The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,”
They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
There is no one who does good.
God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there is anyone who understands,
Who seeks after God.
Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.
Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge,
Who eat up My people as though they ate bread
And have not called upon God?
There they were in great fear where no fear had been;
For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you;
You put them to shame, because God had rejected them.
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores His captive people,
Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
My first thought was, "I probably got that wrong. Surely He just wants me to read Isaiah 53 [which I did read also], not Psalm 53." Then my eye landed on the second line of verse 5,
For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you
...and a picture came to my mind. Yes, He wants me to know this. Yes, He needs me to see this.
In my beautiful Psalm 34 He has told me that He Himself (as the angel of the Lord, a theophany) encamps around me and rescues me, because I fear Him. Now He is showing me that this encampment doesn't mean we're sitting around roasting marshmallows in a nice campsite over the long weekend. It means we're at war. He -- my victorious God, my King -- is indeed encamped securely around me, protecting me and rescuing me. But the enemy is encamped directly facing me. And sometimes they get dangerously close. Sometimes they taunt me. Sometimes they distract me with discouraging thoughts that make me lose just enough focus that I neglect, or put off, or don't hear Him telling me about something He wants me to do.
Yes, this happens. I am to be much more vigilant. He has won, but I can give His enemy temporary ground that they have no right to. I can stall or complicate His plans through my neglect and fear.
Yet the lesson of encampment doesn't end here. What does He do with the enemy encamped against His people? He destroys them utterly, then scatters their bones around to show that they have become nothing. To show both His allies and their allies that He has dismantled, crushed, and humiliated His enemy.
Oh, sweet angel of the Lord -- heroic Jesus, wonderful conquerer -- thank You for Your vigilance, even when mine fails. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your mighty arms, which wrap around me. Before the enemy comes near me, they have to steel themselves, probably with more than a wee dram. Because as long as I am walking in Your way, fearing and loving and worshiping You, what they see when they look at me is YOU, wrapped around me. You, the almighty risen One, whose crushing victory over them two millenia ago still makes them scream.
Praise You, praise You, Lord! Teach me. Train me. Carry me to safety when my strength fails. How I love You, mighty Savior. Your arms are so powerful, and yet so tender toward those who serve and honor You.