Psalm 83 - Honoring His Name

Write Psalm 78:35 in your journal from memory.  Pray and ask God to help you understand Psalm 83 and its context and to help you make application of this study into your life.

Asaph offers us here another Psalm written with the Hebrew poetic device of rhyming thoughts.  If you remember, this is where a thought or idea is stated and then immediately repeated in different words.  This Psalm is believed, by Bible scholars, to have been written shortly before battle when a descendant of Asaph, Jahaziel, prophesied victory against the Moabites and the Ammonites who attacked Judah during the reign of King Jehoshaphat (II Chronicles 20:1-23).  Read this story now.  The Moabites and the Ammonites are descendants of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and you will see Moab, Ammon, and the descendants of Lot called out by name in this Psalm as well as this pending attack on the Israelites.

Read the Psalm in its entirety seeking to get a feel for its flow, noticing the rhyming thoughts as you read.  Notice, also, the outline of this Psalm.  It begins, in verse 1, in the same manner as Jehoshaphat’s prayer, with a cry out to God for His intervention.  Verses 2-8 follow with an indictment of God’s enemies and their attacks upon God and His people.  Verses 9-17 present the requested action God is to take against His enemies.  Finally, verse 18 gives God credit for the ultimate ability to accomplish all this.  To me, this is a beautiful outline of how we should make our requests to God.  This is an unselfish approach.  The Psalmist has begun by explaining to God why He should honor this request (His name and honor are being defiled), then the request is made known, and then God is given credit and His name is exalted.  So many Christians today are guilty of approaching prayer in a vending machine fashion.  The requests go in and then there is a waiting period until the favors and gifts pop out.  Think about your approach to prayer.  Is it respectful of who and what God is?  How much of your prayer time is worship and thanksgiving?  How many of your requests are unselfish and seek to honor God’s name?  Take a moment now to make right with God any areas He may bring to mind.

As you read through this Psalm, take a moment to reflect on the Psalmist’s requests of God.  What were some of the judgments he was requesting for God’s enemies?  In verse 9, he calls upon God to do to them what was done to Midian (Judges 7) and what was done to Sisera and Jabin (Judges 4).  Verse 11 mentions Oreb and Zeeb, a rhyming thought referring back to the Midianites in Judges 7 as well as Zebah and Zalmunna, also referring back to the Midianites (Judges 8:1-21).  Notice the harshness of the judgments requested by the Psalmist.  Why do you suppose he requests God move in such extreme and harsh ways?  You will find a hint to this in verses 16 and 18.

Responding to God:  Think about times you have made requests to God.  Have they been selfish requests?  How many requests have you made simply because God’s name would be honored if they were answered?  When you pray for your enemies (and I hope you do pray for your enemies as we are instructed in Matthew 5:44), do you pray for an outcome that will honor God and bring others to know Him or simply for vengeance on those who have wronged you?  Take a moment to speak with God about these issues.  Are you certain that you and God share the same enemies?  Ask Him to show you where His name is being dishonored and for the Holy Spirit to lead you in praying correctly for those issues.  Record in your journal any areas He might reveal to you.

 

 Further Research:  If you would like to learn more about Israel's standing with her enemies today, use he internet or newspapers to research the status of her current diplomatic relationships.  With God's help, find specific ways you can pray for God's chosen nation asking particularly for things which will honor God's name before the world.