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Illustration for Psalm 82: God Judges the Rulers

Psalm 82

God Judges the Rulers

WisdomProtection

God stands up in the meeting of powerful rulers and judges them. He says: defend the weak and the poor! Don't let unjust people win! God is reminding those in charge that He sees everything and will hold everyone accountable.

  1. 1God presides in the great assembly; He renders judgment among the gods:
  2. 2"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?
  3. 3Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the poor and oppressed.
  4. 4Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.
  5. 5They do not know or understand; they wander in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
  6. 6I have said, 'You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.'
  7. 7But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall."
  8. 8Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance.

What it means

God stands up in front of the most powerful people in the world and tells them what actually matters: look after the weak and the poor. If that is what God asks of kings, it is worth asking who is being left out around you — and standing next to them.

A little prayer

God, You care about people who are weak and poor and left out. Help me to notice them at school and be kind to them. Give me the courage to stand up for what is fair. Amen.

Memory verse

“Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the poor and oppressed.”

Psalm 82:3 (BSB)

It is an instruction to people with power, and it is not complicated.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. God stands up in a meeting of rulers and tells them off. What are they doing wrong?
  2. The instruction is to defend the weak and the poor. Who is that in your school?
  3. The psalm says the rulers 'know nothing' and the foundations shake. What shakes when leaders go wrong?
  4. Where could you speak up this week?

Try this

Who is not in the room

Plan something as a group — a meal, an outing. Halfway through, stop and ask who is not in the room whose needs you have not thought about. Change the plan accordingly.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)