Sep-18-0515-Arise, O God, judge the earth
515_Arise, O God, judge the earth Psalm 82 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” 5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! Imagine a courtroom, with a poor widow standing in front of the judge, trembling as she brings her case. She speaks of the land that was unjustly taken from her. On the other side sits a wealthy and powerful landowner, flanked by expensive lawyers. The judge listens, nods briefly at the widow, and then turns his full attention to the wealthy man’s polished arguments. The verdict comes swiftly: the case is dismissed, and the land remains in the hands of the powerful. The widow walks away empty-handed, her heart crushed. As you watched this unfold, wouldn’t something in you rise up and say, “This is not right! Where is justice? Who will stand for her?” All of us, in some way, have felt the sting of injustice. Maybe it was in the workplace, where connections, not competence, won someone else a promotion. Maybe it was in school, where the loudest and strongest got their way over the weaker. Society at large sees the vulnerable—the children, the poor, the marginalized—pushed to the edges while the powerful thrive. The cry rises from our hearts, “God, will you not step in? Will you not judge rightly?” This is the cry of Psalm 82. The psalm opens with a startling picture: “God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the ‘gods.’” God is sitting as judge over the powerful among men, the rulers and princes entrusted to rule on his behalf. Their authority is given them to protect the weak and ensure that right prevails. But instead of reflecting God's justice, they pervert it. They show partiality to the rich and powerful, they take bribes, and turn a blind eye to the poor. Injustice flourishes under their rule. Until God Himself takes His seat among them. He confronts them: “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” God is not indifferent to injustice. He is passionately opposed to favoritism, to bribery, to exploitation. Throughout Scripture, He warns His people never to pervert justice, whether in favor of the rich or the poor. In Exodus 23 He says, “When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not