Psalm 82- judges before the Judge
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Intro
Intro
There is a biblical truth we must come to believe and that is the fact: Our God is supreme. God is the ruler over all.
Psalm 29:10- The Lord sitteth upon the flood;Yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.,
The Lord sitteth upon the flood;
Yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
Exodus 15:18-The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
Psalm 47:2 - For the Lord most high is terrible He is a great King over all the earth.
For the Lord most high is terrible;
He is a great King over all the earth.
Although he is in charge and is ruling our world is a crazy and messed up place. Evil is exalted, folly & foolishness are placed at the foreground, wickedness is worshipped, violence moves vehemently, injustice is ignored, whats right is rejected.
As this Psalm states - “the foundations are out of course”
May I remind you; yes God rules but our world has been marred and evicerattoted by sin and its consequences.
Romans 8 teaches us that all of creation groans
Maybe you’re here and you’re facing the realities of a fallen and broken world. You’ve been done wrong, you’re tired of fighting, you don’t see a way out of the fear and anxiety, you’re like the Psalmist and asking “God when will you fix this?”, you’re suffering, you may even be hopeless.
Thats ok! There is hope for you in God and his word!
Psalm 71:5-For thou art my hope, O Lord God: Thou art my trust from my youth.
For thou art my hope, O Lord God:
Thou art my trust from my youth.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
There is hope stored up in this Psalm too!
In the 82nd Psalm we encounter and odd and prophetic Psalm. It is a psalm in which God does most of the talking and we can be encouraged and reminded that God is going to judge! He will make things right!
Prophecy is a great thing! God often gave prophecy to comfort his people. We can rest knowing that God is going to follow through!
Good for: Comfort (1 Thess 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.)
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Hope (1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.)
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
God put it there ( 2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.)
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
This psalm is vivid. Picture a court room with: Asaph the Psalmist as our narrator, God is in the seat of the honorable judge, and the “gods” are on trial. They have done wrong, made unjust calls, and have let evil grow. Thankfully God will set things right!
These “gods” are not literal deity but rather human governors and leaders that God has appointed.
We can say this because Jesus did. John 10:34 ( Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?)
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Those described here as gods are evidently the judges and magistrates of Israel. See John 10:34. They were intended to be the mouthpiece and representatives of God; but instead, they thought only of their own interests and sought personal aggrandizement
It is God who appoints leadership
Deut 1:16-17 in Israel ( 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. )
And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
Romans 13:1-Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Daniel 2:21 - And he changeth the times and the seasons:He removeth kings, and setteth up kings:He giveth wisdom unto the wise,And knowledge to them that know understanding:
And he changeth the times and the seasons:
He removeth kings, and setteth up kings:
He giveth wisdom unto the wise,
And knowledge to them that know understanding:
Although these individuals are in charge now they aren't exempt from judgement because unlike them God is not partial
Asaph after witnessing this court scene prays a prayer some us have probably prayed before, some may be praying this right not and that is- God make this right
Child of God know this: GOD IS GOING TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT
Take hope !
I-The arraigned (Psalm 82:1)
I-The arraigned (Psalm 82:1)
These gods/judges are authorities that God has appointed. Despite their authority they will still have to answer to the supreme authority!
God is the supreme authority!
Next to all the evil, folly, and those who practice evil God stands supreme!
They don’t stand God does
Over the mighty- even those strong forces of evil God is over!
Christian I implore to remember that our God wins! He’s victorious and allows us victory in/through Christ!
Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Christian Jesus has beat the devil, death, hell, and the grave.
He grants us victory too!
Know our God is mighty
The judges are judged
God set them up as judges but he’s the ultimate judge!
Notice it’s God who issues the judgement
Not us. God is our vindicator. Vengeance and justice belong exclusively to God
Deut 32:35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; Their foot shall slide in due time:
To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence;
Their foot shall slide in due time:
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things that shall come upon them make haste.
Like regular men (Psalm 82:7)
But ye shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.
Not only are these judges judged but so will all men.
Hebrews 9:27- And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Romans 2:16 - 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
This is a sobering yet true reality. God will judge but all men will be judged.
What will your fate be?
Jesus came to deliver you from condemnation ( John 3:17- For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.)
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
II- The accusation (Psalm 82:3-4)
II- The accusation (Psalm 82:3-4)
Defend the poor and fatherless:
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Deliver the poor and needy:
Rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
God raises his issue with these judges. God brings up two charges against them.
Their partiality to the wealthy
Their lack of concern for the poor and defenseless.
These upset God because their attitudes fly in direct contrast to the character and attitude of God!
Look at what God declares about him self.
Exodus 34:5-7- 5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
, Romans 2:11-11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
For there is no respect of persons with God.
James 2:14- What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
He even offers commands about partiality
Leviticus 19:15- 15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
This belief on God’s love for all people should affect us and our lives
James 2:14 warns believers of partiality
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
I remind you that Jesus our lord spent time with and loved the worst in his society .
We were the poor and needy!
Thank God that he loves the poor and fatherless because that was us! Maybe not financially or societally but spiritually.
Before Christ we were all lost and wicked slaves to sin.
(John 8:34-36- 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.)
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
We had no help. We had no help. We were the needy!
Romans 5:6- 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Unlike these judges God did deliver the poor and needy!
III- The amend (Psalms 82: 5- 8)
III- The amend (Psalms 82: 5- 8)
They know not, neither will they understand;
They walk on in darkness:
All the foundations of the earth are out of course.
I have said, Ye are gods;
And all of you are children of the most High.
But ye shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.
Arise, O God, judge the earth:
For thou shalt inherit all nations.
These wicked rulers are now to receive their sentence from God.
They walk in darkness (Psalm 82:5)
They know not, neither will they understand;
They walk on in darkness:
All the foundations of the earth are out of course.
Before judgement is issued from God he allows us to see why they do what they do. He lets us see their motivations for wrong doing.
They do wrong because they do not walk in the light of God’s way rather they take the path of lost men and the world
To submit to Christ is to walk in light
John 8:12- Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
I John 1:5-7- 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Pray they find the light
They are going to die
Just like all men will (Psalm 82:7 )
But ye shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.
Death is always the conclusion of sin
Romans 6:23- 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:12- Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
If you’re here and have not trusted Christ you too will suffer the same death as these judges
James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
God will set things right (Psalm 82:8 )
Arise, O God, judge the earth:
For thou shalt inherit all nations.
Asaph finishes with a prayer. He’s asks God to set things right.
This is a prayer we can all join in too
Conclusion
Conclusion
Child of God we live in a crazy world totally messed up by sin. There are instances of evil every where. Some of us are suffering, going through a trail, or just hopeless. That does’t have to be the case. I challenge and encourage you to know God is going to make things right! Pray the same prayer Asaph did in verse 8- “GOD MAKE THIS RIGHT”