Psalm 83: See the Victory

​Key Verse
18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.
 
Meditation
God’s goal for history is to dwell with His people who will represent all nations, know His authority, and exalt Him in glory. Philippians 2:10-11 says, “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”  Revelation 1:7 speaks of the return of Jesus on clouds, “every eye will see Him…”  and that peoples from every nation will sing in worship from His salvation. 
 
The Lord is King of Kings and when He returns winter will turn to spring, death to life, and difficulty to victory.
 
The situation for the Psalmist in today’s reading is bleak- surrounded by enemies looking to devour and destroy God’s people. The psalmist laments the attack (vv. 1-8) and then he petitions for victory (vv. 9-18). An Old Testament saint could not help but think of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, surrounded by enemies the king prayed,

“Lord we know not what to do but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).

When God’s people sing, they will see the deliverance only God can bring. The Lord’s triumph aligns with the trajectory of Scripture and God’s story of redemptive victory.
 
Jesus will return in victory, and all nations will join in seeing that He alone is “the Most High over all the earth” (v. 18).  To sing this psalm today is to petition for ultimate victory in Christ to come quickly. 
 
Lord, we believe. Help us with our unbelief- Open our eyes to see Your victory! We know not what to do but our eyes are upon You!
 
Today’s Reading
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,
    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.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially how singing this psalm shapes the saint to see victory? 
 
-Does it seem like darkness and discouragement are prevailing? Where do you look when the situations of this world overwhelm? Where are the eyes of your heart?
 
-Take time now to pray for those in your life that need to seek God’s name and come to know Him as Lord, asking for the ultimate victory of Jesus to be seen in Him making His name great among all peoples and nations!
 
Key Verse
18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.