Psalm 82

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy …” (v3-4). This psalm depicts the Creator rebuking “the gods” for abandoning their responsibility to protect the weak (v1).  “The gods” seems to be a poetic, exaggerated way to refer to Israel’s leaders who are supposed to reflect God’s own character (v6) but have failed.  The Creator reminds them that kings, judges, and leaders will all die and face judgment (v7).

“Arise O God, judge the earth” (v8). The world rewards those who use power for self-exaltation, but the true Judge calls us to a different standard: King Jesus “emptied himself” to lift others up (Philippians 2).