The Psalm 83 War - The Complete and Glorious Victory

Back on October 28, I began the first of a two-part series on the Psalm 83 War. At that time we looked carefully at verses 1-8, focusing our attention upon who the participants in that war would be, and the reasons for their attack upon Israel. You might remember that we identified those nations that presently surround Israel as being the ones the psalmist Asaph described. And the reason for their attack was simply their desire to drive Israel into the sea.

Today we want to examine the remaining verses of this chapter. The prevailing thought of verses 9-18 is of the impending destruction to be wrecked upon those nations by God. We read in verses 9-12: "Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said 'Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.'"

Two events, recorded in the book of Judges, are cited here by the psalmist. The first is a reference to the victory of Deborah and Barak over the forces of the Canaanites under the leadership of King Jabin and General Sisera. You can read this story in Judges 4. It was a tremendous victory actually leaving General Sisera dead on the ground "like refuse." You will remember that he lay dead inside the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, with a tent peg driven through his skull.

The second event is found in Judges 7 and 8. Gideon and his army of 300 are in hot pursuit of the fleeing Midianites. The Ephraimites who soon joined the pursuit captured two of the leaders of the Midianite army - Oreb and Zeeb. The text tells us that they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. As for Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of the Midianites, Gideon captured them and killed them, thus ending the the threat of the Midianites. You see the Midianites had thought they would take possession of the Promised Land for themselves. They paid an awful price for their greed with 120,000 soldiers falling on the battlefield (Judges 8:10).

History has shown the powerful involvement of God on behalf of His people. In recent times we have witnessed the miracles of 1948-49 (the War of Independence), 1967 (the Six-Day War), and 1973 (the Yom Kippur War). Does another victory lie on the doorstep? I believe it does.

The psalmist then continues, "Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind" (verse 13). Both tumbleweeds and chaff have no economic value. They are both driven by the wind and soon disappear. They have no lasting value. The psalmist reminds his readers that that is the way these nations who oppose Israel will be shown. They have no value. They will be drive before the wind of His wrath.

"As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm" (verses 14-15). I have seen pictures of the destruction wrought by a forest fire. Those pictures show an all-encompassing devastation. So will be the totality of the destruction upon those nations who conspire together to cause the eradication of Israel from the face of the earth.

"Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD - that you alone are the Most High over all the earth" (verses 16-18). One of the resultant consequences of the Psalm 83 War is that men will know that God is sovereignly in control. Some eyes will be opened; most, however, will not, or if they are, it will only be temporary. Sort of like the acclamation of the people of Israel following the fire coming from heaven upon Mt. Carmel (see 1 Kings 18).

Let's see if we can summarize the events of the Psalm 83 War. First, there will be a coalition of nations that presently surround Israel: Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, the Jordanians, the Saudis and the Egyptians. The purpose of the coalition is "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more" (Psalm 83:4). We have heard this cry often in recent months. So war will be engaged, but the outcome will be very similar to those wars of the past: God will grant Israel the victory. And it will be a complete victory, thus ending the immediate threat of a Palestinian aggression.

Are you not glad that God is in absolute control? And I am glad that He has chosen to reveal His plans to us. We just need to stay focused upon Him. We just need to stay in the Word. We just need to have a firm resolve to trust Him. Then we, too, as with Israel can say, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."