JUDGES

Psalm 82:2-4
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

A Psalm of Asaph.

2 “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked?
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.

In this week when there is a lot of focus on the nomination of a Supreme Court justice, consider what God has to say on the subject. The author of Psalm 82 describes a scene in which God chastises and challenges Israel’s judges.

Because of their role as God’s delegates and image-bearers, these men were referred to as “gods” (v. 6). Do we dare think of our Supreme Court justices that way today? Rather than defending the unjust and judging with partiality, they were accountable to defend the weak and fatherless and to protect the rights of the poor and oppressed. They were to exercise their power in a godly manner, a manner which would rescue the needy and deliver them from the domination of wicked individuals.

Will this be the debate we will hear over the nomination of our next Supreme Court justice?