O God, Linger Not in Rest

Psalm 83

(NIV)  O God, do not remain silent;
      do not turn a deaf ear,
      do not stand aloof, O God.

(KJV)  Keep not thou silence, O God:
      hold not thy peace,
      and be not still, O God.

(Rus)  Боже! Не премолчи,
      не безмолвствуй
      и не оставайся в покое, Боже.
         
      O God! Do not refrain from disclosing,
      Do not be silent,
      and do not remain/linger in rest

One can immediately get the sense of how desperate the psalmist felt as he penned this prayer, pouring his petitions out to his God.  The imagery of verse one, regardless of which translation, shows that the psalmist feels that God is not watching, is not caring, is not acting.  I found the Russian ("...and do not linger in rest") especially powerful.

But Psalm 83 is purposely place right after Psalm 82 for a very important reason.  Psalm 82 announces triumphantly that God reigns, He stands, He presides in the great assembly.  That is, Psalm 82 is to set the stage of our understanding so that when times of distress come upon us and our physical eyes and our natural understanding see not God, we will instead remember that God reigns: He presides, He stands, He acts, and He renders judgment!

We must remind ourselves that God does not linger in rest—indeed He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  His eye is ever upon us His children.  He is ever ready to hear us.  Go then to His throne of grace to receive grace and mercy for your time of need!

Psalm 82

(NIV)  God presides in the great assembly;
      he renders judgment among the “gods”—

(KJV)  God standeth in the congregation of the mighty;
      he judgeth among the gods.

(Rus)  Бог стал в сонме богов;
      среди богов произнес суд.
     
      God stood in the crowd of gods;
      among the gods [He] delivered/uttered judgment.

How Lovely In Mine Eyes

Psalm Eighty-Four

O Lord of hosts, how lovely in mine eyes
The tents where thou dost dwell!
For thine abode my spirit faints and sighs;
The courts I love so well.
My longing soul is weary
Within thy house to be;
This world is waste and dreary,
A desert land to me.


The sparrow, Lord, hath found a sheltered home,
The swallow hath her nest;
She layeth there her young, and though she roam,
Returneth there to rest.
I, to thine altar flying,
Would there for ever be;
My heart and flesh are crying,
O living God, for thee!


How blest are they who in thy house abide!
Thee evermore they praise.
How strong the man whom thou alone dost guide,
Whose heart doth keep thy ways.
A pilgrim and a stranger,
He leaneth on thine arm;
And thou, in time of danger,
Dost shield him from alarm.


From strength to strength through Baca's vale of woe,
They pass along in prayer,
And gushing streams of living water flow,
Dug by their faithful care;
Thy rain is sent from heaven
To fertilise the land,
And wayside grace is given
Till they in Zion stand.


Lord God of hosts, attend unto my prayer!
O Jacob's God, give ear!
Behold, O God, our shield, we through thy care,
Within thy courts appear!
Look thou upon the glory
Of thine Anointed's face;
In him we stand before thee,
To witness of thy grace!


One day with thee excelleth over and over
A thousand days apart;
In thine abode, within thy temple door,
Would stand my watchful heart.
Men tell me of the treasure
Hid in their tents of sin;
I look not there for pleasure,
Nor choose to enter in.


Own then the Lord to be thy Sun, thy Shield—
No good will he withhold;
He giveth grace, and soon shall be revealed
His glory, yet untold.
His mighty name confessing,
Walk thou at peace and free;
O Lord, how rich the blessing
Of him who trusts in thee!

—German Choral Music.

As found in  Spurgeon's Treasury of David.