Psalm 82

What can’t we do? As human beings, with our brilliant brains, with the technology we have at our disposal, what are we not able to do? There is no problem too great for us, no question too complicated, no crisis too tragic that we can’t handle it. Give us enough time to study the problem, give us enough money to do the research, give us the political freedom to do something about these challenges, and we will solve the problem.

We think a lot of ourselves, us humans. If we put our minds to it, we can fix it. If we put our backs into it, we can solve it. If we put a little elbow grease into the dilemma, we’ll find the answer, we’ll make things better. And we have a little evidence for that, don’t we? We sailed the ocean blue and found a new land. We did research and experiments and discovered penicillin. We figured and tested and finally put a man on the moon. We have seen advances in curing heart disease and cancer. We are figuring out new and better sources of energy. We are living longer and better, thanks to developments in medicine. We really are quite something, aren’t we?

And in the middle of our little lovefest of ourselves, God breaks in with Psalm 82, and He reminds us, in verse 1:

God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the “gods”:

We are six weeks out from Pentecost, remembering and rejoicing in the work of the Holy Spirit. But we need a reminder at this point. We need a reminder of who is God and who is not. See, the Holy Spirit is at work, transforming and renewing this world. The Holy Spirit is transforming medicine and health. The Holy Spirit is leading us to new frontiers in exploration. It’s the Holy Spirit that brings healing, even longer lives. We only think that it’s our brains and our bravery, our courage to explore, our brilliance at research that is making these advances happen. It’s the Holy Spirit, ushering in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus.

In fact, while we think we’re are changing our world, making it better, actually, we ourselves are not being changed. And as the God of us, who consider ourselves so great, as the Judge of us so-called “gods”, God not places us on trial. Verse 2:

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

The accusation is clear. You work at making your own lives better. You work hard to become healthier and wealthier. You pat yourselves on the back as you cure diseases. But you do nothing to help those who can’t help themselves. Or if you do something, it’s the least you can do. Literally, the very least. And you don’t outright defend those who are unjust, but by ignoring the injustice, by allowing the weak to suffer while you sleep well at night, you might as well just take the side of the unjust and show partiality to the wicked.

God is speaking plainly here. The accusation couldn’t be clearer. There is absolutely no wiggle room here, no mincing of words, no space for excuses. God knows what we’ve done. God knows what we haven’t done. And He wants us to know that He knows. And in verse 2, He pauses. With the selah, God takes a moment to allow us to answer. You’ve heard the accusation. What do you have to say for yourself? I know what you’ve done. You know that I know what you’ve done. What is your response?

But we don’t have an answer. There’s nothing we can say. We had worked hard to fool ourselves. We had fooled everybody else into thinking we were such great people. But God pretty much blew those images away and exposed the truth. And all we can do, in the face of reality, is stand silent.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, God speaks again. The sin and failure has been exposed. Now it’s time to get going again. Verse 3:

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.

Don’t defend the unjust. Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless. Don’t show partiality to the wicked. Deliver the weak and needy from the power of the wicked.

God has a special love for those who are weak, who can’t protect themselves from the strong and evil. God loves them more than anything else. You know how I know? Because He loved me and He loved you so much, that He died for us. He loved me and He loved you who were trapped by evil, and we couldn’t do anything about it. And we had got ourselves into our own messes. We had squandered the gifts of God. We had thrown away His riches. We had become slaves to our own addictions. We had broken our relationship with God and with loved ones. We did this. We were not victims. We created our own problems. And we couldn’t pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. That’s called works righteousness, and we’re just not that good. We couldn’t solve our own problem, and so God stepped in. And He carried us out. He saved us, we the weak and needy. He saved us from the hand of the wicked.

And now He turns to us and tells us to go and do likewise. Go, have mercy on those who are trapped in poverty. Go, care for those who created their own messes. As people who know what it’s like to be trapped, as people who had created their own messes, go help the others who are still lost. Verse 5:

“They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

This is the life of someone lost in poverty, whether in financial poverty or poverty of the soul. Whether people are struggling for money or for hope, whether they have no way to pay the bills, or no way to face tomorrow, they just don’t know. Life is overwhelming. Sometimes we talk about people who make bad decisions when they’re already deep in debt. They spend money that they don’t have, and we shake our heads in scorn and disapproval. Do you know why people make more bad decisions when they’re already in trouble? Because life is simply overwhelming. Their brains are fried from trying to figure out the answers. All the foundations of their life are shook up, so of course they don’t walk well, of course they stumble.

And the question is, where are we? We who are so smart. We who are so powerful. We who are able to do so much. How come we’re not there, bringing a little light into their world, providing a little more stable foundation, giving them a safe place for them to come to start to try to figure things out.

Listen. It’s not our responsibility to solve the problem of poverty. We will never be able to end hunger. We will never be able to dig people out of their own messes. No matter how smart we are, no matter how hard we work, no matter how many programs we start, no matter how much we try, we have never been able to cure any diseases or discover any breakthroughs in technology or solve any problems. We’re just not that smart. We’re just not that powerful. We’re just not “gods”.

But we know God. And we know God is working. And we know that the Holy Spirit is moving in our minds and our hands and our feet, if Jesus is our Lord and Savior. And if the Spirit is moving in us, then we will be moving towards those who are hurting.

We will know who it is in our community who is in need. We will notice people who are either overlooked, or who have a reputation for being irresponsible and not taking care of their own business. And the first thing we will do is to make friends with them. We will get to know them. We’ll stop and talk with them on their front yard when we’re out for a walk. We’ll be intentional about making sure we know their name, and make sure they know our name. We will work to make that friendship grow. Over time, we will become part of their lives, and let them become part of ours. We will invite them over for supper, not out of pity, but out of friendship, out of love. And in that relationship, we will be able to talk about need.

We’ll be able to talk about financial need. We’ll hear how they’re doing, how they’re struggling. And we’ll be able to talk to them. We won’t be able to talk down to them, condescend to them, because we’re with them, we’re friends with them, we’re poor and needy just like them. And as their friends, we can help. We can encourage them as they try to get out of the mess. We can offer them suggestions, and they’ll be open to listen, because we’re friends. If our friendship is deep enough, we may even be able to give a word of warning or even correction if we see they’re making a mistake. All within the safety of our relationship with them.

But there are people who are poor and weak and needy, and they have plenty of money. There are people who desperate for meaning. Their existence is empty. They don’t understand why they are even alive, and there are times when they’re not really sure that they even want to live. People are despairing. They’re hungry for hope. They walk about in darkness, trying to understand.

Or the person who is lost in loneliness. They’re days are desolate. They get their hair done at 10 o’clock, and they have the rest of the day completely open. Nobody calls anymore, not even the kids. And nobody’s returning phone calls. They are poor, they are weak, their foundation is shaken, they are utterly alone.

That’s where you come in. Again, we keep our eyes open. We notice the person who always seems to be by themselves. No one ever visits. They’re home by themselves, even on holidays. We don’t know who they are, at least not yet. But that’s going to change. We’re going to get to know them. We’re going to bring them into our lives. With a friendship, loneliness can’t last. With a relationship, a life begins to have meaning.

And if the problems are too big for them and too big for us, if the needs are too many, that’s where the body of believers comes in. Financially, relationally, through acts of kinds and mercy, the Holy Spirit moves us to defend the cause of the weak and fatherless, to rescue the poor and needy. Through the service committee, through the deacons, through just a conversation after church, where we say to each other, “You know, we should do something about that,” that’s the Holy Spirit working through that conversation, moving us into action.

If the Holy Spirit is in us, working through us, it will show. If it doesn’t show, if we’re not doing anything to help the weak and needy, then we’d better go back and make sure that Jesus really is Lord and Savior of our life. Without Jesus as Lord, without the Holy Spirit working in us, we will hear the sentence of God. We heard the accusation in verse 2. We heard the charge in verse 3. Now, we hear the verdict and the sentence of those who are not saved, and not acting out that salvation in the power of the Holy Spirit. To those, God says, in verse 6:

“I said, ‘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.”

We were so wise, we were so powerful. Whatever we set our minds to, we could do. We were, powerful. We were “gods”. And we fall.

Unless it’s the Holy Spirit working in us. Because the Holy Spirit is wise, and the Holy Spirit is all-powerful. And whatever He sets His mind to, He will do. And He will do it through you. This is our prayer. Verse 8:

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

Rise up, O God, for you are God. Rise up, O God, because we are not. Rise up, O God, and raise Your people. Rise up, O God, and use us, to make friends with those who struggle, to welcome those who despair. Rise up, O God, bring justice, bring healing, bring us to people who are lost in the dark.