Favoring the Forgotten – Psalm 82

A text – Psalm 82

82:1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
82:2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
82:3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
82:4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
82:5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
82:6 I say, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;
82:7 nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince.”
82:8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you!

A reflection:

In this psalm it seems that the Most High God is confronting others who are entrusted with judgments. And the Most High God is not pleased with what these judges have been doing. “How long will you keep favoring wicked people?” God asks these judges. “Give justice to the weak, the orphan, the lowly, the destitute!”

You know, almost wherever we look, the Most High God takes the side of the weak, the orphan, the destitute, the lowly. The Most High God wants to spend power and grace on everyone who doesn’t have anything at all in life. I wonder why that is?

Let’s consider for a moment the people Jesus healed during his earthly ministry. Which ones can you think of offhand? The blind beggar? The woman who was hemorrhaging? The old lady whose back had bent her over for 18 years? These were not elders or princes or rich people. Jesus ministered to those people too, but many of the stories we recall best were people on the very fringes of life, the people the Most High God in this psalm is admonishing these judges to look out for. The invisible, unempowered folks.

Maybe we should be looking for them, too. Maybe we should help them to receive justice and right-ness. Because everyone’s future is found in the final verse: “Rise up O God, judge the earth, for all nations belong to you.”

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for favoring those whom no one else will favor. Help us to see those people in our daily walk and favor them, too.  Amen.