Yesterday, Psalm 82 reminded us that some things don’t change: there seems always to be oppression of the poor (and God doesn’t like it!).

Something else doesn’t change. Israel’s neighbors want to wipe them out. I googled “The stated purpose of Hamas,” and this came up with no problem:

Since its creation in December 1987, Hamas has invoked militant interpretations of Islam to spearhead a Sunni extremist movement committed to destroying Israel. – “Doctrine of Hamas,” https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/doctrine-hamas

The names of the players have changed, but not the playbook:

They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You … Edom … Ishmaelites … Moab … Hagrites … Gebal … Ammon … Amalek … Philistia … Tyre … Assyria. (Psalm 83.3 – 8, NKJV)

I think only Tyre still exists as a city.

If the nations were really good at forming confederacies, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, etc., would be enough, you’d think, to wipe out Israel.

The prayer hasn’t changed either:

So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83.15 – 18, NKJV)

And Israel is still here. More importantly, “…You, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.”

With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below. (Matthew 6.9, 10, MSG)

The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. (Isaiah 8.13, NKJV)