God Moves against the Enemy

Psalm 83:13-18

¹³Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.

¹⁴As fire consumes the forest or 
a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

¹⁵so pursue them with your tempest 
and terrify them with your storm.

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.

What Do These Things Have in Common?

God didn’t stay quiet forever. He stepped in to defeat the Canaanites and the Midianites. He will step in to defeat this coming alliance against His people – this group covenanted against Him.

He will deal with them now just like He did the enemies’ armies then. Tumbleweeds, chaff, and forest fires all have something in common with each other. They all blow wherever the wind carries them; the wind that God “let loose…from the heavens” and controls “by his power” (Psalm 78:26). They also have something in common with the Midianite and Canaanite armies. Like the tumbleweeds, chaff, and forest fires, the armies scattered wherever the power of God carried them. I have no problem believing God will do the same thing with this alliance that will rise against Israel.

But That’s Not All

God empowered the Israelite army under Barak to chase down and defeat the Canaanites. He did so again through Gideon to the Midianites. He will utilize this method of operation once again. As the enemies of God scatter, He will pursue as a whirling, raging storm. He intentionally and quickly will terrify them as a consuming wind.

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever” (Proverbs 10:25).

Click here to read Day 5 - God Allows Defeat

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