1. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty. He sees all that is done by the great ones of the earth.
When they sit in state he stands over them, ready to deal with them if they
pervert judgment. Judges will be judged. He has no respect unto the person of
any, and is the champion of the poor and needy. He judgeth among the gods.
They are gods to other people, but he is God
to them. He lends them his name, and this is their authority for acting as
judges, but they must take care that they do not misuse the power entrusted to
them, for the Judge of judges is in session among them.
2. How long will ye judge unjustly and accept the persons
of the wicked? It is indirectly stated that the
magistrates had been unjust and corrupt. Would they never remember the Great
Judge, and renounce their wickedness? Selah. This gives the offenders
pause for consideration and confession.
3. Defend the poor and fatherless. Cease to do evil; learn to do well. Look not to the
interests of the wealthy whose hands proffer you bribes, but protect the rights
of the needy, and especially uphold the claims of orphans whose property too
often becomes a prey. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Even they
can claim from you as judge no more than justice, but if you give them no more
than justice, at least be sure that you give them that to the full.
4. It is a
brave thing when a judge can liberate a victim like a fly from the spider’s
web, and a horrible case when magistrate and plunderer are in league. Law has
too often been an instrument for vengeance in the hand of unscrupulous people,
an instrument as poison or the dagger. It is for the judge to prevent such
villainy.
5. They know not, neither will they understand. A wretched plight for a nation to be in when its justices
know no justice, and its judges are devoid of judgment. Neither to know his
duty nor to wish to know it is rather the mark of an incorrigible criminal than
of a magistrate, yet such a stigma was justly set upon the rulers of Israel. They
walk in darkness. Being both ignorant and wicked they yet dare to pursue a
path in which knowledge and righteousness are essential: they go on without
hesitation, forgetful of the responsibilities in which they are involved, and
the punishment which they are incurring. All the foundations of the earth
are out of course. When injustice is committed in due course of law the
world is indeed out of course. Thank God we have, as an almost invariable rule,
incorruptible judges; may it always be so.
6. I have said, ye are gods. The greatest honor was thus put upon them; they were delegated
gods, clothed for a while with a little of that authority by which the Lord
judges among the sons of men. And all of you are children of the Most High.
This was their ex officio character, not their moral or
spiritual relationship. God allows people to rule over other people, and
endorses their office, so far at least that the prostitution of it becomes an
insult to his own prerogatives. Magistrates would have no right to condemn the
guilty if God had not sanctioned the establishment of government, the
administration of law, and the execution of sentences. Here the Spirit speaks
most honorably of these offices, even when it censures the officers, and
thereby teaches us to render honor to the office even if we award censure to
the office-bearer.
7. But ye shall die like men. Great as the office made the men, they were still but men,
and must die. Every judge must leave the bench to stand at the bar, and on the
way must put off the ermine to put on the shroud. And fall like one of the
princes. Even as princes have often been cut off by sudden and violent
deaths, so should the judges be who forget to do justice. People usually
respect the office of a judge, and do not conspire to slay him, as they do to
kill princes and kings; but injustice withdraws this protection, and puts the
unjust magistrate in personal danger. No places are too high for death’s
arrows; he brings down his birds from the tallest trees.
8. Arise, O God, judge the earth. Come, thou Judge of all mankind, put the bad judges to thy
bar and end their corruption and tyranny. For thou shalt inherit all
nations. The time will come when all races will own their God, and accept
him as their King. The second advent is still earth’s brightest hope. Come
quickly; even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
