A God of Justice (Psalm 82)
God’s Justice
Psalm 82
INTRODUCTION:
“Justice” is another name for the “righteousness” of God. “Justice” is an inherent part of God’s nature. “Justice” means giving someone what they deserve - whether for good or for bad.
Vera Czermak was distraught when she learned that her husband was being unfaithful to her. So she went up to a third-story window and jumped out. She actually landed on her husband and killed him. According to the Washington Post, this is a true story.
We might call that “poetic justice.” We might use the Buddhist term: karma. We might say that is justice.
The Bible describes God as being just, or righteous, many many times. The Bible also illustrates the justice of God on many occasions.
You remember that Israel was in slavery in Egypt for a few hundred years. The more God blessed Israel with growth, the more Pharaoh oppressed Israel. We might say that God’s reaction to Pharaoh is “poetic justice.”
For example, Pharaoh commanded the midwives to kill the Hebrew boys. The “goddess” of childbirth in the Egyptian religion was Heket, a goddess often symbolized by frogs. So, the plague of frogs showed that God had control over the process of childbirth.
Pharaoh had the boys thrown into the Nile River to kill them. God struck the Nile River with blood to make it unusable.
Pharaoh arrogantly said that he didn’t know Jehovah God. So God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh to introduce Himself to Pharaoh.
Of course, ultimately, Pharaoh had tried to kill the baby boys by drowning and God killed the Egyptian army by drowning them in the Red Sea.
God does not allow sin to go unpunished. That is justice. In the Law of Moses, God required “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Exo. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21). Many people criticize that principle as teaching vengeance. But, the law applied to the court room - that is, God intended for the penalty for a crime to fit the crime. That’s what that is about. Similarly, in Deuteronomy 19:16-19, God required that if a man proved to be a liar in court, then whatever he had wanted to do to the accused, the judge would do to him. That’s justice.
At the trial of Jesus, you remember that the Sanhedrin found lying witnesses against Jesus to put Him to death. Under the Law of Moses, when it was shown that those witnesses were lying, then the Sanhedrin should have been put to death. That’s justice.
Consider these points from Scripture relative to God’s justice:
Psalm 19:9 - God’s laws are just.
Psalm 89:14 - The foundation of God’s throne is justice.
Hebrews 1:8 - The scepter of Christ’s kingdom is justice.
2 Corinthians 9:9 - God’s justice will endure forever
Acts 17:31 - God’s justice is the ultimate standard of justice.
Romans 2:6 - God will give to each person what he or she deserves.
2 Timothy 4:8 - God’s justice is the basis of our rewards.
In Genesis 18:25, Abraham describes God’s nature to God, when he says, “Will not the judge of all the earth do right?” God is a God of justice, of righteousness.
Psalm 82 is the text which will serve as our encouragement this morning. Last Sunday, we talked about anger and I pointed out that often times we get angry when people disrespect us or when people don’t acknowledge the “rights” that we have. Sometimes, however, our anger is justified. Sometimes, our anger is just. The sense of justice that we feel in our hearts was put there by God. We just need to make sure that we use and exercise that sense of justice in a way that honors God and His word.
Let’s study Psalm 82 together…
GOD JUDGES IN THE MIDST OF RULERS - 82:1:
This verse points to the fundamental rule among men - God “stands” in the assembly of God - this refers to Israel, God’s people in the OT. In their midst, God “judges.” This verb “to judge” is used four times in this psalm, 151 times in the OT. The verb “to vindicate” in verse 3 is this same verb. Here’s something that’s eye-opening: the word “rulers” (ver. 1) is the word “elohim,” which is the word for “God.”
God wants His people to be treated fairly. God wants His people to treat one another fairly. When Israel first came out of Egypt, Moses was wearing himself out trying to keep peace within this 2-million-people nation because he seemed to be doing all the judging by himself. The account is told in Exodus 18. In that passage, Moses’ father-in-law advised Moses to appoint good men who could help judge in the small, minor problems and leave the big, major problems for Moses. In that passage, Moses is presented as the representative of God to the people. Earlier, God had told Moses that Moses would be “as God” to Pharaoh with Aaron, his brother, being the prophet (7:1). You may want to compare different translations of Exodus 21:6, where the Hebrew word is “God” but many translations translate the word as “judges.”
What this shows us is that God worked through human agency. God “judged” through humans who executed the laws that God laid out. Ultimately authority, of course, resides in God, but He has chosen to execute that authority through humans. In the home, that authority is executed through Dads and Moms. In the church, that authority is executed through the elders. In society, that authority is executed through rulers over the people.
Of course, sometimes these human rulers do not execute God’s justice as God has commanded. In which case, they will be held accountable by God.
In Deuteronomy 1:17, God told Israel through Moses: “‘You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’”
Human rulers stand in the place of God to execute His just laws.
Listen to the words of King Jehoshaphat when he appointed judges throughout the land of Israel (2 Chronicles 19:6-7): “He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you when you render judgment. “Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.’”
What we are emphasizing is that - to the degree that human rulers are implementing God’s teachings - then they are God’s servants. That’s why in Romans 13:4, Paul can refer to human rulers as God’s “ministers.” They stand in the place of God and have His authority, when they execute His laws.
THE SINFUL BEHAVIOR OF THE “GODS” - 82:2-4:
In this paragraph, the psalmist, Asaph, turns his attention to those “gods” / “rulers” who are on the earth. Out of frustration with their behavior, he asks:
How long will you judge unjustly? God is a God of justice. Those who serve in God’s place ought to be just and righteous as well. These men were not being fair in their behavior.
In Exodus 22:21-24, the law of Moses required Israel to treat people fairly, especially the widows and orphans. And, God said if they did not, He would stir up His anger and attack the guilty people with the sword and make the women widows and the children orphans.
How long will you show partiality to the wicked? These judges were willing to accept bribes or some other trade-off in order to be partial to the wicked. That’s nothing new.
So in verse 3, the psalmist calls on these wicked rulers - the men who were “wicked” representatives of God - to “vindicate” or “judge” the weak and fatherless.
The verb “do justice” is the verb “to make righteous” - to those afflicted and those destitute. These are two words which are synonyms and refers to the poor and those who have been ignored or trampled on in society.
In verse 4, the psalmist calls on the rulers, the “gods,” to rescue the weak and the needy. To deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. But are wicked judges going to side against the wicked plaintiffs? Not usually. Usually they will side with the ones who pays them the highest bribe or gives them the largest kick-backs. And those are not the weak, needy, afflicted, destitute…
THE END OF THE “GODS” - 82:5-7:
The result of ignorance is that people walk in darkness. We could interpret verse 5 in two ways. First, these judges do not know and do not understand the result of their unrighteous decisions. They walk about in darkness and do not understand what they are doing to individuals, to society, and to themselves. What is happening? The foundations of the earth are shaken.
Or, it could also be that the psalmist is referring to the destitute and afflicted who do not know or understand why the judges don’t rule according to law. That they don’t rule in fairness. That’s why the poor walk in darkness. The end result is the same, however: all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
But when judges do not judge righteously, the foundations of society are weakened. You have to have a society based on laws and those laws have to be interpreted and executed fairly and blindly. That’s why “Lady Justice” is picture has wearing a blind-fold. There is no room for exceptions to the law based on race or gender or socio-economic status.
In verse 6, Jehovah God reminds these human rulers who is really in control. “I said, You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.” That is, human rulers exist to serve and rule and judge in the place of God. They are “sons” of the Most High in the sense that they are supposed to exhibit the character and nature of God.
However, because of their wickedness and their unjust decisions, verse 7 says that they will die like all men. They will be brought to an end. They will fall like one of the princes. Everyone will die and everyone will be judged by the Judge who rules over all the earth. Everyone is going to give an account to God for the responsibilities God has placed into their hands.
JEHOVAH GOD POSSESSES THE WHOLE EARTH - 82:8:
The psalmist closes this psalm by once again calling on God, as he did in verse 1, to judge the earth. The reason why he wants God to judge the earth, the reason why God has the right to judge the earth is because He possesses all the nations. Everyone is accountable to Jehovah God.
The apostle Paul tells us in a sermon he preached in Athens, Greece: “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).
JESUS’ USE OF PSALM 82:6 - John 10:34-38:
In John 10, Jesus states that He and the Father are one (10:30). The Jews understood Jesus to be making Himself equal with God (which He was) but they thought He was blaspheming. So, they picked up stones to stone Jesus to death.
Jesus responded, “I have showed you many good works - miracles - from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” (ver. 32). In fact, He had just given eyesight to a man born blind in chapter 9!
The Jews respond that they are going to stone Him because He, “being a man, makes Himself out to be God” (ver. 33).
That’s when Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6: “I said, you are gods.” In verse 35, Jesus makes His application. If Asaph, the author of Psalms (and all the psalms were considered inspired, so we might say “If God called them “gods.””) called rulers “gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), why would they accuse Jesus of committing blasphemy to identify Himself as the “son of God”? In fact, we’ve already seen from Psalm 82:7 that these rulers were also called “sons of God.”
Here’s Jesus’ point… these rulers were given the law of God to execute and the basis on which they are to make decisions. Because they ruled in the place of God, they were called “gods.” The truthfulness and durability of Scripture is emphasized when Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken.” You cannot successfully twist Scripture, you cannot successful break Scripture in order to get rid of it. You cannot nullify Scripture. It is that powerful.
But in the next verse, the Father sanctified the Son and sent Him into the world - with the ability to perform miracles like give eyesight to the man born blind. Why would they accuse Jesus of blasphemy in making Himself one of God’s rulers - in fact, God’s last and final ruler!
Jesus is, in fact, the judge of mankind now and He will judge righteously. In fact, in Matthew 12, the apostle quotes Isaiah 42:1-2 in which Isaiah states that the Messiah will proclaim “justice” to the Gentiles. The Messiah was going to be fair and just! That’s Jesus. He judges fairly and justly.
In fact, the Gospel of John emphasizes the role of Jesus as our judge. The word “judgment” or “to judge” is used 32 times in this Gospel. In John 5:30, Jesus states, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” The will of the Father who sent Jesus is to judge fairly. Jesus will do that, in contrast to the earthly rulers who do not judge fairly.
So, Jesus’ use of Psalm 82:6 in this text shows three things:
1.) Jesus did not blaspheme when He called Himself the “Son of God.” Human rulers were called that in the book of Psalms.
2.) Jesus is the judge sent by God.
3.) Jesus will judge according to God’s standards.
Back to John 10, to wrap up our study this morning… In verse 37, Jesus says that the Jews should not believe His message if He wasn’t doing the works of the Father. But, verse 38, if He was doing the works of the Father - like giving eyesight to a man born blind! - then they need to know and understand that the Father is in Christ and Christ is in the Father. Well, the Jews did not like that whole conversation!
Take home message: God has given all authority to execute His judgment to His Son. You and I need to execute God’s word in our own lives and be faithful to His justice. We will give an account one day.
Start an evangelism conversation: “What single thing would you like to make absolutely certain you do (if at all possible) during your lifetime?”