3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
Arise to help me; look on my plight!
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,
rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
show no mercy to wicked traitors. Psalm 59:3-5

The more I go over these verses, the more I am convinced that we are very similar to King David. Within three verses he pleads for God’s help, praises the Lord, and then wants to exact revenge on his enemies. We’re similar because we can have those same emotions just as quickly. We know what it’s like to plead his His help. We know what it means to just look up and adore the Lord. And of course we know all too well how to lash out at our enemies in vindictive prayer.

What I’d like to focus on today is the first part of verse five: “you who are the God of Israel.” It’s appropriate in our current times because there is just so much anti-Semitic talk from politicians and their ilk. I’m convinced it’s a spiritual problem in that the nation of Israel is hated because it is filled with Jews.

Other nations around the world are hated. For instance, the United States is hated because it tends to be arrogant and independent in thinking (among lots of other reasons). Great Britain used to be hated because of the colonies it maintained around the world.

Still, some nations are hated by one or two nations (i.e., Japan and China, China and Taiwan, Russia and United States).

Similarly, people groups are sometimes hated by those surrounding them (gypsies in Europe, Kurds in Iraq and Turkey, Uighurs in China, Chukcha in Russia), but nothing compares to the hatred of Jews around the globe.

Pray for Israel as it seeks to exist in a very hostile world. Pray for those ministering God’s grace in that land.