June 10 // Psalm 82

Opening prayer

The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.
— Habakkuk 2:20

Psalm 82

God has taken his place in the divine council;
    in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly
    and show partiality to the wicked?Selah
Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
    maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
    they walk around in darkness;
    all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
    and fall like any prince.”

Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
    for all the nations belong to you!

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Who Deserves the Throne

These days are showing us just how far we all have to go on the way to God’s Kingdom on earth. I know that we’re all hearing plenty of commentary from journalists, faith leaders, politicians, and friends on social media about the protests, the virus, and more. Personally, I still can’t look away from the stories of protests going on nationwide — even worldwide! — over the death of George Floyd. So many people have come together to say, “This is wrong. Never again. No more.” The more they gather, the greater the power of their accusation against those who are unmoved.

One of today’s Daily Office psalms offers a word to this moment. Psalm 82 takes place in the heavenly court, a popular concept in the ancient imagination, though somewhat arcane to us. The spiritual realm known to the Hebrews was inhabited by many gods. They bickered and made up, then bickered again, sending down capricious blessings and curses as they willed. YHWH is present in the courtroom, sometimes speaking to the other, lower gods in the room. These other gods are beneath YHWH. Though he walks among them, he is sovereign over all gods.

This way of seeing spiritual power is reflected in Elijah’s demonstration against the prophets of Ba’al in 1 Kings 18. Elijah and the prophets hold court at Mount Carmel, pitting their gods against each other, because they understand it is already happening in heaven. YHWH and Ba’al are already present in the heavenly court, waiting to be called upon. The high court is presented vividly in Job 1 as well: “One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.” He just walks right in, because he can! The entire book of Job turns on this scene, in which Satan comes to test God in full view of the other heavenly beings.

In Psalm 82 the tables have turned entirely from that scene in Job. Here it is God Almighty accusing the lower powers, “You have failed.” The trial is brief because proof is abundant. For as long as these gods have ruled, they have oppressed the children of the Most High, and so God has removed them from power. 

This psalm should remind us that there is only one who is just and true; only one who rules with perfect, unchanging love. In verse 8, once the Lord’s speech has finished, the psalmist responds by asking God to fill the vacant offices. 

What would happen today if we started judging our leaders by how well they took care of the poor and needy? It’s not a partisan question. The gods of Psalm 82 are judged only by their record of removing oppression from the earth. That judgment reflects the values of the King of Kings. That is the way he has ordered the world; that is how those below him ought to measure their actions. 

So the protesters have a point — the peaceful ones at least. While even their accusation does not burn with the same power or holiness as that which comes from God Almighty, they are right to stand up against such profligate violence as occurred in Minneapolis a few weeks ago. They’re right to call for due process in that incident and in so many others over the years, in which those who have power have grossly misused it. Today the national conversation is around racism and violence. Tomorrow there will be others who need to be held accountable for their actions. The Lord God will remain on the throne. The holiness and justice of God will continue convicting us of our own sin as well — and may we continue to repent.

Today, remember that we are under the King of Kings, whose mercy reaches down toward those who need it the very most. Praise be to Jesus Christ, who has descended to be with us, died for our iniquity, and rose again to rule as Sovereign of that heavenly court.

Closing Prayer

O God, from whom all good proceeds:
Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.