Psalm 82--Rescue the Weak and Needy

Psalm 82
English Standard Version

Rescue the Weak and Needy
A Psalm of Asaph.
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!

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This is definitely a confusing passage for many as much ink has been spilled on the issue of the "divine council."  Suffice it to say whether these are angelic/demonic rulers and authorities or these are the kings of the earth, many of whom imagined themselves to be gods, the LORD sits in power and authority over all of them.  He has judged them and found their judgments to be unjust and show partiality to the wicked.  The righteous and innocent have suffered because evil men are not punished, and innocent men are persecuted and sometimes tried and convicted based off of false charges and evidence.  The LORD sees it all and is the Righteous Judge that will judge fairly, rightly and justly when all men stand before Him in one way or another.

The context here makes me think that Psalm 82 is speaking of kings, but they may be influenced by both evil spirits (demons) and their flesh.  They claim to have the "secret knowledge" of their wise men and Magi, but the LORD says that they have neither knowledge nor understanding.  They walk about in darkness (they can't see where they are going or properly see anything around them).  I think this speaks to the condition of their spiritual eyes, their hearts and their minds.  They are blinded by the one we call the prince of darkness as they are part of the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of the LORD and HIs Light.  Everything that they put their hope and trust in that they thought was as sure as the very foundations of the world has been shaken.

The LORD tells these kings (and the spirits influencing them) that even though they fancy themselves as gods, and call themselves "Sons of the Most High" (a common title for nobility because people claimed their royal bloodline came from being direct decedents of the gods themselves), all of these men are men and will die like all other men, and like all other men, they will have to stand before the LORD who is the one true God and King.  He will judge perfectly and righteously, and even the powerful kings of the earth will not escape His judgment.  This could also be speaking to the demons who will end up in the same hell as the men that follow them and the devil that they follow.  They will all face eternal death in the Lake of Fire.

Asaph ends this psalm crying out for the LORD to bring judgment quickly.  We find this cry throughout the psalms until David realized in Psalm 51 that he was the one who was the wicked one who stood under judgment.  Only then did David change his tune (quite literally) to cry out for mercy.  It is those who believe they are in a right relationship with God who cry out for justice and judgment, and it is those who know the depths of their sin who cry out for mercy.  Yet, how many of us say, "Give us a little more time, LORD so that we can reach more people with the gospel."? Sometimes we do, especially when it is people that we love that we feel need just a little more time, but many times we think of how tired we are of all the sin and pain and suffering and we groan with all creation longing for the Lord to enter His Kingdom and sit in judgment over the nations.  We don't have one without the other.  When Jesus comes back for those who are His kingdom citizens, there will be no more opportunity for the lost to be saved.  What are you doing to make yourself ready and the world around you ready for His Second Coming?