Psalms 83:1-18: a reflection

1God, don’t keep silent. Don’t keep silent, and don’t be still, God. 2For, behold, your enemies are stirred up. Those who hate you have lifted up their heads. 3They conspire with cunning against your people. They plot against your cherished ones. 4“Come,” they say, “let’s destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 5For they have conspired together with one mind. They form an alliance against you. 6The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites; 7Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8Assyria also is joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot. Selah. 9Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon; 10who perished at Endor, who became as dung for the earth. 11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12who said, “Let’s take possession of God’s pasture lands.” 13My God, make them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind. 14As the fire that burns the forest, as the flame that sets the mountains on fire, 15so pursue them with your tempest, and terrify them with your storm. 16Fill their faces with confusion, that they may seek your name, LORD. 17Let them be disappointed and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be confounded and perish; 18that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.

This is one of the psalms we do not quite know what to do with. Surrounded by enemies who have conspired to wipe his people off the map, the psalmist prays fierce things: make them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind; pursue them with your storm. It is raw and angry, and it is addressed to God.

Notice, first, what the psalmist does with his fear and fury: he brings it to God rather than acting on it himself. He does not organize his own revenge; he pours out his anger and dread before the Lord and asks God to be the one who acts. That is already something, honest rage handed over rather than taken into one's own hands.

And notice, second, the surprising turn near the end. Even this harsh prayer bends toward something more than destruction: let them seek your name; let them know that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. Underneath the fury is a hope that the enemies would come to know God. When you are wronged and afraid and full of anger, this psalm gives permission to bring all of it, unfiltered, to God, and then to leave the acting to him, even holding open the hope that those against you might yet come to know him. Hand it over; do not carry it out.

Lord, when I am wronged and full of anger and fear, help me do what this psalm does: bring all of it honestly to you rather than take vengeance myself, leave the acting to you, and even hold open the hope that those against me might come to know you.