Justice for all

Only in God

This morning, as we continue our Summer in the Psalms, we are going to return to another of the Psalms of Asaph. You may recall that we have considered one of his Psalms already this Summer. You may also recall that Asaph was appointed by King David as a worship leader. He was a singer, and his family was a family of singers. We don’t really know a great deal about him, but he wrote Psalm 50, and he is attributed as the author of Psalms 73-83.

You may also remember that the times in which Asaph lived were very tumultuous times for the people of God. In his Psalms we often find a foreboding sense of despair. The people of God have been devastated, and Asaph captures that devastation.

This morning, we are going to look at Psalm 82, which is a plea for justice. Justice is always a goal, but is often missed in spite of best efforts made. Even as children, we innately want justice for ourselves. If you don’t believe that, try splitting the last piece of cake between 2 children. I don’t care how careful you are about the cut, you will never satisfy both individual kids. The trick we always used when it was between 2 is we would let one cut and the other pick. The problem is that we had 3 children, so all of that kind of went out the window.

Yet, we know justice to be a much larger issue, and although my suspicion is that we will never get it quite right, it is something for which we must continue to work and fight.

Psalm 82:1–8 NIV

1 God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”: 2 “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? 3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. 5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ 7 But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.” 8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

Right off the bat, I think we need to acknowledge here that this whole scene that is described by Asaph is foreign to our way of thinking, and it reminds me that these Psalms were written by human beings in a particular mindset and worldview that often doesn’t align with how we see things. It is confusing, because he speaks of this divine council of gods - with a little g. In the ancient middle East, there was a development of thought that led the Israelites to a place of believing in monotheism - that there is one God. Yet, for most of the world at that time, they believed that there were many gods - and often times the victor in battle was declared to have the more powerful god on their side. That is why we often read of God as being considered the God of Abraham & his descendants - as if there are many gods to consider, but Abraham’s God is the greatest.

This Psalm uses that kind of mindset, but the clear testimony of this Psalm is that there is really only one God who is ruler and THE authority over all others. Ultimately, this God is the one that determines justice for all.

You can kind of see in your mind this divine courtroom, in which God comes to take His place as the judge and authority of all the others as they gather together. He does not hear testimony or arguments, because the judgement is already in.

1. God’s case against the “divine council.”

What they have been doing is judged to be wrong.

They have been judging unjustly. It is always a challenge to discover the truth before engaging in an argument. That is especially true in today’s world because we have such easy access to all kinds of news - and depending on the slant that the news organization gives the events of the day we can be manipulated into believing something that is false. We need to do our due diligence to discover the reality before participating in those kind of discussions - I would never want to be guilty of being unjust, but I am thankful that there is a God who is always just - He sees what is actually happening, and He judges accordingly.

They have shown partiality to the wicked. It seems that in our world, the wicked often prosper. Sometimes they prosper at the expense of the righteous. The Psalmist recognized that the wicked were prospering, and we can see the same thing happen often today. This is a common theme in the Psalms, one which we cannot ignore in a series in the Psalms as much as I might like to. We find this theme repeatedly. Here are some examples:

Psalm 73:2-12 “2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek. 5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment. 7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. 8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. 9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth. 10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them. 11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.”

Psalm 10:2-6 “2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor— let them be caught in the schemes they have devised. 3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart, those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord. 4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, “God will not seek it out”; all their thoughts are, “There is no God.” 5 Their ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of their sight; as for their foes, they scoff at them. 6 They think in their heart, “We shall not be moved; throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.””

One commentator made this claim about the issue of justice: “The bigger issue here is not the absence of justice, but the failure actively to pursue justice.” Lamb, L. (2010). Homiletical Perspective on Psalm 82. In D. L. Bartlett & B. B. Taylor (Eds.), Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C (Vol. 3, p. 229). Westminster John Knox Press.

I agree with this assessment to a point, although sometimes we are able to have good intentions but fail to follow through on those intentions. There is an old saying that you are most likely familiar with that says: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

At the same time, I agree that justice is not always possible for several reasons. When something would happen in our household when our kids were little, sometimes none of them would admit to doing it. Justice was not possible to mete out because we are not all-knowing, and that is the case in our world as well. We may pursue justice, only to get it wrong. We can also fail at justice because we just don’t understand what has happened. Life is complicated and understanding someone elses perspective is impossible sometimes. If you don’t believe that, watch how different fan bases respond to the referees in a football game. So, to a point, I can agree that the bigger issue is the failure to pursue justice.

What they should be doing

Meting out justice to the weak and the orphan. These are people groups that are often at the mercy of those around them. Those that are weak cannot defend themselves against those that are powerful, so the powerful often exploit the weak. The orphan has no standing in the world and no way to support themselves without the help of others. I love the movement I see among young believers to foster and adopt orphans as part of their commtiment to follow Christ. It is not for everybody, but there are needy children out there that need the love of a family in their lives. As followers of Christ today, it is our responsibility to look for those who are being mistreated and abused by the systems in which we live, whether that be the sick, the elderly, the weak, the poor, or those that have been marginalized by our world. We are to:

Uphold the rights of the lowly and the poor. Every human being, no matter what sin they may have committed is a human being for whom Jesus died, and there is no individual and no group of people that are beyond the reach of His awesome grace! It is a sad commentary on the state of the church today, that there are many people that feel the church is not only out of touch, but doesn’t even care about those that are living in the margins of our society. It must be our goal to show love and comfort, peace and forgiveness no matter where a person comes from, what they look like, or what they may have done. Who would you be and where would you be if it weren’t for the grace of God in your life? We must be found upholding the cause of the weak and the oppressed!

Rescue the weak and needy from the hand of the wicked. There is an assumption here that the wicked may gain control of the weak and the needy, but as Christ followers we must always stand up for those needing rescue.

2. Who is the “divine council?”

Our world has a heirarchy of people that we have set up as rulers and leaders.

There are political leaders that have the actual power to change the way society works.

There are celebrities and voices that influence our lives and the way we think - sometimes blatantly and in your face, sometimes subtley and slyly. We can easily spot it when influencers are in our face and blatant about it, and it is easier to fight against. But sometimes the influence comes in much more subtle ways. It may be through a movie we are watching, or a song we are listening to, or a show that we like, or a political leader that we agree with, or social media posts.

The Psalmist says this about these “gods” that we have set up

Psalm 82:5 NIV

5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 3 Exegetical Perspective

At a basic level, justice is simple fairness. All people should receive their due in the legal system. All people should have access to goods and services. All people should be given an opportunity to thrive and flourish. Those who are vulnerable and defenseless should receive adequate attention and protection. The rich and powerful should not receive preferential treatment. These “gods” have had the responsibility to uphold and enforce this system of justice. They have failed in their responsibility. God judges their failure.

We are not those that are sitting in this council - we aren’t the people that have a great deal of power and influence. And yet, all of us do have influence with somebody. We all can do our own part to help mete out justice for the poor and needy and disenfranchised among us. We can, and as Christ’s followers, involve ourselves in the process of helping to correct the wrongs that our society continues to inflict on the powerless.

Prayer of confession and commitment.

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Matthew 26:27–29, Luke 22:19)

And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.

By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Before the partaking of the bread, let the minister say:

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

Before the partaking of the cup, let the minister say:

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.