“God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: ‘How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’ They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.’ Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!” (v1-8)
This Psalm is about God holding the earthly judges (gods) accountable for their actions. The judges are referred to as “gods” since they were chosen representatives of God, and an extension of His authority here on Earth. These judges are accused of being unjust, showing favor to the wicked and failing to rescue the weak and helpless. They are accused of walking in darkness, lacking understanding and sure footing, for misusing God’s authority. As punishment for their crimes God says they will fall from power and die just like anyone else who are not “sons of the Most High” (ie. they’re likely not entering into eternity).
This is a solid reminder for me that it is not my calling, nor my responsibility to judge anyone – either officially (as an occupation) or unofficially (in my heart or with my words as an observer). God is the one true judge, and one day He will re-try every unjust case and set them right. Who am I to judge people (improperly judge people at least), when I am not holy and righteous like God, nor am I given that spiritual gift and calling?
You may be thinking “I don’t judge people”, and maybe you’re right. However, I confess I have been lass than flawless at withholding judgement against others. Every time I have thoughts such as “they always do this” or “they shouldn’t watch those movies” or “they did that incorrectly” or “I hate it when they…” I am passing some form of improper judgement.
In addition to this Psalm, there are other warnings about judging people improperly: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Mt 7:1-5) Jesus reminds us that the way/extent in which we judge others, will determine the way/extent in which God judges us. He also reminds us that we need to judge from a clear and pure perspective, using scripture and discernment from the Spirit in order to correct someone else (otherwise we see things for a skewed point of view).
Building on that previous statement, there are a few places where we are encouraged to correct people. Jesus Himself teaches that rebuking someone (telling them what they are doing is wrong) is a good thing: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Mt 18:15-17) Though we are also given some clear guidelines about how to properly rebuke someone: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” (Gal 6:1) We are only to rebuke someone when done properly, through the Spirit’s leading and not from any motivation other than love for our neighbor.
At the risk of making this a little long, I’ll tell a true personal story. I was once in line at a postal outlet to buy stamps. The elderly lady in front of me was taking a long time to address and mail a package to Gimli. The first thought through my mind was “why doesn’t she just take it there herself, it would be cheaper?” Then I caught myself – maybe she can’t “just take it there.” “Maybe she doesn’t have a car”, “she has a cane, maybe she has mobility issues and it’s too hard to travel”, “maybe she doesn’t even have someone in her life who could drop it off for her”. All of a sudden, instead of passing judgement on a total stranger and becoming frustrated with the situation, I was feeling compassion for this woman who was holding up the postal line, and I was far more willing to be patient with her. At this point, my thoughts were disrupted by a couple in line behind me, one of which blurted out (fairly indignantly) “If the package is going to Gimli, why doesn’t she just take it there herself?!” Not too long ago, that would have been me shouting out the unfiltered judgmental thought…
Father God, we thank You for the freedom we are granted by knowing You are the one true judge, who is holy, righteous and just. There are countless injustices in the world that fill us with righteous anger – watching the news for 60 seconds or spending 10 seconds on social media is enough to rile me up. This is where we need Your help in the form of spiritual fruit – please create in us a patient and gentle spirit, that longs to love others versus simply passing judgement. Please give us a listening spirit as well, since the majority of judgments I pass on people are partially (or completely) uninformed. Create in us a spirit of forgiveness and mercy, one that longs to see Your will be done and Your love for these people be made known – people don’t feel loved when they feel judged. May we help build Your kingdom by replacing ignorant judgement with abundant love.