Psalm 81 — 82
19:15–20; 21:2). Jesus made this clear in His quotation of verse 6 in John 10:34–36. It is a great responsibility to represent the Lord on earth (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17; 16:19) and seek to execute justice by applying the law correctly. Civil servants are "ministers of the Lord" and will answer to Him for what they have done (Rom. 13).
older (Num. 14:26ff.). But this attitude of spiritual "deafness" and willful disobedience persisted even after Israel entered the Promised Land, as recorded in the book of Judges. (See 78:10, 17, 32, 40, 56.) The greatest judgment God can send is to let people have their own way (see Rom. 1:24, 26, 28).
Had His people obeyed Him, the Lord would have kept the promises in His covenant and blessed them with protection and provision (Deut. 28:15ff.; Lev. 26:17–20; 27–31). When we disobey the Lord, not only do we feel the pain of His chastening, but we also miss out on the blessings He so desires to give us. The Lord gave Israel water out of the rock, but He was prepared to give them honey out of the rock (Deut. 32:13). He sent manna from heaven, but He would have given them the finest of wheat. The word if (v. 13) is small, but it carries big consequences (Deut. 5:29; 32:29; Isa. 48:18; Matt. 23:37).
The Judges (vv. 2–7) "And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Mic. 6:8 nasb). These judges did not do justly (v. 2) or love mercy (vv. 3–4), and they walked in defiance of God's will (v. 5). The pronoun "you" in verse 2 is plural, for the Lord is addressing all the guilty judges. They championed the causes of the guilty because they were bribed, and they failed to care for the orphans and widows. (See Ex. 22:21–24; Deut. 10:17–18; Isa. 1:17; 10:1–2; Jer. 5:28; 22:3, 16; Amos 2:7; 4:1; 5:11–12; 8:6; Ezek. 16:49; 18:12; 22:29.) Judges are to uphold the law and not show partiality (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 16:19; Isa. 3:13–15; Mic. 3:1–4), a principle that also applies in the local church (1 Tim. 5:21). Even during the glorious days of Solomon's kingdom, the state officers were abusing people and disobeying the law (Eccl. 5:8)—yet Solomon had asked for an understanding heart (1 Kings 3:9).
Of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: "It might have been."
—JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER