A frustration-with-enemies Psalm.
The enemies of Israel grow stronger, and this is a plea for God to stop being silent and let them know who is Lord.
He had a different plan. We know he is Lord not because he has stricken all the enemies of Israel, but because from Israel came a global saviour, Jesus.
But there are still enemies, grumbling and conspiring. How much should I hate them?
My favourite metaphor in the psalm is the anticipation of Israel’s enemies losing their power, and being like tumbleweed, life chaff. So insubstantial that the wind blows them away.
When I look at the list of enemies in the alliance plotting against Israel, they have proved thus. None are still world powers, most are footnotes of history.
We pray for God’s will to be done on earth, which is not so very different from this psalm.
I actually work at not feeling too culturally threatened by God’s enemies.
The assurance that God is in control controls a xenophobic reaction to how comfortable people are with openly mocking God these days.
These palms should be read as Psalms reaching for faith and confidence, not fear and revenge.
Their ‘downfall’ could be coming to know God’s grace. That would be my preferred method of their destruction as enemies.
We all come to terms with passing time.. their downfall might be after my time on earth is done.
I feel at work for the salvation army and at church in glebe, we are battling a tide of indifference and growing malice towards Christianity. It’s not global, mainly western countries.
I’m going to brainstorm the sign for our church next week. How to approach a message to my suburb. It’s been populist comfort, it’s said ‘lay down your burdens’. But what next ‘destruction is nigh’?