Psalm 83:1 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.
We live in a very noisy world. In fact, it is probably the noisiest world that has ever existed. We have continual noise wherever we look. That is where we put our attention. Whoever makes the most noise seems to get the most attention, but noise does not necessarily equal power. For instance, if you have a house, does the noisiest pipe have the most power in that house? Well, you may give it that power, but no, not necessarily. I live on a ranch. Does the most cantankerous horse have the most power? Is he the herd boss because he is a problem? No, not necessarily. If you are a teacher, does the noisiest student have the most power? Again, no, not necessarily. We may give all these things power because they create a lot of noise, but it is important to know that noise does not equal power.
Noise does not equal power, and Psalm 83 reminds us of that. Psalm 83:1 says, “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.” God says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God,” and Psalm 83:1 is almost the converse. It is almost saying, “God, please don’t be still. We do know that you are God. We are going to be still, but please, God, don’t be still or silent.”
He says in verse 2, “For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.” In other words, all the wrong people are making all the noise. In verse 4 he tells exactly what he means by that, “They [the enemies of God] have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation: that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.” The psalmist goes on, “God, these people are confederate against you.”
Now you are not a nation and you are not Israel, but if you belong to God, it is important to remember that just because something or someone makes a lot of noise does not mean it has a lot of power. We are living in a world where the people making the most noise, commentary, and decisions seem to be people who are not doing the right thing, yet there is a God.
Two things will help you to negotiate this world with the right mindset. First, know your history. In verse 9 the psalmist goes on to recount the history of God’s dealing with His people. He says, “Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison.” He goes on like that for three verses. Maybe you know what this is a reference to or maybe you don’t, but the psalmist did not write this to be confounding to modern Americans. This is poetic, but he is just talking about common names to him in a history that was commonly known. He was remembering Israel’s history as they look forward to the future. They know that they are in God’s hands, and even if God seems to be silent, He is not inactive. They know their history.
Know your history! We are living in a day where people have nothing to lose because they have no history. God created three institutions, the home, the government, and the church. Since our modern society seems to have knocked the home and the church in the head, the only institution people have left is government to give purpose and meaning to life and for life. So, of course, despair is multiplying by the day when government is the only hope. So, know your history. There is a God. He has been good in the past, and He will take care of you tomorrow.
Second, know your God. The psalmist concludes in verse 18 by saying, “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” Know your God. That is exactly what the psalmist did. He said, “God, I don’t understand all that is happening, but I am trusting in You.” God is not a cloud without water. In verse 15 he says, “So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.” God may seem to be silent, but He is not absent.
In Psalm 52:1 the psalmist essentially says, “Why are you boasting, arrogant, wicked man? The goodness of God endures continually.” He is saying that just because God may not be making noise at the moment does not mean that God is indifferent or ignorant.
In verse 18 God is exclusive, “Whose name alone is JEHOVAH.” There is only one God, and that is the God of Whom the psalmist speaks. He is exclusive. He is also exalted. God is “the most high.” All those making noise today are not God. God is God. You may give others power, but they are not the most powerful. Then, God is an inclusive God. He is Jehovah over all the earth. We don’t give God power; we simply acknowledge it. God doesn’t hold His peace. He gives it to us.