Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. (Psalm 83:1-2)
Jewish tradition says that this psalm was composed in response to a concerted attack upon Israel by a confederation of nations. In the days of Jehoshaphat, the kings of Edom, Moab and Ammon sent armies dedicated to destroying the people of Israel and eradicating the worship of Israel’s God. It is understood that, although the enemies of Israel directed their ire toward God’s people, it was their hatred for Him that fueled their aggression. Thus the psalmist pleads unto the Lord to acknowledge that Israel’s antagonists are His enemies.
It is no different today; the Godless rant and rave against those who strive to uphold righteous standards. They assail the people of God with baseless lies and look for any weakness that would allow for the opportunity to accuse and humiliate the followers of Messiah. They think nothing of their own depraved state and the evil they run to, and yet, like a shark who smells blood in the water, they pounce on the smallest infraction they suppose has been committed by a believer. Why? According to Asaph, it is not so much a disdain for you and me; it is a deep-seated hatred for the Most High.
Given the situation, there are two points that should be noted. First, if we are going to follow the Messiah, we must resign ourselves to the fact we will have a target on our back. That will prove true especially when a person is actually doing something for the Kingdom of Heaven. There is no way around it because, as Messiah said, “You will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). However He also said, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and revile you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man’s sake” (Luke 6:22).
The second point is this: because the enemies of God look for a reason to level accusations at God and His people, it is incredibly important that we do not give them a legitimate reason to do so. We know the Accuser of the brethren will not hesitate to fabricate lies to use against us, but knowing that should provoke us not to give him any ammunition that comes as a result of our bad judgment. To a degree, we have been given the responsibility to bear God’s Name, which is to say, we are guardians of His reputation in the earth. Understanding this, let’s make sure we are careful and diligent to sanctify His Name before all men; let’s be as Messiah who, knowing the Adversary was coming with accusations against Him said, “The ruler of this world has nothing in Me” (John 14:30).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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