Psalm 82 Devotional

Rulers Who Answer to God

“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.”Psalm 82:3 (BSB)

Psalm 82 pictures a courtroom where God presides over an assembly of those called gods (82:1). They carry exalted titles and real authority, yet God puts them on trial. How long will they judge unjustly and favor the wicked (82:2)? He tells them what justice requires: defend the weak and the orphan, protect the poor and oppressed, and rescue the needy from the wicked (82:3-4). Because they have failed, they wander in darkness, and the world's foundations tremble (82:5).

Their high titles cannot protect them. They will die like anyone else and fall like any other ruler (82:6-7). The psalm ends by asking God himself to rise and judge the earth, because every nation belongs to him (82:8). When God looks at power, he watches how it treats the people with the least. No authority on earth is beyond his review, and no forgotten person is beneath his notice. Whatever influence you have is held under his eye, and meant for the good of the weak.

To think about: Who has less power than you in your everyday life, and how could you use your influence for their good this week?