God Allows Defeat

Psalm 83:16-18

¹⁶Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.

¹⁷May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.

¹⁸Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord —
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Review

Day One, Verses 1-4: An intimate group will come together to bring about the destruction of God’s people. The psalmist pleads for God to not be silent… Read more here.

Day Two, Verses 5-8: The psalmist identifies the group – they are the countries immediately surrounding Israel. They are the descendants of those who separated from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and covenanted against, rather than with, the God of Abraham… Read more here.

Day Three, Verses 9-12: More than just difficult names to read, these names and places teach us two great truths – the source of comfort and the source of victory… Read more here.

Day Four, Verses 13-15: When God acts, He does so in a big way. Not only does He scatter the enemy but He chases them down to finish the job…Read more here.

The Answer to Arrogance

God only has one answer to arrogance…

“The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11).

Earlier the enemies of Israel were loud and boisterous, clever and arrogant. Their hopes were high as they schemed of the destruction of God’s people. By the end of the chapter the enemies of God are put to shame by their disappointment. Disgrace arises from their shattered hopes.

Interestingly, dismayed in verse 17 is the same Hebrew word as terrified in verse 15. The psalmist pleaded for God to terrify the enemies of Israel. By verse 17, they have been terrified. In other words, mission accomplished.

Why Does God Do This?

God does this for a few reasons, not the least of which is the fulfillment of His promises. God will destroy the enemy in order to protect His people. We read about that in Day One of this series.

The other reason is even greater, however. Jehovah God will be glorified. God allows defeat sometimes to remind us that He is God and we are not. Yet, even in their shame and disgrace the enemies of God may still seek His name. As their pride turns to humility they may recognize that Jehovah God alone is “Most High over all the earth.” Then they will know that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – who created all and is exalted over all – is also the God of love and grace.

Click here for a free, downloadable study on all of Psalm 83.