Psa 83:16 | KingComments | STEP | The remnant asks God to do with the united enemies as He has done in the past with peoples who have held His people in bondage ( ). They point to His dealings with Midian, Sisera and Jabin. The events are recounted in the book of Judges. What they do not refer to is the fact that the nations were given authority over God’s people because of their unfaithfulness to God. Neither are the judges through whom God acted mentioned. It is about what God has done. He has acted in the judges. They first recount what God did to Sisera, the general of Jabin, the king of Canaan. Sisera met his inglorious end at the torrent of Kishon ( ), with the result that the power of Jabin was also broken ( ). Sisera and Jabin “were destroyed at En-dor” ( ). En-dor is near Taanach and Megiddo, that is, in the region of the battle ( ; ). Because of the crushing defeat which God inflicted on these enemies, they “became as dung for the ground”. The latter indicates that after their inglorious end, their dead bodies are also treated with the utmost contempt (cf. ; ). This remains of those who offend God’s people. The remnant asks God for special treatment for the leaders of the enemy coalition ( ). They ask that He treat “their nobles” and “their princes” as He has done with the leaders of Midian. “Oreb and Zeeb” are two princes of Midian who were captured, killed and beheaded by Gideon’s army west of the Jordan ( ; cf. ). “Zebah and Zalmunna” are the kings of Midian ( ). Gideon captured and killed them east of the Jordan ( ). These nobles and princes in their audacity have said: “Let us possess for ourselves the pastures of God” ( ). This is also what the coalition of hostile nations wants. It shows that they hate Israel because God dwells with them. They want to wipe out Israel because they want to wipe out the memory of God. They want to do this by taking possession of the land so that they can have their idols dwell there, to whom they will attribute the honor of their victory. What the remnant is asking for will happen in the end time. There is a clear similarity between the events described in Judges 4 and what is described in the book of Revelation. At Megiddo, the enemy armies are defeated and the LORD’s people are delivered. At Har-Magedon – which means ‘mountain of Megiddo’ – something similar will take place ( ). The armies of the then restored Roman Empire, that is, the united Western Europe that will in the future come to the aid of apostate Israel in its battle against the king of the North, will be annihilated by the coming of Christ. The God-fearing part of Israel will then be saved and is called “all Israel” in Romans 11 ( ). The coalition’s efforts to wipe out Israel brings the God-fearing Jew to a prayer in which he asks for God’s judgment on them ( ). He speaks to God as “my God”. What the enemy wants is directed against his God. Therefore, He asks God to “make them like the whirling dust, like chaff before the wind” ( ). A whirling dust and chaff have no power in themselves and are blown willy-nilly by the wind in all directions (cf. ; ). They must not only be a prey to the wind, but also to the consuming fire ( ). Of a forest burned by fire, nothing is left but charred trees, in which life never comes again. Mountains scorched by the flame are blackened. Nothing grows on those mountains that can serve as food. The judgment on Assyria in Isaiah 10 is also described as forest fire ( ). As fire and flame do their consuming work, so God must pursue them with His tempest ( ). This will rob them of all their strength to be able to do anything against God or His people. He must terrify them with His storm, so that they will forever lose the courage to do something against Him and His people. God’s action will “fill their faces”, i.e. the faces of the enemies “with dishonor” ( ). The nations have said snidely that the name of Israel will be remembered no more when they have carried out their plans ( ). Now the remnant says that as a result of the disgrace that will be the portion of the nations, there will be those who will seek the Name of the LORD. The prayerful person realizes that God is a merciful God, Who keeps the door of salvation open also for persons of the nations.

‏ Psalms 83:16

Prayer for Punishment of the Enemy

The remnant asks God to do with the united enemies as He has done in the past with peoples who have held His people in bondage (Psa 83:9). They point to His dealings with Midian, Sisera and Jabin. The events are recounted in the book of Judges. What they do not refer to is the fact that the nations were given authority over God’s people because of their unfaithfulness to God.

Neither are the judges through whom God acted mentioned. It is about what God has done. He has acted in the judges. They first recount what God did to Sisera, the general of Jabin, the king of Canaan. Sisera met his inglorious end at the torrent of Kishon (Jdg 4:2 ; 7 ; 21-22), with the result that the power of Jabin was also broken (Jdg 4:23-24).

Sisera and Jabin “were destroyed at En-dor” (Psa 83:10). En-dor is near Taanach and Megiddo, that is, in the region of the battle (Jos 17:11; Jdg 5:19-21). Because of the crushing defeat which God inflicted on these enemies, they “became as dung for the ground”. The latter indicates that after their inglorious end, their dead bodies are also treated with the utmost contempt (cf. Jer 8:2 ; Jer 9:22 ; Jer 16:4 ; Jer 25:33; Isa 66:24). This remains of those who offend God’s people.

The remnant asks God for special treatment for the leaders of the enemy coalition (Psa 83:11). They ask that He treat “their nobles” and “their princes” as He has done with the leaders of Midian. “Oreb and Zeeb” are two princes of Midian who were captured, killed and beheaded by Gideon’s army west of the Jordan (Jdg 7:25; cf. Isa 10:26a). “Zebah and Zalmunna” are the kings of Midian (Jdg 8:5). Gideon captured and killed them east of the Jordan (Jdg 8:12 ; 21).

These nobles and princes in their audacity have said: “Let us possess for ourselves the pastures of God” (Psa 83:12). This is also what the coalition of hostile nations wants. It shows that they hate Israel because God dwells with them. They want to wipe out Israel because they want to wipe out the memory of God. They want to do this by taking possession of the land so that they can have their idols dwell there, to whom they will attribute the honor of their victory.

What the remnant is asking for will happen in the end time. There is a clear similarity between the events described in Judges 4 and what is described in the book of Revelation. At Megiddo, the enemy armies are defeated and the LORD’s people are delivered.

At Har-Magedon – which means ‘mountain of Megiddo’ – something similar will take place (Rev 19:11-21). The armies of the then restored Roman Empire, that is, the united Western Europe that will in the future come to the aid of apostate Israel in its battle against the king of the North, will be annihilated by the coming of Christ. The God-fearing part of Israel will then be saved and is called “all Israel” in Romans 11 (Rom 11:26).

The coalition’s efforts to wipe out Israel brings the God-fearing Jew to a prayer in which he asks for God’s judgment on them (Psa 83:13-17). He speaks to God as “my God”. What the enemy wants is directed against his God. Therefore, He asks God to “make them like the whirling dust, like chaff before the wind” (Psa 83:13). A whirling dust and chaff have no power in themselves and are blown willy-nilly by the wind in all directions (cf. Deu 28:7; Isa 17:13).

They must not only be a prey to the wind, but also to the consuming fire (Psa 83:14). Of a forest burned by fire, nothing is left but charred trees, in which life never comes again. Mountains scorched by the flame are blackened. Nothing grows on those mountains that can serve as food. The judgment on Assyria in Isaiah 10 is also described as forest fire (Isa 10:16-19).

As fire and flame do their consuming work, so God must pursue them with His tempest (Psa 83:15). This will rob them of all their strength to be able to do anything against God or His people. He must terrify them with His storm, so that they will forever lose the courage to do something against Him and His people.

God’s action will “fill their faces”, i.e. the faces of the enemies “with dishonor” (Psa 83:16). The nations have said snidely that the name of Israel will be remembered no more when they have carried out their plans (Psa 83:4). Now the remnant says that as a result of the disgrace that will be the portion of the nations, there will be those who will seek the Name of the LORD. The prayerful person realizes that God is a merciful God, Who keeps the door of salvation open also for persons of the nations.