Psa 82 | EE | STEP | This is a psalm of Asaph. God is the leader of a meeting of the powerful ones. He is telling the gods what he has decided.

Psalms 82

God and the Gods

This is a psalm of Asaph.

1 God is the leader of a meeting of the powerful ones.

He is telling the gods what he has decided. ^{▼▼82:1 Verse 1: The word we translated ‘meeting’ is one that the Bible uses to describe Israel. That is why some Bible students think ‘the powerful’ means Israel’s leaders. Some of them are hurting God’s people. ‘The powerful’ may also mean ‘bad angels.’ They make rulers do bad things to God’s people and other poor people.}

2 He says ‘How long will you not be fair to people?

How long will you say that the godless are right?’

SELAH ^{▼▼82:2 Verse 2: God asks two questions. The answer to both is ‘Until God decides to give help to poor people that need it.’ ‘You’ means the rulers of Israel, and the bad angels that have authority on earth.}

3 Be fair and give help to:

· people that are weak

· children with dead parents

· people that are poor

· anyone that has nothing

4 Make the poor people safe and give them the help that they need.

Take them away from the power of the godless. ^{▼▼82:4 Verses 3-4: God gives help by making the rulers and important people obey him.}

5 They the godless know nothing and they understand nothing.

They walk about in darkness.

The ground beneath them moves about. ^{▼▼82:5 Verse 5: This tells us that the godless do not know what they are doing. They are like men who cannot see their way in the dark. As they walk, they think that the ground is moving under their feet!}

6 I God say, ‘You are gods

and you are all sons of the Most High.

7 But you will die like Adam.

You will fall like rulers.’ ^{▼▼82:7 Verses 6-7: God tells the gods that they will die like men. The reason is the same: they have not obeyed God. Just because they are important people or angels, that will not save them from death.}

8 God, stand up and rule the earth,

because all the countries in it belong to you. ^{▼▼82:8 Verse 8: Here is a prayer that we can all say!}