Psalm 82
1 God presides over heaven’s court;
he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:
2 “How long will you hand down unjust decisions
by favoring the wicked?
This psalm is aimed at the judges of that time, who, though appointed by God to administer his justice, had become corrupt.
3 “Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
4 Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people.
I can’t help but think of Wall Street executives and corporate titans who take billions in taxpayer money, and give themselves bonuses with it! But God isn’t talking to the rich here, he’s talking to those who are supposed to protect those who can’t protect themselves. The judges in Israel preceded the kings, and were appointed to fairly judge disputes based on the law that God handed down to Moses. But over time, some became corrupt. Even to this day, in America’s system of justice, there is a different standard of justice for the rich and the poor. How many rich drug offenders do you suppose there are in our prisons, compared to poor ones?
5 But these oppressors know nothing;
they are so ignorant!
They wander about in darkness,
while the whole world is shaken to the core.
6 I say, ‘You are gods;
you are all children of the Most High.
7 But you will die like mere mortals
and fall like every other ruler.’”
8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth,
for all the nations belong to you.
This is just one example in the Bible of how God cares about social justice. God doesn’t only care about our personal salvation. He also speaks over and over in the Bible about justice, and taking care of the poor, the widows and orphans. If we take the passages in the Bible about personal conduct seriously today, should we not take these passages seriously also? If God judges the earth, and all the nations belong to him, don’t these principles of Biblical social justice also apply to us today?