Matthew Henry Commentary Psalms 83
Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalms 83
Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalms 83
"O God, keep not thou silence: Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult; And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. Thy take crafty counsel against thy people, And consult together against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; Against thee do they make a covenant: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre: Assyria also is joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah" — Psalms 83:1-8 (ASV)
Sometimes God seems not to be concerned about the unjust treatment of His people. But then we may call upon Him, as the psalmist does here.
All wicked people are God's enemies, especially wicked persecutors. The Lord's people are His hidden ones; the world does not know them. He takes them under His special protection.
Do the enemies of the church act in unison to destroy it, and shall not the friends of the church also be united? Wicked men wish that there were no religion among mankind. They would gladly see all its restraints shaken off, and all who preach, profess, or practice it, cut off. This they would accomplish if it were in their power.
The enemies of God's church have always been many: this magnifies the power of the Lord in preserving for Himself a church in the world.
"Do thou unto them as unto Midian, As to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon; Who perished at Endor, Who became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb; Yea, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna; Who said, Let us take to ourselves in possession The habitations of God. O my God, make them like the whirling dust; As stubble before the wind. As the fire that burneth the forest, And as the flame that setteth the mountains on fire, So pursue them with thy tempest, And terrify them with thy storm. Fill their faces with confusion, That they may seek thy name, O Jehovah. Let them be put to shame and dismayed for ever; Yea, let them be confounded and perish; That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah, Art the Most High over all the earth. " — Psalms 83:9-18 (ASV)
All who oppose the kingdom of Christ can read their doom here. God is still the same as He always was: the same to His people, and the same against His enemies and theirs. God would make their enemies like a wheel, unsettled in all their counsels and resolves.
Not only let them be driven away as stubble, but burned as stubble. And this will be the end of wicked men. Let them be made to fear Your name, and perhaps that will bring them to seek Your name. We should desire no confusion for our enemies and persecutors except what may further their conversion.
The stormy tempest of Divine vengeance will overtake them unless they repent and seek the pardoning mercy of their offended Lord. God's triumphs over His enemies clearly prove that He is, according to His name JEHOVAH, an almighty Being, who has all power and perfection in Himself. May we fear His wrath and yield ourselves to be His willing servants.
And let us seek deliverance by the destruction of our fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.
Jump to: