Head of the Divine Council – Psalm 82
NOTE:
Today’s commentary is by Dr. Kevin Watson, who is coming to Tulsa to become the Director of Academic Growth and Formation at the Tulsa Extension Site for Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as joining our staff at Asbury Church as Scholar-in-Residence. I wrote a post announcing and explaining this move.-Andrew
Psalm 82
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
7 nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!
This Psalm starts with an arresting image:
God has taken his place in the divine council;
In the midst of the gods he holds judgment.
Our God, the Lord God Almighty, is the one true God. He alone sits at the head of the divine council and sits in judgment over everything in creation. This Psalm even asserts God as in charge of all lower case “gods.” God is at the head of every table!
The Psalm closes with a Prayer for God to rise up and judge the earth:
Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For you shall inherit all the nations!
One scholar has argued that this last clause should be translated, “for thou dost pass all nations through thy sieve.” What a beautiful image! God the Father is sifting the nations, removing everything that is not good, holy, and righteous.
God will put everything to rights, as N. T. Wright has put it. Justice is coming because God is in charge and he is Lord of all creation.