On Saturday morning, October 7, 2023, the Islamic terrorist group Hamas fired thousands of rockets on the nation of Israel. In a highly coordinated attack, hundreds of heavily armed militants were also sent across the border. In addition to soldiers at military outposts, civilians were also targeted, including women, children, and the elderly. By the end of the day, at least 900 Israelis had been killed and 100 kidnapped, making it the worst day of slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. Images and videos poured in from the attack, documenting atrocities that were difficult to stomach. Psalm 83 tells us that the Jews have always been surrounded by enemies who are committed to their liquidation. ”They say, ‘Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!’” (v 4). The ten people groups listed in v 6-8 form an almost complete circle of encampment around Israel. They may not have all attacked at the same time, but this was the writer’s way of saying that Israel was under constant threat from all sides. The Egyptian Pharaoh of Moses’ day enslaved and killed Jews. As the first expression of anti-Semitism in world history, this supplied a pattern that has been repeated again and again—from Biblical times through the Middle Ages and into the present day. Recent attacks by Hamas serve as a grim reminder of World War II, when six million Jews were killed in Hitler’s death camps. Why all this Jewish persecution? It’s hard to explain—except that Satan has always hated the Jews, for God determined to send the Messiah through them. While the first half of the psalm describes the desperate situation in which the Jews find themselves, the second half is an impassioned appeal for God to overthrow and destroy the adversary. But it’s important to note how the prayer asks God to deal with “Your enemies… those who hate You,” those who have conspired against “Your people” (v 2-3). It is God’s cause that is in danger, and therefore it is ultimately His battle. This is why God’s people can always leave justice in His hands and trust Him for whatever He sees fit to do. The psalmist recalls God’s past victories (from the days of the Judges) and asks Him to show His power once again in the present crisis. But the surprise comes at the end of the prayer. Although it does call for God to intervene and bring judgment, the purpose is “that they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth” (v 18). Christ died for us while we were yet God’s enemies. And so we are to overcome evil with good, sharing God’s gospel, that His enemies may be turned into friends. For further meditation: