Every so often we might hear on the news that a judge, a politician, or a major business leader is being brought to court to stand trial for some major infractions. They were doing wrong, and have not done what they were supposed to be doing. As they stand before the court they are severely reprimanded for their behavior. If they don’t change their actions and behavior, their punishment will be worse. In our psalm for this week we read of the Lord God, the Righteous Judge, bringing His judgment on those who have not been doing what they were supposed to be doing. Let’s see what He has to say.
Today’s psalm was written by Asaph, who was one of the Temple musicians and worship leaders. This psalm, however, was not a psalm of praise or worship. Instead, Asaph brings a warning message from God. This Scripture is concerned with the problem of unjust judges, and would easily include both the political leaders and business leaders of the day, as well. In this psalm these leaders are called the Hebrew word “elohim” or “gods” because of their responsibility to represent Yahweh to the people, as the word also has the meaning of a judge or ruler.
Our psalm’s setting is similar to the court cases we are familiar with. In verse one, we see the Lord God, the Judge of all, arriving for the hearing. In verses two through five the accusations against these leaders are given. In verses six and seven the Lord, as Judge of all mankind, sets forth His verdict. And the psalm concludes in verse eight proclaiming that Yahweh is indeed the Judge of all the world, and thus, His verdict is a just one.
The accusations that were brought against these judges, political, and business leaders were that they do not give fair and just judgment, but instead show partiality to friends, those who pay them bribes, and other criminal sorts (vs. 2). They do not use their power and resources to help the poor, the afflicted, or the needy, but instead only care for those who are wicked like themselves (vs. 3-4).
As we know, of course, this is not something that is unique to the days of the Bible. We see this all the time with unscrupulous, unethical, and amoral business leaders and politicians today. These types of judges and politicians frequently take bribes, and are not impartial in their judgments. These business and political leaders do not care for the poor, the needy, and orphans. They are more interested in their own, or the company’s bank accounts, and how much money they are making for themselves and their stockholders. If that makes it extremely burdensome and costly for poorer people, they just shrug their shoulders and do not care for their difficulty.
When leaders leave the way of God, and devise their own ways, the people, particularly the poor and vulnerable, become victims of corruption, abuse, and neglect. The Lord God is not happy or pleased with this type of behavior from these leaders, either back then or today, and He is calling them in for judgment. These leaders are to represent Yahweh to the people as His servants, and are to serve the people, not prey on them.
As our psalm continues, we see that these people do not follow the Lord God (vs. 5). They do not know or understand His Word, and they are walking in darkness. Until these leaders turn to Jesus, they will continue to be in darkness, and as such, believers should turn away from them, rather than giving them support.
Asaph saw that in his day, the foundations of the earth were unstable (vs. 5). These were legal, political, and business leaders who were to provide the foundation for society and the country. Yet what type of foundation were they giving when they were all corrupt and wicked? It was all faltering and unstable, and would be bringing the judgment of God. When leaders rule unjustly, the divinely established moral order which undergirds human existence is undermined. Don’t we see this as we look across our country and around the world? What can we expect when our leaders turn away from God and His Word? The Lord allowed them to obtain these positions, and yet they have turned their back on Him. Thus, He has promised special judgment upon these leaders. If we are so privileged to be in such a position, let us make sure that we follow God’s Word and ways, rightly representing Him to the people. If we aren’t in any such position, let’s make sure that we actively support those who are following God’s ways.
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