Psalms

This Psalm is a lament for the nation.  It is a prayer for God to save them from their enemies, as well as deal with the enemies.  This may be written around the events of 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

 ¹ Do not keep silent, O God!
         Do not hold Your peace,
         And do not be still, O God!

The prayer begins by asking God to not remain silent in this situation.  They don't want God to be a God of peace and patience.  They want a God of action to come to their rescue.  When we find ourselves in sin and discover the Lord is chastening us, our prayers are much different.  We are very interested in a kind, merciful, loving and patient God. 

 ² For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
         And those who hate You have lifted up their head.

Asaph equates Israel's enemies as God's enemies.  Yet, we see in the bible God bring enemies against his nation to punish them.  These kings, nations and armies move at the will of God to serve his purpose.  Would this be any different?

The enemies were making a tumult.  This means they were creating an uproar, lots of noise, a lot of commotion.  This sounds like they were trash talking.  They were rattling their sabers and lifting their head in pride.

 ³ They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
         And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
 ⁴ They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
         That the name of Israel may be remembered no more."
The enemies were plotting and planning the demise of Israel.  Asaph points out that these bad men are coming against "Your people" and "Your sheltered ones."  It's almost asking the questions, God, are you going to let them get away with that?

         
 ⁵ For they have consulted together with one consent;
         They form a confederacy against You:
 ⁶ The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
         Moab and the Hagrites;
 ⁷ Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
         Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
 ⁸ Assyria also has joined with them;
         They have helped the children of Lot.  Selah  
These nations represent the historical enemies of Israel. 

         
 ⁹ Deal with them as with Midian,
         As with Sisera,
         As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
 ¹⁰ Who perished at En Dor,
         Who became as refuse on the earth.
 ¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,
         Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
 ¹² Who said, "Let us take for ourselves
         The pastures of God for a possession."
God had delivered the nation from enemies in the past.  The Psalmist asks God to deal with these enemies in that same way He dealt with previous enemies.  These battles and subsequent defeat of the enemies are detailed in Judges.

         
 ¹³ O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
         Like the chaff before the wind!
 ¹⁴ As the fire burns the woods,
         And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
 ¹⁵ So pursue them with Your tempest,
         And frighten them with Your storm.
 ¹⁶ Fill their faces with shame,
         That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
 ¹⁷ Let them be confounded and dismayed forever;
         Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
 ¹⁸ That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD,
         Are the Most High over all the earth.

Asaph uses very poetic language to describe his desire for the Lord to wipe out this threat of nations.  The end affect was to drive them far from Israel, save the God's people and to bring the enemies to shame.  In their shame and dismay, they would know that the Lord is God.  That He alone is the Most High over all the earth.,