Psalm 82 - You Are Gods

Psalm 82:1-8 NIV

God presides in the great assembly;

 he renders judgment among the “gods”:

“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? 

Defend the weak and the fatherless;

 uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. 

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. 

They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ 

But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.”

Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

Wow! Psalm 82 is radical! It depicts a courtroom scene with God ruling over all the other so called gods. The gods are the false gods of the nations. God's people, the Israelites, are in attendance. Israel is called to worship and serve the one true God.

God speaks to the court issuing the order to defend the weak and care for the helpless. Stop favoring the wealthy and the wicked who oppress the poor and needy. Do justly. This word is meant for Israel and especially the rulers of Israel, however the word applies to gentile nations and their gods and rulers as well.

God blasts the pagan gods. They are blind, God says. They know nothing. It reminds me of God speaking through the prophet Habakkuk.

Habakkuk 2:18-19 NIV

“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

Then in an even more startling turn God addresses the worshipers. (It could be that God is addressing the false gods like Baal, Molech, Dagon and Chemosh, but I am reading it as addressed to Israel.) He says to His people, "You are gods." The Hebrews are gods because they are sons of the Most High God. That's amazing!

Should this be taken literally? I don't think so. I think the poetic device is to shame Israel for their idolatry. They have the divine potential to be sons of God, and therefore beholding divine status to be considered god-like. Their choice to follow stone and wood idols has made them mere mortals who will die.

Consider Adam and Eve. They were made to live forever in paradise with God. They broke the one command God gave them, so they were driven from paradise and suffered life outside. They toiled and they mourned in the cruelty of a fallen world. Still Adam lived 930 years. (Genesis 5:5) This is the bible's way of making the point that sin diminishes life. The length of life shortened over time until we were limited to 120 years. (Genesis 6:3)

The message of Psalm 82, if I am correct in who God is addressing, is that Israel will fall with the shaking of the earth when God comes on His day of judgement. This psalm is meant to be a prophetic warning to Israel to turn from idols and receive life. If this message is addressed to the false gods of the nations, then it is an indictment of the gentiles surrounding Israel and still a reminder to Israel to stay true to their one and only God.

God is the sovereign ruler of man and gods. He is Lord of heaven and earth, the maker of all things seen and unseen. God's will prevails in the spiritual world and the earthly realm. There is no space, whether inward or outward, that God does not have authority.

When the foundations of your world are shaken, who will you turn to? You are a child of the Most High. You are filled with divine potential. Get in the habit of turning to God now and serve Him faithfully. For all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:32)