Scripture: Psalm 82
A Psalm of Asaph
82 God presides in the heavenly council;
in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision:
2 “You must stop judging unjustly;
you must no longer be partial to the wicked!
3 Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans;
be fair to the needy and the helpless.
4 Rescue them from the power of evil people.
5 “How ignorant you are! How stupid!
You are completely corrupt,
and justice has disappeared from the world.
6 ‘You are gods,’ I said;
‘all of you are children of the Most High.’
7 But you will die like mortals;
your life will end like that of any prince.”
8 Come, O God, and rule the world;
all the nations are yours.
Observation:
Who is this ruling council that the Psalmist Asaph writes about? There seems to be "gods" or “sons of God” to describe a group of beings, either heavenly or divine, who are under God's authority and are called to judge justly. Asaph was a Levite and worship leader who wrote twelve Psalms during the time of David and Soloman. He served in the tabernacle choir singing and playing before the Ark of the Covenant. The Psalmist Asaph calls upon God saying: “Come, O God, and rule the world; all the nations are yours.” (Psalm 82:8) Asaph recognizes there is only One Supreme Being, The Lord of Hosts, Our God.
Application:
There is only One God who is ruler of all and our God desires mercy and justice. God wants us to care for the helpless and to take up the cause of the orphans.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, we admit that we do not always know how to interpret your word. But we know that you are God and you are God alone. There is no one like You, The Creator and Ruler of All. Help us to have a right spirit as we approach your throne of grace. Help us to realize that we have much to learn from you every day of our lives. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and give us hearts to love as you love. Amen.