Psalm 82-83

"Come," they say, "let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence." ­– Psalm 83:4 NLT

How many times over the centuries have these words been expressed? It seems like ever since God set apart the people of Israel as His own, there has been some individual, group, or nation ready to wipe them off the face of the earth. This morning as I was reading through the book of Esther, I was reminded of the attempt by Haman to do just that. Stung by Mordecai's refusal to bow down in his presence, Haman convinced King Xerxes to issue a decree giving him permission to put every Jew living to death, including all Jews living in the land of Judah. With the paperwork in hand, he was ready to annihilate an entire people group, effectively ending God's promise and plan to bring the Savior onto the scene as a descendant of David. But God's plans are not so easily ended. He was not about to let a royal decree end His divine plan for the redemption of mankind. The Jews would survive Haman's threat as they have survived threats against their existence for years.

These two Psalms remind us that God is in control. And He will hold judges accountable for how they have treated the poor, orphans, widows, and oppressed. He has a heart for the downtrodden. He stands up for them. He hears their cries of distress. He knows when they are being abused and taken advantage of. And when He hears, He acts. God will bring about justice. He will protect His own. He will do what needs to be done. The key is, He will do it in His way and according to His timing. Israel has suffered greatly over the years. They have been abused and attacked regularly and relentlessly. Even today, nations plot their destruction. But God is still on the side of Israel. He is not done with them. Our faithful God will act faithfully toward His own. We can trust in that. We can rest in that.

Father, You never sleep or slumber. You never turn your back or get caught off guard. You're never surprised or at a loss as to what to do. When we see all that is happening in the world we can get anxious, but these two Psalms remind us that You're always watching and working Your plan to perfection. Amen