A World Off Course

Psalm 82:1-8

A Psalm of Asaph.

“God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.  How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.” (Psalm 82:1-2)

In the modern world, it seems the powerful have tried to exclude God and ignore his principles.  They do not understand that as Jesus told Pilate, “…Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above...” In John 19:11.  Their power and even their very existence are dependent on him.  He will judge the most powerful and respected beings in the universe, even though they are considered gods by in the minds of themselves or others. 

Knowing this, how long will we continue to idolize or ignore the wickedness of those in positions of fame and power?  Political figures, business leaders, and entertainment celebrities are excused for things that other people would be imprisoned for.   Their actions encourage others to do even worse things, yet we treat them as if they were the best people on earth.

“Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.  Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.  They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.” (Psalm 82:3-5)

Instead of seeking the approval of the powerful, we need to protect those who lack the finances to hire legal or political protection and those who have no parents to guide them through life.  We need to limit the power of the wicked to control those less powerful.  Unfortunately, many times those who need help have fallen for the promises f those who take advantage of them and walk blindly on in darkness, not realizing the only way those promises can be fulfilled is by taking even more control of them. 

Both socialism and fascism seek to control people completely.  The only real difference is in how they exercise that control.  Unfortunately in the modern political realm. socialism now called liberal and fascism is called conservative.  Neither is either Liberal or conservative, they just want power.  Unfortunately people adopt the ideologies and blindly pursue them not realizing the consequences  of those ideologies. 

 As a result of those idealogies, as the psalmist says, the foundations of the world are out of course.   The political system, the economic system, the religious system, the educational system, and the moral system are all messed up, because we have blindly followed one side or the other rather than seeking out the truth.  We have accepted and promoted the wicked rather than limiting their power.      

“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.  But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.  Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” (Psalm 82:6-8)

God created us in his image and gave us the power to make informed decisions about our lives, so that we can live as his children in peace and safety.  Because of the choice to ignore or even support wickedness we live and die like people who have no knowledge of God, only to be destroyed and punished like those we supported.   The psalmist asks that God would Judge the earth , because ultimately it all belongs to him anyway.  That judgement is the hope of the righteous, because only God has power to put the world back on course.