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.” vss. 3-4
Psalm 82
The psalmist is imagining a council of the gods of the nations that has gathered to consider the state of humankind. Such gatherings are mentioned several times in the Hebrew scriptures and can be understood as a precursor to the absolute monotheism that was typical of Judaism. In this instance the psalmist indicates that the God of Israel rose up at the council and pronounced judgment on the other gods. God has noticed that in the other nations the poor and the needy are being marginalized and abused, that they’re being taken advantage of by the wicked. God then lifts one of the cardinal principles of the nation of Israel. Always the leaders are to give justice to the weak and the orphans and maintain the rights of the lowly and the destitute. It’s hard to miss the psalmist’s point! Yet we miss the mark again and again. Too many nations neglect the weak and the needy while offering the rich and the powerful every possible advantage. We’re seeing that again in our world as the gap between the rich and the poor increases to unprecedented levels. No matter how we imagine God to be, it cannot be that this is the dawn of the peaceable kingdom promised by Jesus. What is happening is not God’s intention.
Thought for the Day: Why does God care so much about the weak and the lowly?
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