Psalm 83 – God’s help is one prayer away

Psalm 83 is yet another Psalm that Asaph had written. He was bemoaning the fact that the surrounding hostile nations had ganged together and became a threat to Israel. The confederacy of the hostile nations was bent on taking out Israel. They were haters of God, hence they naturally hated God’s covenant people as well.  The hostile nations were identified in verse 6-8.

In verse 1, Asaph began the Psalm by raising a petition to God to deal with that hostile confederacy. He pleaded with Him not to remain silent or passive concerning their plight. He remembered how God had intervened in their past and dealt with their enemies. Most of the recollection cited here were of how God had helped them during the time of the Judges. Firstly, God had raised Gideon to help them victoriously, and dealt with their problems that they had with the Midianites. The account is recorded in Judges 7 and 8. Then again in Judges 4, God gave them Barak and Deborah who defeated the might of Sisera, the captain in the army of King Jabin. As for Oreb and Zeeb, these were princes of Midian. Judges 7:25 tells us that they were destroyed by the men of Ephraim and their heads were cut off and brought to Gideon across the Jordan. Judges 8:1-21 give us details of how Zebah and Zalmunna, two Midianite Kings were dealt with by Gideon. In the light of what God had done for them in the past, the Psalmist requested that God will help them again to demolish their present enemies. Here Asaph was guarding the name of the Lord zealously. His desire was for Jehovah to be affirmed as the Supreme Ruler of the earth. 

As God’s people we are His precious ones. He will make it His business to protect us. The forces of darkness may be out to destroy the testimony of the church. But as God’s people we can trust the Lord and rely on Him. He had protected His people in the past. He can be trusted to protect us in our day and age. He is just one prayer away. He will come to our assistance if we trust and call on Him. This is our heritage as children of the Mighty God.