"God calls his rulers to account"

SERMON ON   PSALM 82  

delivered on October 29, 2000 by Dr. C. Van Dam

at Ebenezer Church, Burlington, ON

Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

            It is clear that Psalm 82 was composed in a time of unrest. Injustice and inequity were officially promoted in society. There was oppression of some segments of society. Harmony in society was breaking up. It was a time of growing darkness. Even the shaking of the foundations of the earth is referred to.

            This Psalm however was not written to simply lament such a situation, but instead it was written to take us behind the scenes to see what really has happened and is happening and is going to happen. This Psalm takes the wrapping off and dispels the mystery and uncertainty as to reasons for the unrest in society. In taking us behind the scenes, God’s Word here tells us what God is doing about it!

            This Psalm starts off with the majestic proclamation that God, the God who rules heaven and earth, is doing something about the grievous situation as it is. For look, we read in verse 1 that “God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the ‘gods’”. The gods are being called to judgment, for it is clear, the gods - they are responsible! Who are the gods? Whom does God hold responsible for the situation as it is in Israel? Some have suggested that “the gods” are “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”, that is, the evil angels and the demonic powers (cf. Eph 6). However, nowhere are these called “gods”. Much less “sons of the Most High” - as is also referred to in our text. The identity of the gods is more down to earth. They are not the principalities and powers and bad angels whom God here calls to account. No, for these gods are the human rulers. Human rulers are identified as gods in Psalm 58:1 which literally reads: “Do you gods indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men?” The context shows that these gods are human rulers. That is also the case in Psalm 82. Our Saviour referred to Psalm 82 in  John 10:34 and he clearly saw the title “gods” as referring to human beings. And so we can conclude that the “gods” in our text are human rulers.

            It is the human rulers that God calls to account. In Psalm 82 they would be Israel’s rulers, on whatever level of government that be, from the king down to the local elders in Israel. In a wider context, as we read the Psalm today, the gods is title, name, given by Lord God to all those who rule on whatever level of government that be.

            This Psalm therefore teaches us that God holds MAN responsible for any unrest or injustice and darkness that can threaten life on earth. And it is especially the rulers who are singled out. They bear special responsibility!

            This Psalm, however, is not just for those who rule over us. Our Lord has given this Psalm also to us, for there is also a message here, for us, who live in the times we do. Psalm 82 helps us to understand our times and its politics and to understand our duty in this age, also during election campaigns. We will consider Psalm 82 under this theme:

God calls his rulers to account. We will see the

1. place of God’s rulers

2. performance of God’s rulers

3. prayer for God’s rulers

1.       By giving the name “gods” to human earthly rulers, this Psalm clearly underlines and emphasizes the very high position of those who rule. By this title every authority is elevated as it were even from this world. They are set high, close to God! They are gods, close to God and therefore even called Sons of the Most High! As is clear from this Psalm it is God himself who has set them in this high position, for God can call them to account. They are not rulers (“gods”) in their own right, but they rule by the grace of God. A fact still recognized by the inscription on our coins “Queen by the grace of God” (Dei gratia regina).He has set them in their high position. This is a concept that rulers and those in authority have always found difficult to accept. Roman rulers, such as Pontius Pilate knew that as far as they were concerned they ruled because the sword of Rome and Rome’s power had conquered the world. A Roman governor got his authority from Rome and the sword of Rome, but the Lord Jesus said directly to Pilate: “You would have no power over me, except it had been given to you from above”. Today’s democratic rulers speak much about getting their power and authority and mandate from the people. However, in spite of the fact that under a democratic system people vote a particular government into power, the power to rule is really and actually not from human beings, but it comes from God, for he is the Ruler of the earth, and he is the one who elevates some (also by means of the democratic process of voting), to a high position of authority so that they are “gods”! And because God is ultimately the one who puts them in power, it is to God that they will have to render account (and not in the first place to the people as such!) Psalm 82 makes that line of accountability very clear. As our text puts it in verse 1:

God presides in the great assembly;

            he gives judgment among the “gods”.

            Because rulers ultimately get their power and authority from God, therefore they are also to rule keeping in mind the wishes and interests of the Most High. That too in part of their lofty position and exalted office. Having received power from God, they must uphold God’s rule, that is, the principles of God’s law, God’s justice, God’s morality. In Israel this was very clear. Every King who sat on David’s throne was to be a foreshadowing of Messiah to come. Indeed, the Davidic king was considered to be seated on the throne of God himself! (as, e.g., Ps 45:8 makes clear). Israel’s kings were to be a foreshadowing of the great Messianic king (cf. Ps 72). They were called to shepherd people of God. They ruled for God and therefore their duty was to uphold Law of God! - to maintain justice and righteousness, to protect life. As Ps 82 puts it in v. 3-4:

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

            maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

            Rescue the weak and needy;

              deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

            We no longer live in a theocratic kingdom and our rulers are not on David’s throne. However today too those who govern our city, province and country have tremendous task and high office for they have been set there by God. And as set there by God, they are accountable to God and must therefore govern with a view to his wishes. Indeed, does it not say in Romans 13, that they are servants of God and those who oppose the governing authorities set by God, oppose God! For God has placed them there for our good.

            Their calling is therefore a high and beautiful one. Those in authority may work for God’s justice and his righteousness and so protect life and encourage harmony on earth and so uphold the enduring principles of God’s law. That is their task. And we must realize that and see those who rule in that light.  Given the reality of the nature of current politics in high places, such as the timing of this election, the danger of cynicism is very much with us. The temptation is real to disparage or dismiss what our government is doing in Ottawa or Queen’s Park. We can sometimes look at them rather cynically (and not without reason). But, we do need to keep in mind that they are and are to be instruments of God!! For they are called “gods” by our Lord.

             Ultimately it is our sovereign God and ruler who has put them in high places and put them there with an accountability to him. Now we all know that it is difficult to be an instrument of God in the world of today. It is difficult, is it not ..., to be a truly consistent confessor of the Christ in our personal life at home, at work and in our life as congregation? If that is so, let us not underestimate the great difficulties of those who rule to be an instrument of God! They have a difficult task! The first question that therefore arises is: do we help and assist those in authority over us in their high calling as seen in Ps 82? -  their high and difficult calling of upholding God’s justice and law? Do we ourselves know that law of our God well enough so we can indeed help them?!

            If we take Ps 82 and the high place rulers have in this world seriously, we will do all we can to help and assist. For those who rule will one day stand before the justice seat of God and they will have to account for everything they have done. Ps 82:1 God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the “gods”. Do we do everything we can for them?

            Answering that question starts already at election time. Do we examine the issues at stake in the light of God’s Word? This election is supposed to be about values. The late Prime Minister Trudeau has recently been eulogized and idolized for his legacy of the Canadian Bill of Rights. Christ said that you will know a tree by its fruits. Well, the fruits of the Bill of Rights is that what Scripture calls sinful and abhorrent, the Supreme Court now proclaims to be a matter of the right of autonomous man. God and his rights have been made irrelevant or marginalised and man declares good whatever pleases him. There is no real future for our land with this philosophy of immorality and decadence. It is election time. Are we finding out what our candidates stand for on this score. Whose values will determine politics in Canada?

            And after the election, will we let our federal representative know God’s stand on moral and other issues on which Scripture so clearly speaks? They are to govern with a view to God to whom they will have to give an accounting. Will they know God’s point of view from us? We must never tire of pointing our elected representatives be it locally, provincially or federally to God who has set them there! How else can we be sure that they know God’s will? We have responsibilities here. Do we do that regularly? We even have system of government where that is encouraged! Or have we grown tired of it? Like saying it doesn’t help anyway before we have started.

            Also, do we support and encourage those who speak out for policies and solutions in agreement with God’s law. They need such support! Do we know what is going on in our capitals and in our local governments? Do we study the issues in the light of God’s Word or are we carried along by unbelieving commentators in the media? What moulds our thinking on elections, politics, government? How do we approach the current economic issues such as the deficit and moral issues such as abortion and gay rights? These issues concern us as Christians and collectively as church, one way or another whether we admit it or not. Do we approach them pragmatically - best is whatever works in a given situation - or study the problem in the light of God’s Word? It is only when we do the latter that we can help our elected representatives. Then we truly honour them and point them to the Ruler of heaven and earth. These are the concerns Ps 82 raises. Then we can also intelligently pray for those in authority. Scripture says we must be active in prayer for those who rule (1 Tim 2:2). That is, those who rule therefore have a right to a church that prays for them! They need those prayers! For the task given to human rulers is a great task, a high one, but therefore is also a very difficult and responsible one - one for which they will have to render account to God! For as our text shows, God calls them to account for their performance! This takes us to our second point.

2.        The performance of God’s rulers. After he had taken his place in the divine Council, God asks the rulers a question - a loaded question. Verse 2. “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?” The question already indicates that the Lord must conclude that they have failed in their task! Because they have failed, therefore, as we read in v. 5a, They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness. Why is that? Why is it that governments which do not honour God’s law and do not exercise true justice and righteousness become confused, lost and actually walk in darkness and therefore eventually take the nation into darkness with them? Why do such governments become lost and blind? Because they have forgotten or refused to obey God’s Word and have refused to apply the enduring principles of his law in their rule. One can say that is very simplistic and you can always say that. And yet it is true: the root of all corruption,  injustice, immorality, lawlessness, and darkness, is the turning of one’s back to Book of life - God’s Word! Also for governments that is true. All other factors for the upheaval of our society are ultimately secondary. The prime reason is - God’s Word - good Word of life and direction is generally being ignored as a outdated document from the past.

            When God told Israel to prepare for a king, God had already given Israel a law for kings in Deut 17. For a king to rule justly, the prerequisite was that he had God’s law with him. We read in Deut 17:18,19 that the book of the law is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees. This is what the ruler set by God had to do. For God knows that if his Word is ignored  then rulers will not know anymore what to do or how to do it, for then Word is no longer lamp before their feet and they walk in darkness. Then there is no longer absolute right and wrong! And then even the foundations shake and are shaken and nothing is secure and safe anymore.

            As v. 5 puts it: They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. In this shaking God already judges unfaithfulness. When Israel’s rulers were unfaithful, society and life in Israel became fragmented, oppressive, and vast differences developed between the rich and the poor. Life was no longer protected and the end of it all was disintegration and conquest by others and exile ... and death. Verses 6,7 I says: “You are ‘gods’;  you are all sons of the Most High. But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler.” O rulers may think they’re high up, almost above being an ordinary human being and in sense they are “gods”, but death will find them out in judgment for they have left the law of God. The life they are called upon to maintain in justice will be taken away even from them in the justice of God!

            One cannot help but think of the trends of our nation and the western world in general when one reads Ps 82. Is God’s good law not being neglected more and more even in the most obvious areas of morality? As a result justice and righteousness are too often empty concepts but no longer reality. E.g., those who rule are no longer able to protect life. Even those least able to take care of themselves, the unborn, are not safe, in safety of their mother’s womb. Our provincial government even refuses to drop old NDP charges against peaceful pro-life demonstrators for actions done many years ago. All talk of human rights or women’s rights is meaningless for not even physical life can be protected. As long as the wisdom and justice of God’s law is scorned in favour of foolishness of men, then only one thing can ultimately happen - darkness falls on a land where, e.g., lifestyles which according to Scripture are sinful are defended, murderer is kept alive even at great expense in name of imagined rights and the innocent unborn are killed with impunity. And question that is continually asked is not what is God’s right, but what is our right?!

            As you know sinful human beings can always convince themselves of having any right they wish and the rights of men boils down to doing whatever they like to do. This is called the enlightenment of our progressive age. But darkness falls on the land and if the blind lead the blind there can only be a growing sense of loss of direction and loss of stability and purpose for life. For the foundations are being shaken! Of too many rulers in the western world it is true what is written in Ps 82:5a They know nothing, they understand nothing. As a result the foundations are being shaken! Here a bit and there a bit - a loosening here, a tightening there but the process continues, process of dissolution to the extent that God’s law is being forsaken. The future does not look good for our society and civilization.

            What do we do? Just complain and see government as something bad? No. We mentioned already that we must help them and be active in the political process, during elections and also between elections. We need to be active in making candidates and those who rule aware of what God sees as their responsibilities. Where possible we must work for providing alternatives to the standard pragmatic fare and support those who seek to honour God. In a sense it is true that a nation gets what she deserves and we are part of that nation. Yes one can also add, we must pray for principled statesmen who are committed to true justice and righteousness and pray that opportunistic politicians become such. We can think of Prov 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

            But there is also something else. We turn our eyes to God and we recognize - he is our God who has also set us to be rulers, rulers over our own lives and as parents rulers over our families, and as office bearers, rulers in the church. When foundations shake and life has lost much of its worth in the eyes of men, because God’s law and rule no longer operates as it should in this world, then we must ask - does his rule and law still function in my life? - personally, in the home, and in our midst as church? Do I go along with what world does? Or does God’s law still function with full force? For although God has not given us title of “gods” he has given us a higher title - “children of God”! And that is not just as figure of speech! As children of God in Christ we know what the Father wants! We know we may walk with him and rule properly - in the first place over our own lives. God’s Word puts it well in Micah 6:8 God has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Yes - in all the relationships of life!

             We live in difficult times and they are difficult precisely because they in a sense do not seem to be difficult. In many ways the church in the Western world has it easy. But that presents a major problem for many Christians, namely of not being as alert as we should be. Not many in this world seem to notice the growing chaos and the shaking foundations in the so-called free West. Not many notice the root that lies behind this evil. Only in walking with our God and carefully submitting to his rule do we and can we notice what is actually happening in our society. The times are dangerous for the law of God is being forsaken and this abandonment is being accepted by the masses. Now unless we as people of God live very strictly according to God’s law and accept his rule in thankfulness, we too will become accustomed to the growing chaos and not see it as such. Yes if we are not in tune with God’s Word, we too will grow accustomed to abortion, and we too will speak of a legitimate sex industry and no longer speak of eliminating it and we too will forget God’s rights and speak only of all sorts of imagined rights humans claim for themselves. Unless we submit to God’s just rule in these matters our children will no longer see e.g., what is wrong with the immoral chaos of today. And so we must distinguish the holy from the unholy and reject bad advice and direction of those who rule and submit ourselves to good rule of life of our God.

            The Lord says in his Word (Ps 82) that rulers (on whatever level they be) who forsake his law - v. 5 - know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. One has to be blind (and one is blind except that one is enlightened by God) not to see that in too many cases, especially in Western world, the foundations are being shaken and the darkness has already started to fall on the land. This brings us, very briefly, to our last point.

3.        The picture Psalm 82 paints is not very cheerful, for it speaks of rulers who are blind and a coming chaos. This Psalm also speaks of the anger of God who is wrathful with rulers who forget they are to rule for God! Indeed, his wrath reveals itself, also in growing chaos of our own times.

            However, though the chaos grow and times be dark and although the darkness will deepen (unless the Lord brings about a change), yet we know that in the darkness there is the light of the gospel and in the chaos of men there is the order of God for he is in control! He rules even in the chaos. And those who walk with God know his rule. For the God of wrath is our God and King. And he who rules our lives also rules the world! He is sovereign Lord and has he not said that these things would happen before he returns! Well, then Arise O Lord! Show yourself! Has the time not come! As verse 8 of our text puts it: Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance. So Psalm 82 ends! That is the prayer of the church when rulers no longer obey God and his law! Therefore Scripture also ends with that prayer, come Lord Jesus come!

            Do we pray that prayer enough! Or is the prayer of Ps 82 (or as Christ taught “Your Kingdom come”) a neglected prayer! It will be neglected if we feel quite comfortable in this world of sin and do not feel threatened and if we think that there is only chaos and danger if our own little lives are directly involved.

            But this prayer for God to arise and come with haste to rule and judge the earth will be a frequent prayer if we truly walk with our God and are united with him by his Spirit. For then with him we are troubled and hurt and anguished that his good law is trodden underfoot and is not obeyed. and that his eternal justice and righteousness is considered out of date. And if we so see in the Spirit the foundations shaking and darkness deepening then we also hear the footsteps of his coming. For he comes. He comes!

            Yes, then we have to say it, “Come! Arise, O Lord! ... and judge the earth! The Spirit and church say: Yes, come Lord Jesus come! May that urgency and realism fill our lives so that we may pray and work for his good rule!

Amen

Dr. Cornelis Van Dam is Professor of Old Testament at the Theological College of the Canadian Reformed Churches in Hamilton, Ontario, and a member of Ebenezer Church.