Psalm 83:13-16

Psalm 83:13-16

Tumbleweed and chaff

These verses can hardly be commented upon in isolation, they graphically depict the kind of judgements that Israel wanted the Lord God to exercise over their enemies. Tumbleweeds are just twisted balls of dead vegetation that get blown across desert landscapes until they fall apart and are dried up by the sun. Chaff, of course, is the remains of corn that has been threshed, in ancient times the threshed ears would be tossed into the air so that the wind would blow away the useless plant remains and only the grain remained. This prayer reveals how God’s people viewed their enemies. In similar manner they pleaded for the Lord to become a raging bush fire that consumed all before it, or a hurricane force wind that brought terror to all in its path.

However, Israel’s pleading was not just the vengeful cries of merciless victims. The heart of the Psalm reveals a longing that God’s enemies would be ashamed, that they would realise how foolish and deceived they had been and that they would seek the name of the Lord. It is so easy to get caught up with righteous anger and to feel hatred towards those who persecute us. We need to understand this prayer, for while God’s wrath may be effective in destroying His enemies, He is also a God of compassion and the best outcome for those who oppose Him is repentance and recognition of His name. 

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