by Jamie Pantastico | May 13, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
Introduction: Historical and Prophetic Background of Psalm 83
- Author: Asaph (Levite, prophet, and worship leader under King David)
- Date Written: ~1000–950 BC
- Audience: The nation of Israel
- Purpose: A national plea for divine intervention against a hostile alliance
Psalm 83 is the final song in the collection attributed to Asaph (Psalms 73–83). It captures a time when Israel faced the threat of annihilation by a confederation of neighboring enemies. While there is no historical record of all ten listed nations uniting in one war, the psalm reflects the ongoing, surrounding hostility Israel endured during the early monarchy—and may prophetically speak to a future attempt to erase Israel from existence.
This psalm is not only a prayer for deliverance but also a prophetic foreshadowing of end-time opposition against Israel, reminding readers:
“That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:18)
Psalm 83: A Timeless Warning Against the Enemies of Israel
Psalm 83 is not merely a historical lament—it is an eternal warning. It was true in Asaph’s day (3000 years ago), and it’s still true now. This psalm reveals Satan’s relentless strategy: eliminate Israel to thwart God’s promises. No Israel, no King. No King, no Kingdom. That’s the aim behind every alliance, resolution, protest, or policy that seeks to weaken or erase the Jewish nation. The confederacy of nations listed in Psalm 83—Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and others—may have ancient names, but their modern counterparts are very much alive and conspiring today. These enemies haven’t disappeared; they’ve simply rebranded.
We are witnessing Psalm 83 in real time. Arab nations and global powers are once again gathering behind closed doors, scheming under the banner of “peace” or “justice” for Gaza—but their true aim is Israel’s isolation and destruction. The war in Gaza has become the excuse, the smoke screen. Headlines today echo the ancient cry: “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation.” The pressure against Israel is global. The United Nations. The European Union. Iran. Russia. And yes, even our beloved America—once a faithful ally—is now wavering. But God is not silent, and Psalm 83 reminds us that He will have the final word.
Ancient Enemies, Modern Counterparts and a Close Allie
Psalm 83 describes a confederation of nations plotting to “cut off Israel from being a nation.” Though this has never happened in history exactly as described, we may be witnessing the early stages of this prophecy unfolding today.
Here’s how the nations listed in Psalm 83 correspond to modern-day locations and their relevance:
| Psalm 83 Nation |
Modern Equivalent |
Current Relevance |
| Edom |
Southern Jordan |
Jordan maintains a fragile peace with Israel; tensions persist. |
| Ishmaelites |
Arab tribes (Saudi Arabia) |
Warming ties with Israel, but underlying religious hostility remains. |
| Moab |
Central Jordan |
Jordan’s population includes many Palestinians; still a source of tension. |
| Hagrites |
Northern Saudi Arabia |
Historically hostile; region symbolic of early Arab opposition. |
| Gebal |
Lebanon (southern coastal region) |
Hezbollah stronghold—openly anti-Israel. |
| Ammon |
Northern Jordan |
Diplomatic ties, but Jordan’s role in Arab alliances keeps pressure on Israel. |
| Amalek |
Southern Israel / Sinai / Negev area |
Symbolic of long-standing spiritual enmity toward Israel. |
| Philistia |
Gaza Strip (Palestinians) |
Ruled by Hamas—actively seeks Israel’s destruction. |
| Tyre |
Lebanon (modern-day Hezbollah territory) |
Tyre was a wealthy city; now part of Hezbollah’s terror network. |
| Assyria |
Syria and parts of Iraq |
Syrian regime and Iranian-backed militias threaten northern Israel. |
A Call to Prayer and Watchfulness
Now is the time for the Body of Christ to be sober and watchful. We must not remain silent as the world gathers against Israel. If Psalm 83 teaches us anything, it’s that God is not indifferent to the schemes of the nations—He sees, He hears, and in His perfect time, He acts. So we pray: not in fear, but in faith. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). Pray for Israel’s protection. And pray that many—Jew and Gentile alike—come to salvation through Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Let us also take heart in this truth:
“Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4)
And to Gentile believers, Romans 11:16–24 serves as both a reminder and a warning. We are not the root—we are grafted in, partakers of the rich blessings of the olive tree only because of God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Israel. Paul urges us not to boast against the natural branches, for it is not we who support the root, but the root that supports us. This should produce in us gratitude and humility, not pride. The blessings we enjoy under grace flow through the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
‘do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.’
Romans 11:18
So as we see the nations gather once again against Israel, let us pray with urgency, stand with boldness, and rest in the assurance that the God who keeps Israel never sleeps. And neither do His promises.
by Jamie Pantastico | May 11, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
God’s Plan Through Israel and the Church – Part 5
For Your Edification and Encouragement
Two thousand years after Adam, and just two centuries after Babel, mankind has once again fallen into idolatry and spiritual darkness. The world is pagan, the nations are scattered, and no one seeks after God.
So God does something brand new (but already preordained before time began): He calls out one man, Abram (later called Abraham), from the line of Shem, to create a nation for Himself.
“Now the Lord had said to Abram:
‘Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.’”
— Genesis 12:1
The Covenant Promises (Genesis 12:1–3)
God makes seven promises to Abraham:
- I will make you a great nation.
- I will bless you.
- I will make your name great.
- You shall be a blessing.
- I will bless those who bless you.
- I will curse those who curse you.
- In you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
This is the beginning of the Abrahamic Covenant, which is later expanded to include:
- A land grant (Genesis 15:18–21)
- A physical lineage and people (Genesis 17)
- An everlasting covenant with Abraham’s seed
And Paul tells us in Galatians 3:16:
“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made… and to your Seed, who is Christ.”
A New Race of People
From Abraham will come the Jewish people, the nation of Israel—a people set apart by God, through whom:
- The Scriptures would come
- The Law would come
- The Messiah would come
God calls Abraham out of the mainstream of humanity and separates his descendants as His own inheritance (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6–8).
Why This Matters
- The Abrahamic Covenant is unconditional, eternal, and foundational.
- The rest of the Bible builds upon this covenant.
- If you don’t understand this covenant, you can’t understand the prophetic plan of God.
- These promises were made to Israel, not to the Church.
Believers, members of the body of Christ which is His church, are partakers of these promises by believing the gospel.
God’s redemptive plan moves forward—not through all mankind—but through Israel, the nation God Himself created from Abraham. Even in this Church Age, Gentiles are partakers of the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.
by Jamie Pantastico | May 10, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
God’s Plan Through Israel and the Church – Part 4
For Your Edification and Encouragement
After the flood, God gave Noah and his sons a simple command:
“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”
— Genesis 9:1
But mankind, still carrying the Adamic nature, rebelled again. Instead of spreading out, they gathered together under a man named Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10), in the land of Shinar (modern-day Iraq), and began building a tower that would reach to heaven.
The Tower: A Symbol of Defiance
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves…”
— Genesis 11:4
This was more than architecture. It was rebellion—a centralized, humanistic religion. Babel was the birthplace of organized paganism and spiritual defiance. Rather than glorify God, they wanted to exalt themselves.
God Intervenes
“But the Lord came down…”
— Genesis 11:5
God confounded their language and scattered the people across the face of the earth. The united rebellion was broken, and the nations were born.
Deuteronomy 32:8–9 gives a crucial insight:
“When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations,
When He separated the sons of Adam,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the children of Israel.
For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the place of His inheritance.”
God moves from dealing directly with all mankind and to calling out one man through whom He would form race of people for Himself, His own nation—Israel.
by Jamie Pantastico | May 8, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
God’s Plan Through Israel and the Church – Part 3
For Your Edification and Encouragement
After the fall, mankind’s rebellion didn’t improve—it intensified. The Adamic nature spread like wildfire through the human race. Just six chapters into Genesis, God’s assessment of the world was devastating:
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
— Genesis 6:5
The earth was filled with violence, and creation was corrupted. But one man stood out—Noah.
Noah Found Grace
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
— Genesis 6:8
God didn’t save Noah because he was perfect. He saved Noah because Noah believed God. In a world filled with wickedness, Noah walked by faith. And because of his faith, God used him to preserve the line of the promised Seed from Genesis 3:15.
The Ark: A Shadow of Christ
God commanded Noah to build an ark—not only to save his family but to preserve the Messianic line and ensure the coming Redeemer. The ark is a beautiful picture of salvation:
- There was only one door (Genesis 6:16). Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:9).
- The ark was covered inside and out with pitch (a picture of atonement).
- Once inside, God Himself shut the door (Genesis 7:16).
- Everyone inside the ark was safe. Everyone outside perished.
A New Beginning
The flood was global. Every living thing outside the ark died. When the waters receded, God made a covenant with Noah and promised never again to destroy the earth with water.
Noah’s three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—would repopulate the earth. And it’s through the line of Shem that God would soon call a man named Abram—setting the next stage in motion.
Why This Matters
The flood reveals two things:
- God judges sin. He is holy, and He will not ignore wickedness forever.
- God preserves His promises. Even in judgment, His mercy shines. He made a way of escape through faith.
by Jamie Pantastico | May 6, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
Justified by Faith Alone: What It Really Means to Be Declared Righteous
For your edification and encouragement
The Doctrine of Justification is not just a theological concept—it’s the heart of our salvation. At its core, it means that God declares a believing sinner righteous—not because of anything they’ve done, but because of what Christ has done on their behalf.
This happens the moment God sees a sinner believe by faith alone in the gospel of Jesus Christ—His death for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). At that moment, God no longer sees our sin; He sees the righteousness of His Son.
Righteousness: Not Earned, But Given
Under the law, righteousness had to be earned. But in this age of grace, righteousness is a gift—freely given the moment we believe Paul’s gospel.
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
—Romans 3:24
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
—Romans 3:28
What Is Justification?
Justification is more than forgiveness—it’s Christ’s righteousness imputed (credited) to our account.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
—2 Corinthians 5:21
This is a divine exchange: Christ took our sin, and we receive His righteousness. It is a judicial act—a legal declaration by God—that the believing sinner is now justified. That means no matter what sins we’ve committed in the past—or may commit in the future—we are still declared righteous in God’s sight.
Justification Is by Faith Alone
We are not justified by works, rituals, repentance, baptism, or by keeping the law. Paul is emphatic:
“…a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ… because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
—Galatians 2:16
Justification is a one-time, immediate, irreversible act of God’s grace. The very moment you believe, His righteousness is yours.
Peace Through Justification
“Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—Romans 5:1
Justification brings peace, not confusion or fear. It assures us that we are no longer under condemnation, no longer slaves to sin, and no longer at enmity with God.
Why Every Believer Should Know This
Justification isn’t just for seminarians or scholars. It’s for every believer who wants to stand firm in the faith and walk in the freedom of grace. The more we understand what it means to be justified, the more we will rest in God’s peace, live boldly in His grace, and praise Him for His unchanging love.
Final Thoughts
Let us thank and praise God for the incredible truth of the Doctrine of Justification—a truth that reminds us we are fully accepted, fully forgiven, and fully righteous in Christ Jesus.
📖 Key Bible Verses on Justification
- Romans 3:24 — Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 3:28 — Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
- Galatians 2:16 — A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Romans 5:1 — Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 — For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
by Jamie Pantastico | May 6, 2025 | Daily Encouragement |
God’s Plan Through Israel and the Church – Part 2
For Your Edification and Encouragement
To understand God’s plan through Israel, we must start at the beginning—Genesis 1–11. These foundational chapters cover the first 2,000 years of human history and are essential to understanding why God called Abraham and formed a nation for Himself.
Before the law, before Israel, before Babel—God dealt directly with mankind. There was only one race of people, one language, no written law, no priesthood, no temple—only the conscience and a knowledge of right and wrong. When someone sinned, they were to bring a blood sacrifice in faith, trusting God’s word. It was simple, yet it didn’t take long for mankind to rebel.
The Fall of Man and the Curse of Sin
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
Romans 5:12
The Fall happened when Adam disobeyed God’s one command. With that disobedience came sin, death, and the curse. More than that, it introduced what Scripture calls the old man, or what we often refer to as the Adamic nature—a spiritual condition of rebellion that is passed on to every person born into the world. We are not sinners because we break God’s law—we sin because we are all born son’s and daughters of Adam.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:6
The result?
- Spiritual death: separation from God.
- Physical death: decay and mortality.
- Universal guilt: all are under sin (Romans 3:23).
The First Prophetic Promise: Genesis 3:15
In the midst of judgment, God makes a promise:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
— Genesis 3:15
This is the first prophecy in Scripture—the promise of a Redeemer who would come through the “Seed of the woman” to crush the head of the serpent (Satan). Paul tells us this “Seed” is Christ (Galatians 3:16).
This verse becomes the foundation of the redemptive storyline. The rest of the Bible traces this promised Seed through specific people, families, and eventually, one nation—Israel.
From Bad to Worse
- Cain kills Abel, showing how quickly sin corrupts.
- Genesis 6 describes a world filled with violence and evil.
- The flood (Genesis 7–9) is God’s judgment, but also His mercy, preserving the Messianic line through Noah.
- The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) is a unified rebellion where mankind refuses to scatter, so God divides them by language.
- The nations are formed, and God disinherits them (Deuteronomy 32:8–9).
Then something changes dramatically: God stops dealing with all of humanity directly and instead calls out one man—Abram—to form a new nation, a covenant people for Himself.
Why This Matters
Understanding the Adamic nature (sin) and the global decline of humanity helps us understand why God created Israel in the first place. God had already tried dealing with mankind as a whole, and they rejected Him every step of the way.
So, in His sovereignty, God did something new: He would create a nation from one man—a nation that would be separated from the rest of the world and through whom the Redeemer would come.