Do Justice to the Afflicted and Needy
- Aug 16, 2009 -
Sermon Outline
Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.”
Psalm 82:3-4
Context
Asaph, one of David’s chief musicians (1 Chron. 6:39; 15:17), wrote the first eleven psalms (Psalms 73-83) of Book Three of the Psalter (Psalms 73-90). In his psalms he wrestles with many issues, but the undercurrent of much of what he has to say is his burden for Judah’s restoration to God’s favor (Pss. 74:18-20; 77:7-9; 79:1-13; 80:2¬19; 81:8-16).
Central to Judah’s restoration is obedience to God. Asaph emphasized the important role of obedience by making the psalm that stands at the midpoint of his eleven psalms, Psalm 78, a psalm about God’s dealings with His people throughout their history. In that psalm Asaph recounted the many times God judged His people because of their rebellion against the covenant and His commandments (vv. 5, 7, 10, 37, 56).
Against this backdrop, Psalm 82 stands out. In this psalm Asaph spoke to Judah’s judges, who were not providing Judah’s most vulnerable citizens the protection they needed from those who were preying on them. Asaph recognized that injustice toward the weaker members of society was a covenant violation that would forestall Judah’s restoration and bring God’s judgment instead.
Introduction
Throughout the history of the human race, one of God’s most severe indictments against the nations has been for the way those with power have preyed on those who are weaker. While some nations have improved, many still do not protect their most vulnerable residents.
God’s outrage at this behavior is evident in many places in Scripture. In Psalm 82, He spoke to those who used the power of the state to oppress the weak. In this psalm God denounced Israel’s judges for the part they played in the injustice experienced by Israel’s most vulnerable citizens. Within this denunciation, the Psalmist reveals three important values of justice that are threatened when a government fails to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
I. The Character of God Is Reflected in Justice, vv. 1, 6
While God possesses all the nations (v.8), He has made man responsible for their governance. Man’s exercise of authority actually began in the Garden of Eden. Genesis states that God put man in the Garden to cultivate and care for it (Gen. 2:15). As the earth filled with human beings, He also gave them the responsibility to exercise authority over other members of the human race (Gen. 9:5-6). Thus, governments came into existence.
According to Paul, these governments were intended to represent the interests of God in human relationships (Rom. 13:1-7). This representational function is so fundamental to God’s purpose for government that He called those who represent the civil magistrate “gods” (‘elohim) (vv. 1, 6). Of course, they aren’t gods in the spiritual sense, as if they possessed the attributes of God in the same way He possesses them, but they are gods in an authoritative sense—as ministers of authority they have power over other members of the human race.
When a civil magistrate abuses the power of the office, God is maligned, because the power of the civil magistrate is granted to it by God. The failure of a civil magistrate to exercise justice on behalf of the citizens is a blatant example of the abuse of power that maligns God. God demands justice, especially for those who are the weakest members of society (Jer. 22:3). An unjust government misrepresents the character of God by making Him appear unjust.
II. The Cause of the Weak Is Protected by Justice, vv. 3-4
Webster’s defines justice as “the quality of being just, impartial, or fair.” In our fallen world, it often falls to the civil authority to assure that justice is done. This is especially true for the weakest members of society. It isn’t the powerful who need protection; it is the weak.
God cares deeply for the most vulnerable members of society In this psalm He issues four imperatives to Israel’s judges to communicate the level of His concern for the protection of the nation’s weakest members. He tells the judges to “defend” (shaphat),” “vindicate” (tsadeq), “rescue” (palat), and “deliver” (natzal) them (vv. 3-4).
Two very interesting observations can be made from God’s instructions to Israel’s judges. First, the judges are expected to care for the people in the same way God cares for them. The four words in God’s commands are often associated with God’s activity on behalf of His people. For example, in Psalm 10:18 the Psalmist says God “defends” (shapat) the orphan and the oppressed; in Isaiah 50:8 the Servant says God “vindicates” (tsadeq) him; in Psalm 22:5 the Psalmist credits God with rescuing (palat) Israel’s forefathers; and in Psalm 33:19 the Psalmist declares that God can deliver (natzal) from death.
Second, God expects the judges to serve as a shield against those who would prey on the weak. The arrangement of the words in verses 3 and 4 provides a visual representation of God’s expectations on behalf of the weak. The passage achieves this visual representation by surrounding those who need protection with the commands to protect them. The literary structure of the Hebrew text looks like this:
Defend the weak and fatherless; the afflicted and destitute, vindicate.
Rescue the weak and needy; out of the hand of the wicked, deliver.
III. The Creation’s Balance is Dependent on Justice, v. 5
God says that when the strong oppress the weak the very foundations of the earth are shaken. God set the creation in delicate balance. Every part of creation is dependent on other parts of creation. If any part breaks down, all creation is thrown out of balance and weakened as a result. The exercise of justice helps to maintain this delicate balance. In fact, it is a crucial component of the balance because it protects the more fragile parts of creation from being destroyed.
Since the Fall we can certainly see the Darwinian principle of the survival of the fittest at work. In nature, the weakest of animals and plants are quickly overcome by stronger predators. But this was not God’s original design. God put Adam in the Garden in order to care for it, not destroy it. All of creation was originally intended to live in beautiful harmony.
While the rest of creation has turned to predatory behavior to survive, God has called on mankind to resist this response. Mankind is actually intended to model the way God originally intended creation to work. Man’s failure to achieve this is an assault against the very bedrock of God’s design for creation.
F. Delitzsch, Psalms, p. 403, comments that the judges’ “transgression makes the land, the earth, totter physically and morally, and is the prelude to its overthrow.”
Conclusion
It is never God’s intention for the strong to prey on the weak. Even in nature, this activity is the result of the effect of sin. Isaiah clarifies this when he envisions a day when the wolf and the lamb will live together in peace (Is. 11:6-9). Humanity has the opportunity, in fact the responsibility, to conduct itself in this way now. When it does so it represents the God who created all things. When it fails in this, it disgraces God. It is incumbent on those who are aware of this truth to seek the protection of the weaker members of our race. No less than God’s design for creation is imperiled by our failure to do justice for the weak and needy among us.
What Can One Person Do?
- Visit the Web site of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and other trustworthy biblically based organizations to find out how to stay aware of human rights violations.
- Ask your pastor to preach a message about treating others fairly
- See if there are any examples of injustice in your community and work to end them.
- Contact local companies that engage in international business and ask them to stop doing business with nations that persecute their inhabitants and businesses that do not provide adequate pay or working conditions for their employees.
- Contact your legislators and tell them that you want the United States to stop doing business with nations that participate in the persecution of their inhabitants.
- Write letters to the editor to express your opinion about human rights abuses.
- Join your church’s moral concerns committee. If your church doesn’t have one, ask your pastor about starting one.
Other Helpful Scripture
Bible verses about Human Rights:
Exodus 23:9; Leviticus 19:18; Leviticus 19:33-36; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; Deuteronomy 24:17; Psalm 10:16-18; Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 11:4; Jeremiah 22:1-17; Ezekiel 45:9-10; Amos 5:15, 24; Micah 6:8; Micah 7:8; Luke 10:25-37; Romans 12:9
Further Learning
Learn more about: Citizenship, Community Service, Human Rights, Hunger/Homelessness,