Psalm 59:5

Psalm 59:5

Punish the nations!

This verse addresses the Lord God Almighty or more traditionally, the Lord of Hosts. He is the Lord of all angelic and spiritual beings, unseen and unknown to us on earth. He is also Lord of all human worshippers who faithfully serve Him on this planet. He is Lord of those who have served and passed into the next life to await His rule and reign. The numbers must be huge, He is indeed, the Lord of hosts. 

To know Him as Lord is to worship Him but not just by singing hymns and songs. True worship is to lay down our lives in full recognition of who we serve. A servant is only as good and as important as the one he serves; the Queen’s butler ranks higher than the housekeeper of a retired Civil Servant! Servants of the Lord of Hosts include all who fight in His army and who would lay down their lives for Him. Instead of the Army, Navy and RAF services, we have joined the heavenly fighting services. It’s quite a privilege, isn’t it? So, the Lord that David is writing about here suddenly commands a new kind of respect, for this verse refers to the sovereignty of God over all powers in the universe. He is the God of the armies that are heavenly, and God of the armies of Israel, and God of the fighting men and women in His church. 

The context of this verse may offer a hint that David was not just concerned for his personal safety from individual enemies, but he was also appealing to God to protect Israel from the surrounding hostile nations. The appeal is that the nations will be punished and wicked traitors will not be spared. This is most assuredly a fighting response to the troubles on all sides and a plea for the Lord to act on behalf of His people. We are all in this battle still, may our prayer today be that the Lord God Almighty, the Lord of Hosts who is all powerful, will come to our aid and not just as individuals but also against the hostile nations and wicked traitors that threaten our land. Hallelujah!

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