Today's Video Devotion

Saturday 11/25/23

A Fair Judge

📺️ Psalm 82 🔊

¹God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

 ²How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

 ³Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

 ⁴Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

 ⁵They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

 ⁶I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

 ⁷But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

 ⁸Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: David, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, Ethan, Moses, and the Sons of Korah

Date Penned: (1440-586 BC)

Overview: Poetry for the Expression of Praise and Worship to God (c 1-150)

Theme: The Third Book of Psalms (c 73 - 89)

Message: A Fair Judge (v 1-8)

Psalms 82 Commentary

(82:1) Integrity - God judges human judges. The integrity of the justice system in a nation provides a clear indication of the health of that society. As is the case with all leadership, judges derive their authority ultimately from God and will give an account to God for their decisions, even if they do not follow him. Believers are commanded to pray for "kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Timothy 2:2). We should include judges and leaders of every kind in our prayers because we directly benefit from their integrity. 

(82:3-4) Serving Others - This psalm clarifies our role in helping vulnerable people. It requires that we put our love into action. Jesus names specific kinds of people toward whom we can focus our efforts: the hungry, thirsty, estranged, naked, sick, and imprisoned (Matthew 25:31-46). He shows us we have plenty to do. Reset some of your priorities and get to work serving those who most need your help. 

(32:6) The Son of God - This psalm calls the rulers and judges of Israel "gods" and "children of the most High. This is because they represented God in executing judgment. John 10:34-36 records Jesus using this passage to defend his claims to be God. Jesus explained that if God would call mere people "gods," why would he, the true Son of God, be blaspheming to declare himself equal with God?

Each day, we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter, making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Psalms with Chapter 82. In our text today, we see a theme of how our God is a fair judge, how He will judge the wicked who have mistreated others. In applying, we see the recurring theme of how God judges sin, how sin separates us from God, and why we need to be saved. Today, society mistakes the grace of God for God's acceptance of their sin. We see sinners flaunting their sin in the community, saying it is okay, not realizing that judgment is right around the corner. How about you? Do you mistake the grace of God as a license to sin? Let us learn from our Psalm and text today to remember that God is a fair judge and that we must not mistake God's Grace for God's acceptance of our sins.