Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
I've been using the easy English site to understand these poems.... since poetry is like the KJV to me.... shuts my brain right off..... so since the easy English seems to be working..... to open that brain back up.... I'm sticking with it.... lol
Bible students do not agree when the psalmist wrote Psalm 83. In verses 6-8 is a list of the enemies of Israel. Because they were enemies of Israel, they were also enemies of God. This was true when the psalmist wrote the psalm, but it is not necessary that it is true today. The problem is this: not all these people were enemies of Israel at the same time. Some were enemies 800 B.C., some 600 B.C., some 400 B.C. (B.C. means "years Before Christ came to the earth".) So, some Bible students think that Psalm 83 comes from 800 B.C., some from 600 B.C., and some from 400 B.C. Maybe we shall never know who is right!
The psalmist tells us that this is "a song for Asaph". A psalm is words with music, or a song. Asaph was the name of a group of singers. Asaph lived about 1000 BC, but his singers continued for many centuries. So, any of the Bible students could be right about the date of Psalm 83!
Study the psalm in two parts:
· Verses 1 – 8: what the enemies of God and Israel are doing
· Verses 9 – 18: what the *psalmist wants (prays that) God will do
In verses 1 - 2, the psalmist says that God seems to be doing nothing while his enemies are getting ready to fight him. They fight God by fighting his people Israel. They want everybody to forget that there ever was an Israel, verse 4! Verses 6 - 8 tell us who these enemies are. Some are to the east, like Moab. Some are to the west like Philistia. Some are to the south and some are to the north. We are not sure who the Hagrites and Gebal were. The important thing is this: the enemies were all round Israel! In verse 8, "the sons of Lot" means the countries that his children started.
In verses 9 - 12,we read about people that God destroyed. Gideon destroyed Midian; the story is in Judges 6-8. Oreb and Zeeb were princes of Midian. People from Ephraim killed them, the story is in Judges 7:24-25. Ephraim was one of the tribes of Israel. Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna in Judges 8:21. They were kings of Midian. Sisera and Jabin come from another story, in Judges 4:1-24. Jabin was king of Hazor. Sisera was the leader of his army. A woman (Jael) killed Sisera as he hid in her tent. Two judges (leaders) of Israel destroyed Jabin’s army at the River Kishon. In verse 14, "lights the mountains" means "makes a fire on the mountains". Bible students are not sure what verses 16 - 18 mean. Some think that it means that the psalmist wants God to destroy his enemies as he destroyed Midian. Other Bible students think that it means that the psalmist wants them to be sorry and believe in God. The name LORD is the covenant name of God. It is the name people use who agree with God and who want to obey him.
When I post Psalms..... I first read the poem.... and come up with a title.... then I open up the commentary and see how close I got. This morning I saw "do not remain silent" and titled it "Get Loud". I saw Assyria.... since I'm going through the Old Testament looking for reasons for what's going on in the news today in the middle east.... so I highlighted it...... and then the tumbleweed [verse 13] stuck out.... Turns out I wasn't so far off this morning.... maybe by the time I get to the end of Psalms I'll be able to read a poem.... anyway....
The song is about spreading the word.... gathering God's army.... agreeing to fight with God. Maybe the best way to describe it is with the calm before the storm..... I've noticed that right before a really big storm hits.... everything gets quiet in anticipation. The birds stop calling when they are all hunkered down in the best trees. The dogs stop howling and crawl under whatever will give them shelter. Even the wind stops.... it's like God's getting our attention.... and then BAM!
I'm out in Arizona as I write this. A small fire is 50% contained.... up in the high country.... but it's already consumed 1200 acres. That would be like a fire spreading through Chesapeake Ranch Estates in one day....... and that is why the tumbleweeds stuck out.... Tumbleweeds are dried up dead bushes that blow wherever a breeze takes them. If fire gets to a tumbleweed.... it becomes a traveling lighter.... it can spread a fire in no time. Before they die though.... the same bush, green and lush..... has the prettiest flower.... and it takes great with chicken [sage].
Well I don't know if I would really want to be tumbleweed.... setting the world on fire for God..... or I want to be like those birds and dogs.... hiding so God will finally do the BAM!
