HOW GOD JUDGES THE JUDGES: Psalm 82

DOCTRINE: God judges Judges by whether or not they give justice, show no partiality, maintain the rights of the afflicted, and defend the poor and needy.

CONTEXT: GOD HIMSELF JUDGES THE JUDGES AND RULERS OF MEN (Psalm 82:1)

I. GOD HIMSELF SAYS JUDGES MUST JUDGE JUSTLY, NOT SHOWING PARTIALITY TO THE WICKED (Psalm 82:2)

II. GOD HIMSELF SAYS JUDGES MUST GIVE JUSTICE AND MAINTAIN RIGHTS (Psalm 82:3)

III. GOD HIMSELF SAYS JUDGES MUST RESCUE AND DELIVER (Psalm 82:4)

IV. GOD HIMSELF SAYS JUDGES WHO DO NOT OBEY HIM WALK IN DARKNESS AND BRING ABOUT CIVIL CONFUSION (Psalm 82:5)

V. GOD HIMSELF SAYS JUDGES WHO DO NOT OBEY HIM WILL DIE AND BE CAST DOWN (Psalm 82:6-7)

VI. DESPITE THE REBELLION OF JUDGES, GOD HIMSELF WILL JUDGE THE EARTH AND INHERIT ALL THE NATIONS (Psalm 82:8)

APPLICATION

I) YOU AND I SHOULD PRAISE GOD

(I) Praise God that one of the straw-man arguments the Pro Life Movement has used to argue against abolition has just been burned to the ground. Roe was never law. Roe should have been nullified, as is the right of every State when the Federal Government enforces upon us something unconstitutional, not to mention against the Law of God. (II) Praise God that the judges have decreed a less egregious evil than Roe. In the Roe decision SCOTUS sinned by commission; by doing the exact opposite of what God commands.

II) YOU AND I SHOULD MOURN

Mourn that the judges have not done their duty in the Dobbs case. Mourn that SCOTUS abdicated their God-given duty to protect the weak and the innocent. In the Dobbs decision they sinned by omission—by not doing what God commands. All SCOTUS did was replace their wicked decision with another one. Though it is less egregious to say “you decide if babies can be murdered in your State” (Dobbs) than it was to say, “you must allow babies to be murdered in your State,” (Roe) Dobbs is still a wicked decision. SCOTUS’s job is to say “The Constitution is clear that none shall be deprived the right to life without due process. Therefore, no State has the right to allow or regulate abortion.” Instead of doing that, they punted to the States and said, “The right to abortion is nowhere in the Constitution.” They are right, but not clear, because the exact opposite is in the Constitution, but instead of saying that they withheld justice yet again from the preborn.

III) YOU AND I SHOULD REPENT IF NECESSARY

(I) Repent if you have been apathetic toward loving your preborn neighbors as yourself. Are you like those German Christians who tried to drown out the cries of the Jews by loudly singing hymns?
(II) Repent if you have been bowing the knee to the Supreme Court as if it was the Supreme Being. I celebrate the fact that God has exposed idolatry to the Supreme Court with this overturning of Roe. SCOTUS’s decision should have been nullified instead of bowed down to. And it is as if many are now saying, “SCOTUS is a generous god to now allow the States to decide whether or not babies can be murdered.” SCOTUS is not the Supreme Being, but they have been treated as such by many to our shame.

IV) YOU AND I MUST LABOR

Labor to “love your neighbor as yourself” and “rescue those being taken away to death.” Do not rest in this fight until the law is applied equally to all image bearers, therefore abolishing abortion without exception or compromise. We are not there yet, but one day we will be. Praise God for His promises and press on in love!

V) YOU AND I MUST SPEAK

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Proverbs 31:9).

(I) Speak to your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers.
(II) Speak in the public square of social media, in gathering places, and on street corners.
(III) Speak to your Senators and House Representatives concerning their duty before God as detailed in Psalm 82 and Romans 13.

VI) YOU AND I MUST PRAY

(I) Pray to God for those in positions of power, that God would grant them repentance and obedience to their King Christ. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

(II) Pray to God, that He would arise and sovereignly establish the justice our preborn neighbors deserve, that the judges of the earth denied them yet again (Psalm 82:8a).

VII) YOU AND I CAN AND MUST REST

Rest in Christ’s promise that He will inherit all the nations (Psalm 82:8b).