Psalm 83: A Prayer for When We Know We Deserve Judgment

Today’s reading is Psalm 83.

As our psalmist considers the coalition coming against Israel, his prayer is God will deal with this host the same way He did with Midian, with Sisera and Jabin, with Oreb and Zeeb, and with Zebah and Zalmunna.

Jabin was the Canaanite king who oppressed Israel in Judges 4. Sisera was his commander. You may recall Sisera was killed by Jael the wife of Heber who drove a tent peg through his skull while he lay sleeping. Jabin was routed by Deborah and Barak and the army of Israel. When Gideon’s army of 300 defeated Midian in Judges 7, Oreb and Zeeb were two of the princes killed in the victory. Then in Judges 8, in the ongoing battle Zebah and Zalmunna were executed.

Perhaps the reason for mentioning these victories is simply to call to mind the overwhelming odds against which Israel took up arms against these enemies. God gave them victory when it looked like they couldn’t possibly win. But I think there might be a more poignant principle here.

As we have read the Asaphite psalms, we have seen a story arc. Israel and Judah enduring judgment. We cannot help but think of Israel and Judah in captivity when we have read the psalms about the destruction of the temple. They have asked “Why?” They have asked “How Long?” In Psalm 81, we read God’s response. Israel didn’t listen to Him. They went their own way instead of following their Shepherd. They did not love the Lord their God with all their heart. In Psalm 82, we read God’s response. Though Israel was God’s chosen, they acted like all the nations and did not love their neighbor as themselves. They perpetrated injustice. Therefore they were judged. They deserved the judgment they received.

What do you pray when you realize you know you actually deserve the judgment that is coming on you or has come upon you? You pray Psalm 83. You remember how God’s covenant people deserved judgment and God sent Jabin king of Hazor against them. You remember how God’s covenant people deserved judgment and God sent Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna against them. Then you recall that when God’s covenant people repented and cried out to Him, He judged the nations and delivered His people. Not because they deserved it, but because God is a covenant keeping God.

We struggle because we know what sinners we have been. Part of us doubts prayer because we know we deserve any judgment God would bring against us. We wonder what right we have to ask God for deliverance from the enemy. Why would God listen to our prayer? If we are in Christ, we have the right offered us by His death, burial, and resurrection. We have the right given us as children of God by the blood of Jesus. We do not have the right of merit, earning, or deserving. We have the right of God’s covenant people. Repent. Turn to God. Cry out to Him. He will not turn a deaf ear. He will not be silent. Do so with the same kind of confidence you see in this psalm. Not because we deserve it but because this is the kind of God we serve. He will keep His covenant with us. God will hear our prayer not because we deserve to be heard, but because He has promised us He will listen. Don’t you believe Him?

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 83 prompt or improve your trust in God?

The First and the Last

Today’s reading is Matthew 20.

At the end of Matthew 19, Jesus answered Peter’s question. “Lord, we’ve given up everything. What will we get?” Jesus actually promised Peter a great deal. But He capped the response with this statement: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Then we get a chapter break. We might think Jesus is talking about something new. However, keep reading. He tells a story about laborers being hired into the vineyard at different times in the day. Those hired at the beginning of the day are promised a denarius (that was a coin that was commonly a day’s wage in the first century). Those hired at other times were simply told, “I’ll pay you whatever is right.” When the day is through, the ones hired for only one hour of service are given a denarius. As are the workers who only worked half the day and three quarters of it. Those who had been working all day were certain the master of the house was going to increase what he had promised them. Instead, the master gave them a denarius as well. Jesus capped off the whole story with the statement “So the last will be first, and the first last.”

In other words, this story is actually still part of Jesus’s response to Peter. It is true, Jesus is going to graciously give Peter and the apostles magnificent reward. But Peter misunderstands. Peter is still struggling with the question about who is the greatest. Perhaps the greatest are those who serve the longest, work the hardest, sacrifice the most. Nope! The greatest is actually the Master of the House. Because He is full of grace and mercy, graciously inviting those who cannot provide for themselves a role in His vineyard and a reward at the end.

Consider that Jesus’s story does not actually provide a picture of role reversal. It is not that those who started work the earliest get the least reward while those who worked the least get the most. Rather, all get the same no matter how much work they did. The point is the reward being offered is actually so amazing none of the workers earned it. It is grace and generosity from the Master that any of us get to work in the vineyard. It is grace and generosity from the Master that any of us get a reward. This isn’t a picture of role reversal; this is a picture of equality. It isn’t first come, first served. Nor is it last come, first served. We often picture this first and last thing as if Jesus asked everyone to line up single file facing in one direction, but then He pulls a switcheroo. He goes to the back of the line and tells everyone to turn around and starts there. That isn’t what is happening. Rather, as the line forms with each person looking at the back of the person in front of them, Jesus steps out to the side and asks everyone to turn to the right and face Him. Now we all stand shoulder to shoulder and walk together as a line into His reward. The first is last and the last first not because first and last have swapped places, but because we are now all on equal footing. There actually is no first and last. There is no greatest and least. There are only workers in the vineyard.

This is grace. Because at the end of the day, when we receive our denarius, even the apostles will not stand out as having earned some greater reward. None of us will have earned anything. We will receive what the Master graciously decides to give us. Trust me, it will be fantastic. No matter what time of day it is, accept the gracious offer to work in the Master’s vineyard. You’ll be glad you did. I promise.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 20.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Why do the workers who start in the morning expect more when it comes time to pay them?
3. If this were strictly an issue of working for wages that are earned, why would this whole situation be unfair?
4. But Jesus says this situation is actually about the grace and generosity of the Master. Thus, when we realize this is really about working in God’s vineyard why is this set up completely fair?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

On Life, Death, and God’s Uneven Blessings

Today’s reading is Acts 12.

Well, that’s not fair. James gets executed, but Peter gets delivered. How can that be right? Surely God understands that whatever blessing you give to one child, you have to give to them all. And yet, James gets executed, and Peter gets delivered. Did this mean James wasn’t right with God, but Peter was? Of course not. Rather, it means God is not obligated to give the exact same blessing to every one of His children. He gives the blessings to us that will most glorify Him and most help us be glorified in the end. Rather than comparing our blessings with one another, we need to be like Peter and James. That is, use the blessings we have as long as we have them for God’s glory. And if God gives someone else different blessings, let’s be thankful they have the opportunity to glorify God with them. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Acts 12.

Calling Sinners

Today’s reading is Matthew 9.

We must all remember what Jesus declared was His mission: “I desire equity, not elitism. For I came not to call the mainstream, but the marginalized.” Wait. Sorry. That’s not it. “I desire empowerment, not oppression. For I came not to call the privileged, but the disenfranchised.” Hold on. That’s not it either. I’m not sure what is wrong with me today. He said, “I desire justice, not inequity. For I came not to call the powerful, but the vulnerable.” Nope. That’s not it either. Alright, let me just go back, read it, and quote it word for word: “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Don’t misunderstand me. I believe Jesus likes equity, empowerment, and justice. But that wasn’t His mission. His mission was salvation. It is often the marginalized, disenfranchised, and vulnerable who have nothing left to lose and therefore are willing to see that they are sinners. That’s why those were the classes that often responded to Jesus, though even they ultimately cried “Crucify Him!” But Jesus came to call sinners. And that is good news for me, because that is what I am. I’m a sinner. How about you? If you are clamoring for social equity, empowerment, and justice, I don’t know that Jesus has what you are looking for. If, on the other hand, you are longing for forgiveness, redemption, and salvation from your sins, Jesus is calling you. Why not respond?

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 10.