For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You: the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites. (Psalm 83:5-6)
In these verses, Asaph begins to list the nations who have “taken crafty counsel” against God’s people; nations with a long history of animosity and contempt for those God has chosen. So let us consider, first of all, how easy it is for the enemies of God to come together when the common goal is to destroy Israel. This was not only true in ancient times, it remains so to this day. Nations who barely tolerate one another in most situations behave as brothers when the shared objective is to humiliate and antagonize the people of God.
On the other hand, God’s people have always seemed to struggle with the notion of being united even though we have a shared heritage and responsibility. Being one people is an important part of our call despite the fact that we come from all different backgrounds. It is so important, in fact that, on the eve of His crucifixion, Messiah prayed “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21). Let us all consider this well: as He was preparing to suffer on our behalf, unity of the brethren was His primary concern.
So let’s note the sharp contrast: the enemies of God have no trouble uniting in an effort to destroy the servants of God, but God’s people have a terrible time coming together to war against the kingdom of darkness. This should not be. And so, it is our responsibility to do our part to foster reconciliation and cooperation among those who are part of the Body. We should not embrace the idea that we are to unite at any cost — there are God-ordained principles that must be honored and obeyed. On the other hand, if being one is so important to the Messiah, shouldn’t working toward that goal be important to us as well? Of course it should and so we’ll close with these famous words from another psalm: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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