PSALM 82.
A PROBLEM OF POWER...AMONG THE GODS.
This is a most peculiar psalm, and although it is small, our Lord Himself
quoted an important thing from it. Consider first that the principles of Just
Judgment and the consequence of Unjust Judgment are the same in all Ages and
Cases. When we consider that in our case we have had an unjust judgment, we
feel very upset about it. But we are apt to ignore the fact that there are
many, many, cases where people are wrongly accused, or wrongly done by. Our
God is the one who holds the balances, and He is a God of Justice. The Lord
of the earth: The Judge of the earth will do right. The psalmist Asaph opens
with, "The Lord standeth among the congregation of the mighty, and He judgeth
among the Gods." We are told in the New Testament that we, the children of
God, are to judge the angels. If we are to judge the angels, it is high time
we learned the Power of JUST JUDGMENT. Not that we should judge now, but that
we should learn the power of just judgment; remembering that God has for
Christ's sake forgiven us, and that He is just when He justifies. It is a
right judgment by the Almighty. In John 10.34-36 it is recorded that our Lord
quoted from this psalm.. "Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your
law, I said ye are gods?. If He called them gods, unto whom the Word of God
came, and the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him whom the father hath
sanctified, and sent into the world, 'Thou blasphemest', because I said, "I
am the Son of God?" He was being harried and pressed on all sides by the Jews
who said, "We are going to stone you, not for the good works you have done;
but we stone you because you being a man make out that you are god." Then
Jesus quoted this very psalm. Now, note the qualification made by our Lord.
He said, "You are become gods because the Word of the Lord came unto you."
This is very wonderful. We rejoice in the fact that we are the children of
God. If we are the children of God, we are gods. But we are not gods to be
worshipped; we are gods because we have received the Word of the Lord
.
Upon consideration it becomes obvious that it is the Word of God which
transfers us from natural men and women, to spiritual men and women. It is
the receiving of the Word of God which causes the transformation. With this
reception of the Word of God there comes a responsibility. The Word has a
capacity to bring Power. Since the New Birth we have been receiving the
power to distinguish natural things from spiritual. there are millions
around us who cannot discern the spiritual. Paul is adamant about this in 1
Corinthians 2. He makes the point clearly that there is a great difference
between natural knowledge and spiritual. the spiritual person receives
spiritual things because the Holy Spirit reveals them to him. There is a
tremendous power in that. A natural person can read right through the Bible
and it will mean nothing to him. A spiritual person can read one chapter and
receive from God more than the other person can receive in a lifetime. It is
the power of discernment. This is the power which is operative in TRUE
JUDGMENT.
Note the responsibility of this power. All power brings with it
responsibility. Responsibility is a sign of growing up. When we were very
young we were very irresponsible. Parents know this, so they give a very
limited amount of responsibility to their children.. With maturity and
growth, responsibility should grow also. The Power of just judgment is given
because we are accountable to God. It is easy to read in the Scriptures that
we "shall judge angels." What an awesome task. But living on this earth the
issue of spiritual discernment challenges us every day of our spiritual
lives. God expects us to advance in our spiritual lives for the
accountability the power of discernment has given us.. One young believer
said to me, "I believe I can raise the dead!". I advised him not to try it,
adding, "It might kill you!". It is one things to say a thing, it is another
to DO it and accept the responsibility.
In his song, Asaph sees God standing in the congregation of the Mighty.
Standing among those who have the Power and Responsibility. God - Jehovah -
STANDS - it is a posture of Power. He, the Almighty is by His Nature All
Powerful. He stands above all. There is not one place in the Universe - earth
- haven - or hell, where God cannot stand. He is ALMIGHTY GOD. He stands
above all in His posture of Power and Authority. ALL power and authority
belong to God. As those to whom the Word of comes are like gods - God judges
them. He judgeth among the gods.
There is a sense in which we have no right to judge one another, for we
all shall be judged. No one but God Himself can truly judge us. But when He
does, shall not the judge of all do right?. Whatever power God gives us, He
will hold us responsible for it.
The psalmist now faces the dreadful effect of erroneous human judgments.
Men judge unjustly for various reasons:-
1. WEAKNESS - being themselves in the power of others.
2. PREJUDICE - having their minds made up already because of human traditions
etc.
3. PASSION - how often we misjudge in anger. How easily we are gripped by
passion.
4. SELF INTEREST - there is a constant refusal to deny ourselves. We should
suspend all judgment if self interest enters the case.
5. PARTY SPIRIT - Our judgment must not be affected by any stance we have
taken or any pressure by people we are joined with.
JUSTICE is an important element in social and civic life. It is ALL
IMPORTANT in our spiritual life. God hates injustice. We do not think or
speak injustice - WE DO IT. God is the AVENGER. He will defend. He will
always defend the act of JUSTICE - He will put right the wrongs. God provides
for the poor and the fatherless. There is no real charity without justice.
Until we bring to account the injustice which causes the need, we can give
and give and give and there still will be suffering because of injustice.
There is in most people the persistent refusal to understand the
responsibility of power. "They know not, neither will they understand." They
have no conscious duty towards others.. If you belong to a body, you have a
responsibility towards it. The psalmist sings, "They walk on in darkness".
Darkness is a figure both of ignorance and wickedness, We are living in a
world which is full of this darkness - ignorant of God, and revelling in
wickedness. Ignorance is no plea - The Word is with us to show us what we
ought to do. I was stopped by a policeman because a rear light on my car had
gone out. I apologised saying that I was unaware that the light had failed.
The officer told me quite strictly, "Ignorance is no plea in law", and he was
perfectly correct. The whole world may lie in ignorance, but that is no plea
against the Law of God. The psalmist emphasises the fact that ALL the
foundations are removed. When one considers it, Justice and Truth are the
only true foundations of good society. But we are living in a corrupt world
because justice and truth have been removed. We are in a peculiar stage in
the history of man. Nearly half of the world is trying to revise the
democratic principle so that all may accept it. When men turn to that ploy
and they try to grasp it, it crumbles as dust in their hands. We can only
declare on the strength of God's Word that the foundations of Good society
anywhere in the world are Justice and Truth. If in every land the Truth was
spoken, and justice was done for ALL, there would be a good society among
men. But in this worn out world death intermingles sceptres with spades -
some reign and some are buried.
In the eighth verse of this psalm. the answer to the problem of power is
given, "Lord! Take the sceptre and rule yourself!" If I pray that prayer, He
MUST RULE in my heart. How can I ask Him to rule in others, if I do not allow
Him to rule in me?.. THERE ARE TWO SCRIPTURES WHICH ANSWER THE PROBLEM OF
POWER:-
1. "HALLELUJAH - ."The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth."
2. "Surely, I come quickly!"
Copyright (c) 1996, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved.
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