Since we already covered Psalm 82 in March, I wanted to share it with you from the Message Bible! I LOVE how clear-cut and "in your face" it is!
1 God calls the judges into His courtroom, He puts all the judges in the dock. 2-4 "Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough, you've let the wicked get away with murder. You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break; your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." 5 Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven't a clue to what's going on. And now everything's falling apart, the world's coming unglued. 6-7 "I commissioned you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God, but you've betrayed your commission and now you're stripped of your rank, busted." 8 O God, give them their just deserts! You've got the whole world in Your hands!
This sounds SO MUCH like it was ripped right from the pages of our current history! This IS what is happening all over our nation, with corrupt and wicked judges ruling totally against God's Word AND against the U.S. Constitution! The good news from this Psalm is that God is ALWAYS watching and HE will, ultimately, judge the judges! If YOU are in a position of authority over others, heed this Psalm and then remember that God said THIS in Isaiah 58:6:
6 [Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?
God wants His people FREE and He has put those who are in authority in such a position that they can be a benefit to His people. If they aren't, then they answer to HIM! Pray, people, pray, when these things are happening! God is about to be the Judge of the judges and they (the wicked judges) need someone to intercede for them!
Luke 3 begins the ministry of John the Baptist in preparing the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. There had been 400 years without a prophet in the land presenting the Word of the Lord. Now comes this strange looking, acting and speaking man in the wilderness calling on people to get themselves right before God in preparation for One Who is soon to come! Who in the world would pay any attention to someone like that? Only those whose hearts were after the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! They came from all walks of life and all levels of influence! The same is true today! There is a great outpouring of God's Glory going on all over the world, even as you are reading this! It is happening in the lives of those who really WANT to know this God of the Bible! Be prepared! Soon they will be asking YOU about that hope that is within you! Are you ready to answer?
Hosea 4:1 says:
1 HEAR THE word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, love, pity and mercy, or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.
The result of the people having no knowledge of God is found in the next verses, culminating in verse 6a:
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
They did not WANT to know God so He left them to their own devices! Our nation has publicly left the knowledge of God, but there has been, lately, a very vocal segment of the people who are fed up with these things! Hosea 5:15 says:
15 I will return to My place [on high] until they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction and distress they will seek, inquire for, and require me earnestly, saying,
And we will look at the rest tomorrow!
1 God calls the judges into His courtroom, He puts all the judges in the dock. 2-4 "Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough, you've let the wicked get away with murder. You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break; your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." 5 Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven't a clue to what's going on. And now everything's falling apart, the world's coming unglued. 6-7 "I commissioned you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God, but you've betrayed your commission and now you're stripped of your rank, busted." 8 O God, give them their just deserts! You've got the whole world in Your hands!
This sounds SO MUCH like it was ripped right from the pages of our current history! This IS what is happening all over our nation, with corrupt and wicked judges ruling totally against God's Word AND against the U.S. Constitution! The good news from this Psalm is that God is ALWAYS watching and HE will, ultimately, judge the judges! If YOU are in a position of authority over others, heed this Psalm and then remember that God said THIS in Isaiah 58:6:
6 [Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?
God wants His people FREE and He has put those who are in authority in such a position that they can be a benefit to His people. If they aren't, then they answer to HIM! Pray, people, pray, when these things are happening! God is about to be the Judge of the judges and they (the wicked judges) need someone to intercede for them!
Luke 3 begins the ministry of John the Baptist in preparing the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. There had been 400 years without a prophet in the land presenting the Word of the Lord. Now comes this strange looking, acting and speaking man in the wilderness calling on people to get themselves right before God in preparation for One Who is soon to come! Who in the world would pay any attention to someone like that? Only those whose hearts were after the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! They came from all walks of life and all levels of influence! The same is true today! There is a great outpouring of God's Glory going on all over the world, even as you are reading this! It is happening in the lives of those who really WANT to know this God of the Bible! Be prepared! Soon they will be asking YOU about that hope that is within you! Are you ready to answer?
Hosea 4:1 says:
1 HEAR THE word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, love, pity and mercy, or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.
The result of the people having no knowledge of God is found in the next verses, culminating in verse 6a:
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
They did not WANT to know God so He left them to their own devices! Our nation has publicly left the knowledge of God, but there has been, lately, a very vocal segment of the people who are fed up with these things! Hosea 5:15 says:
15 I will return to My place [on high] until they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction and distress they will seek, inquire for, and require me earnestly, saying,
And we will look at the rest tomorrow!
Shalom in Him!
