The Unanimous Consent of the Ungodly Text: Psalm 83:5-8
Introduction: The Grand Conspiracy
We live in an age that is skittish about two things in particular: conspiracies and imprecations. Modern man, particularly the modern evangelical man, likes to think that all our troubles are the result of unfortunate misunderstandings, systemic but impersonal forces, or just bad luck. The idea that there might be a genuine, concerted, and malicious plot against God and His people strikes him as uncharitable. And the idea that we should pray against such plotters, calling for their divine overthrow, strikes him as downright un-Christian.
But the Bible is not a modern book, and it is not skittish about anything. The Scriptures present us with a history that is driven by a central conspiracy, the great rebellion of Satan against his Maker, and the subsequent enlistment of mankind into that same futile effort. From the moment God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head, that serpent has been busily conspiring with the seed of the serpent to prevent the inevitable. History is the story of this one great antithesis, this one great war. All other conflicts are but skirmishes and proxy battles in this ultimate holy war.
Psalm 83 is what we call an imprecatory psalm, which is a psalm that calls down judgment, or curses, upon the enemies of God. This is not, as some would have it, a pre-Christian sentiment that was superseded by "love your enemies." This is the Word of God, and it teaches us how to pray about God's enemies. Notice, I did not say your enemies. The fellow who cuts you off in traffic is your enemy, and you are to pray for him and bless him. But those who have set themselves with hardened hearts and high hands against the Lord Jesus Christ, His covenant, and His people are another matter entirely. They are God's enemies. And this psalm is a divinely inspired tutorial on how the people of God should respond when the world organizes itself in open rebellion against Heaven.
In the verses before us today, the psalmist Asaph gives us a detailed intelligence briefing. He pulls back the curtain and shows us the roll call of the nations who have gathered together. Their goal is nothing less than the complete eradication of God's people from the earth. What we see here is not just a political alliance; it is a satanic sacrament, a dark covenant sealed with the shared hatred of God. And in their unity, they provide us with a marvelous, albeit terrifying, picture of the world's consistent opposition to the kingdom of God.
The Text
For they have conspired together with one heart; Against You they cut a covenant: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have become the power of the children of Lot. Selah.
(Psalm 83:5-8 LSB)
The Unified Heart of Rebellion (v. 5)
We begin with the diagnosis of the problem, which is a conspiracy of the heart.
"For they have conspired together with one heart; Against You they cut a covenant:" (Psalm 83:5)
The first thing to notice is the nature of their unity. They have conspired "with one heart." The Hebrew word for heart, lev, refers to the center of a person's being, the seat of their will, intellect, and emotions. This is not a merely pragmatic alliance of convenience. This is a deep-seated, passionate, and unanimous agreement. Sinful men, who are otherwise at each other's throats, will always find common ground in their shared animosity toward the living God. Pilate and Herod can become friends on the day of Christ's crucifixion. The Pharisees and the Sadducees can put aside their theological squabbles to plot against the Lord of Glory. The world is a fractured and chaotic place, but it achieves a remarkable, satanic harmony when it comes to opposing the Church.
And what is the object of this heart-felt conspiracy? The psalmist is clear: it is "Against You." They may be threatening Israel, they may be marshaling their armies against God's people, but Asaph understands the spiritual reality. An attack on God's people is an attack on God Himself. Jesus made this point to Saul on the Damascus road: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" When the world hates the church, it is because it first hated Christ. We must never forget this. Our sufferings are not random; they are part of our union with our suffering Head. To be hated by the world is a mark of our true citizenship.
This conspiracy is then formalized. They "cut a covenant." This is the language of solemn, binding treaties. In the ancient world, this often involved the shedding of blood, with the parties passing between the pieces of a sacrificed animal. They are making a formal, religious commitment to their evil cause. This is a parody, a blasphemous imitation, of God's covenant with His people. The devil is always the ape of God. God makes a covenant of grace to save His people; the world makes a covenant of rebellion to destroy them. This is the antithesis in its starkest form. There are two covenants, two cities, two seeds, and they are at war.
The Rogues' Gallery (v. 6-8a)
Next, the psalmist provides a detailed list of the covenant members. This is not just a random collection of ancient tribes; it is a carefully curated list of Israel's most bitter and persistent enemies.
"The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them;" (Psalm 83:6-8a LSB)
This is a roll call of rebellion, a who's who of those who hate God. Let's break it down. We have Edom, descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, representing fraternal hatred, the bitterest kind. The Ishmaelites, descended from Abraham's other son, representing rejected sonship. Moab and Ammon, the "children of Lot," born of incest, representing a heritage of shame and rebellion. These are all relatives, which reminds us that the church's most venomous enemies often come from within her own extended family.
Then you have the Hagrites, likely another desert tribe related to Ishmael. You have Gebal, a Phoenician city-state, and the inhabitants of Tyre, representing commercial powers who see the righteousness of God as a threat to their bottom line. You have Philistia, the perennial, brutish enemy on the coast. And you have Amalek, the nation under God's perpetual curse for their cowardly attack on Israel in the wilderness. God had commanded Saul to utterly destroy them, and his failure to do so meant they were still around to cause trouble.
And as if this confederacy of malice were not enough, a superpower joins the fray: "Assyria also has joined with them." Assyria was the rising terror of the ancient world, known for its ruthless brutality. They are the muscle, the enforcer for this motley crew of God-haters. This alliance represents the totality of worldly opposition. You have family traitors, commercial rivals, old pagan foes, and a brutal military empire. They have all put aside their differences to focus on the main task: wiping out the people of God.
This is not just ancient history. This coalition is a picture of the world's ongoing hostility to the gospel. The names change, but the players are the same. You will always find academic Edomites, commercial Tyrians, and political Assyrians lining up to oppose the advance of Christ's kingdom. The spirit of Amalek is alive and well in our day, attacking the weak and vulnerable. The spirit of Moab and Ammon, rooted in sexual perversion, is the official state religion of the modern West. The conspiracy is still active.
The Power Behind the Throne (v. 8b)
The psalmist then identifies the central organizing force of this alliance.
"They have become the power of the children of Lot. Selah." (Psalm 83:8b LSB)
This is a fascinating summary. The "children of Lot" are Moab and Ammon. Why are they singled out as the beneficiaries of this grand alliance? It is because they represent a foundational, deep-seated rebellion that has now drawn in even the great Assyria. The lesser powers, driven by their ancient hatred, have successfully enlisted the superpower to be their "arm" or their "power." This is how satanic evil often works. A small, committed, and ideologically zealous group can leverage the brute force of a larger, more powerful entity for its own wicked ends. The tail wags the dog.
The entire world system, represented by Assyria, has become the muscle for the perverse and idolatrous agenda of Moab and Ammon. Think about our own situation. The full might of our government, our media, our academic institutions, and our corporations has been placed at the service of an agenda that would have been unthinkable just a generation ago, an agenda that is a direct descendant of the sexual chaos that birthed Moab and Ammon. The children of Lot are once again being strengthened by the arm of Assyria.
Pause and Consider (Selah)
And then the psalmist inserts that crucial word: "Selah."
"Selah." (Psalm 83:8 LSB)
This is not just a musical notation telling the temple choir to take a breath. It is a command to the reader, to the worshiper, to stop and think. Ponder this. Let the weight of it sink in. Consider the sheer breadth and depth of the opposition. Look at the unanimity of their hatred. See how they have formalized their rebellion in a covenant. Recognize that this is not a disorganized rabble; they are organized, funded, and empowered by the greatest worldly powers available. Selah.
Do you feel the pressure? Good. You are supposed to. The psalmist wants us to have a clear-eyed view of the situation. He is not a Pollyanna. He does not want us to underestimate the enemy. The forces arrayed against the people of God are formidable. They are united in heart. They have a covenant. They have a long and bloody history. And they have the world's superpowers on their side. If our hope were in our own strength, our own numbers, or our own political savvy, this would be a moment for utter despair.
But this psalm is a prayer. And the very act of listing these enemies before God is an act of faith. The psalmist is not wringing his hands in fear. He is presenting evidence in a courtroom. He is laying out the case before the High King of Heaven, the Judge of all the earth. He is saying, "Look, Lord. Look at what they are doing. They have made a covenant against You."
"For they have conspired together with one heart; Against You they cut a covenant..." (Psalm 83:5 LSB)
This is the key to the whole thing. Their great strength, their unity, is also their fatal weakness. Because they have united against God's people, they have united against God Himself. They have picked a fight with the one who spoke the universe into existence. They have entered into a covenant against the great Covenant-Keeper. Their doom is sealed not in spite of their unity, but because of it.
The rest of the psalm, which we will consider in due course, goes on to ask God to do to this confederacy what He has done to His enemies in the past. It is a prayer for God to vindicate His own name by scattering His foes. But it all begins here, with this sober, realistic assessment of the opposition. We must not be naive. The world hates us, and it is organized in its hatred. But we must not be fearful. For the One who is in us is greater than all the Edomites, Ishmaelites, Moabites, and Assyrians that are in the world. Selah.