Psalm 118:10-11

Psalm 118:10-11

I cut them down!

As we have noted, this Psalm was written by a beleaguered monarch who had endured a time of great testing as his homeland had suffered the threats and military advances of the surrounding nations. Remember, that this was not just about military supremacy, it was about defending borders and preserving the land that the Lord God had allocated to His people. The people of Israel had been given their tribal and family inheritance, the land that they lived on and farmed was theirs from the Lord, they had no choice but to defend this territory.  It seems that the threat of annihilation was very real at this time and yet somehow, once again, they had prevailed. 

It is impossible to read this verse without thinking about the current plight of the nation of Israel. Many think that the Palestinians and Jews have equal rights to that land and therefore a two-state solution is the only way forward. According to which side you are on, you either believe that the Palestinians want to destroy the Jews and drive them into the Sea or, that the Israelis want to destroy the Palestinians and rid themselves of this festering sore that has plagued them since 1948.

Neither situation is correct because the ownership of Israel is not just being argued between two nations. At the time of writing, Iran has an expanding empire and is more than happy for the Palestinians to do their dirty work and get rid of the Jews. The Egyptians refuse to interfere. The Houthis in Yemen launch regular rocket attacks. Missiles from Hezbollah in Lebanon are fired into the country every day and the Syrians, Turks, Jordanians and Iraqis are also gleefully rubbing their hands at the prospect of Israel’s downfall. The Israelis have shown, on the other hand, that it is possible for themselves and the Palestinians to live together peaceably, as in the West Bank and many other towns and villages across the land. 

I doubt if some future Jewish leader will be able to say, when peace eventually comes, “All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.” However, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Jewish state did recognise the name of the Lord and let Him direct their affairs? 

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