Deliver Us from Evil

Psalms 83:1–5, 14–18

“O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.” With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you— …As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. Cover their faces with shame, LORD, so that they will seek Your name. May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that You, whose name is the LORD— that You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”

Asaph remembers God’s faithfulness in rescuing Israel. In a similar way, because God cherishes us, He will rescue and protect us (v. 3). God has promised to “deliver us from evil” just as the LORD taught us to pray (Matt 6:13). God indeed will bring deliverance in His time and for His purposes. The Living Life writer adds a caveat here, applicable I believe to most prayers: “Yet Asaph’s goal is not simply to seek the destruction their enemies. Ultimately, he wants the shame of their downfall to bring them to seek the LORD and acknowledge that He is God. Asaph’s request highlights the tension of Israel’s call to be a holy nation that at times required them to engage in conflict. As believers, we may feel a similar tension when responding to people who despise and persecute us. But we must be careful to approach such situations prayerfully and ask God to reveal our true motives so that they can align with His.” “Cover their faces with shame, LORD, so that they will seek Your name. May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that You, whose name is the LORD— that You alone are the Most High over all the earth (vv. 16–18).” This is a good example of praying according to God’s will like what the Apostle John writes: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us (I John 5:14).” And in in the psalms such as this and in prayers of Daniel and Moses, they all ask banking on God’s character and purposes. As Martin Luther and others said to the effect, prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance but laying hold of His willingness. In the end, we will be rescued, and in many times we will simply be victorious and God will deliver our enemies, troubles, plateaus, frustrations, into our hand, like Abraham, God has made us more than conquerors (Rom 8:37). “Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything (Gen 15:18–20).”