O God, Do Not Keep Silence: Psalm 83-Supplication through the Scriptures
Psalm 83
The prayer here is that in the existing emergency God would not seem to be indifferent to the needs and dangers of his people, and to the purposes of their enemies, but that he would speak with a voice of command, and break up their designs.
Barnes
Bitterness is a feeling of antagonism, hostility, or resentment (Dictionary.com). It is holding someone liable, a replaying of our grievances, a withdrawing of warmth (Keller). Bitterness, resentment, and a lack of forgiveness exalts ourselves to the place of judge in someone else’s life. It is to act as though we know best how God ought to deal with another’s sin. So what do we do when these emotions rise up within us? One thing we can and must do, as Asaph does in Psalm 83, is to pray.
Psalm 83 is an imprecatory psalm. It is a cry of God’s people to the Lord to rise up against their enemies and deliver His “treasured ones”. Perhaps a call for God to punish your enemy makes you feel uncomfortable or guilty. But consider this quote: “Many feel uncomfortable with the psalm because it expresses a desire to destroy the enemy. However, the imprecations are a way of turning our anger over to God. After all, the psalmist is not asking God for resources to do it on his own, but rather he is petitioning God, who can decide himself how he should act. In other words, the psalmist is acting in the spirit of Romans 12:19: 'Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.’” (Longman)
We should not actively seek the hurt of those who have hurt us. Tim Keller said, “If you respond in bitterness, you have lost. It doesn’t matter if you have smashed his head, he has smashed your soul.” In other words, bitterness is self destructive. While it may feel appropriate considering the injury done to us, we actually come out the double loser: the injury inflicted on us by the other person, and then the injury we inflict on ourselves through our bitterness, resentment, and vengefulness.
Prayer, even praying through imprecatory psalms, directs our attention to the only Righteous Judge. It’s a giving over of our bitterness, our need for revenge, our hurt and confusion to the One who is far wiser than we are. When we can direct our difficult emotions to Him, it allows us to be able to respond differently than our emotions would have us respond. We can bless instead of curse. We can do good instead on evil. We can forgive as He has forgiven us. We can remember that it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4).
Here is an excellent sermon by Timothy Keller on bitterness. If you’re struggling with bitterness, struggling to forgive someone who has wronged you, listen to his sermon and be challenged and encouraged.
Let’s pray through Psalm 83 for that situation in our lives that is tempting us to respond in bitterness and resentment.
O God, do not keep silence
83:1-5 O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—
Let’s pray:
▫️The Lord would not be silent to our injury and hurt. He would not be deaf to our cries for help, for healing, for wrongs to be made right, and for justice.
▫️We would be still and know that He is God and He will act on behalf of His people, His treasured and cherished ones. What situation or person is leading to feelings of agitation and unrest? Pray and name that specifically asking God to not keep silent but to act on your behalf.
▫️The Lord would overcome those who make crafty plans and devise evil, who exult themselves, and we would let go of our ideas and desires about how we want God to respond and trust His governance.
You alone are Most High
83:9-18 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God.” O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane! Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord. Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace, that they may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.
Let’s pray:
▫️We would get rid of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking, and we would be kind, tenderhearted, and forgive (Ephesians 4:31-32).
▫️We would trust our good Shepherd for the path He has led us, and we would continually look to His guiding hand to lead us on the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.
▫️All our feelings of revenge and bitterness would be continually turned over to Him, and we would seek to do good to those who have treated us wrongly. We would bless instead of curse. We would overcome evil with good.
▫️We would entrust our situation wholly to the One who judges justly and leave vengeance to Him. And we would keep giving our situation and our emotions to Him whenever they rise up within us.
▫️Those who have wronged us would come to know the Lord and know that He is Most High, and they would seek Him. In Christ, we would be reconciled.
May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.
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