Through the Psalms

Old Testament

God Will Destroy Wicked Rulers - (Psalm 82:1-2)

Daily Praise
God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

Reading Notes
Psalm eighty-two is a community lament sung by the people. It focuses on the injustices of tyranny and the wickedness of evil human rulers. This psalm was meant to give hope and courage to those following the Lord. Hope from the knowledge that God will judge those who are evil and refuse to follow Him. The opening scene of psalm eighty-two is God Himself standing in the midst of an assembly of the world rulers. These are the leaders of the people. God calls all leaders to exercise godly authority and leadership, with equity and justice toward all people, great and small. The imagery used throughout this psalm is one where the wicked leaders, those who have governed unjustly are standing before the Lord to answer for their actions.

Here in these passages the phrase "judges among the gods" is a reference to human kings and rulers and not to angels. We know this because of the last verses of this chapter states they shall die like men. Moreover, in the Gospel of John chapter ten, verses thirty-four to thirty-five Jesus Himself cites this passage as referring to human rulers. Here God is rebuking these men for their injustice and tyranny. God is rebuking them because they catered to the wicked and brought harm to those they were meant to protect. They were called to carry out justice as stated in God's law, to protect the weak and the innocent and speak for those who could not speak for themselves. Instead, they used their position of influence and power for evil means, bringing tyranny to their communities. This psalm shows us God is not only in control, but that all human leaders have a responsibility before God to govern well those placed under their care.

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