A Call to Justice

Psalm 82:1-8

1 A Psalm of Asaph. 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! 

Here in this Psalm we have a sober reminder that God will ultimately judge those in authority. He stands amidst the councils of man and holds them accountable for their actions and how they treat others. This reminder is followed by the complaint of the Psalmist in verse 2. There is some deliberation amongst scholars as to whether this was during the reign of Jehoshaphat or Hezekiah, but either way it is not too difficult for the reader to form the same complaint today. It often seems that it is the wicked and unjust that escape justice when authorities are given the opportunity to mete out justice to them. 

This is followed by a command to give justice to the weak and fatherless and to maintain the right of the afflicted. We as Christians today must keep this command close to our hearts and never let partiality cloud our judgment. We are God’s agents among men and it is our duty to rescue the weak and the needy. It is this duty and responsibility that allows the lost to see the justice of God reflected through us.

We must keep in mind that there are two aspects to judgment. The first is to actually know what is right. This allows us to discern between right and wrong, but it is only understanding that allows us to act on this knowledge. It is necessary for us to not only know what is right but also to actually do what is right. Otherwise we too are liable to walk in darkness. It is interesting to note the Psalmist’s complaint that the whole foundations of the earth are shaken by this injustice. Our actions have an effect on the world around us.

The Psalmist ends his complaint against injustice with another reminder that the judges of the nations will also be judged. Like the judges written of here, all men will die and face the judgment of one who will show no partiality and who will judge with ultimate authority. No matter how high our position today, we will be humbled before the King. We must follow the advice of the Psalmist and know what is right and act on it. Yes, arise oh God and judge the nations.