“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” Psalm 82:1-2 ESV
Reflection: which side are you on in the war between Russia and Ukraine? And why?
When the war between Russia and Ukraine started, many people across the world were quick to take sides. If you did, let me ask you to be brutally honest with yourself. What did you base your decision on, picking which side was the “good guys”? News reports? Social media? Refugees? Most likely, none of us truly understand what is going on. And yet many pick sides, think of one people as good and the other bad. Some even very passionately, raise the country flag for whom they root for, perhaps sending money and supplies, even without knowing truly the situation. Are they inadvertently supporting the wicked? From our recent pandemic experience, we must realize by now that much of the world is engulfed in a web of lies. What we are presented is what we are “supposed to know”, or “supposed to believe”. You can call it manipulation, propaganda, or whatever.
In Psalms 82, there is an interesting question raised by Asaph. “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah” Psalm 82:2 ESV. Is he asking God? That doesn’t make any sense since God doesn’t judge unjustly, or take sides with the wicked, right? Perhaps he is just asking God, since it looks like, or appears like, God is letting the wicked get away with so much. Or perhaps this is asking God’s people, why they are dabbling with the wicked, taking their side? Let’s read on, perhaps we get some more clarity.
“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted 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 about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.” Psalm 82:3-5 ESV
Now, this seems like a prayer to God. But, could it be also be a call to action for God’s people? Asaph continues, “I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”” Psalm 82:6-7 ESV. That is pretty direct language, to God’s people, or “sons of the Most High”. That we, children of the Most High God, have a responsibility to not side with the wicked, but with the weak, the fatherless, the afflicted and the destitute. To work to achieve justice and right for them. To care for those who are oppressed. And, isn’t this exactly what Jesus taught?
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:34-40 ESV.
This principle can also be applied to practical situations in our day to day lives. Who are we siding with? Let’s not excuse the wicked, the perpetrators, and certainly don’t side with them. Instead, we work actively to “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82:3-4 ESV. That is the heart of our God.