Wednesday, January
02, 2013, 5:05 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “I Will Lift My Eyes” playing in my
mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 82 (NIV 1984):
God presides in the
great assembly;
he gives judgment among the “gods”:
“How long will you
defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Defend the cause of
the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and
oppressed.
Rescue the weak and
needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
“They know nothing,
they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are
shaken.
“I said, ‘You are
“gods”;
you are all sons of the Most High.’
But you will die like
mere men;
you will fall like every other ruler.”
Rise up, O God, judge
the earth,
for all the nations are your inheritance.
The “gods”
God is ruler and judge over all kings, rulers, judges,
elders and shepherds of the people on this earth, both in the government and in
the church. It is from him that they receive their positions of authority, and
he alone has the true power and authority to remove them from their positions
of rule and reign. This is true, as well, of all rulers, authorities and powers
of this dark world and the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
(see Eph. 6). God is in absolute and complete power over all things in heaven
and on earth and under the earth. Nothing exists without him, and no ruler,
even evil ones, has any power except what God allows for a time and for a purpose,
and which he will one day bring to an end in judgment.
“The gods” are evidently a reference to rulers and judges in
Israel who were both political and religious in nature. Israel today is the church,
the body of Christ (not to be confused with the institutional church of men). The
main rulers in the church are the elders, Biblically speaking, though in today’s
church they may fall underneath different categories from pastors to elders,
etc. So, today we might take this passage of scripture as an indictment against
those rulers (pastors and/or elders) in our churches whose job it is to defend
the weak, the poor, the oppressed and the afflicted, but who are, instead,
using their positions of leadership as an excuse for authoritarian rule over
the people, especially over those they may consider to be weaker and thus not
able to defend themselves.
They know nothing
I think it particularly interesting that the term used for
these leaders is “gods”. I believe it fits with the concept of rulers who take
advantage of and oppress those weaker than them, or who usurp authoritarian rule
over those in lesser positions of power and authority and rule than them, because
it fits with the term god complex. In other words, a person with a god complex might
display characteristic traits of arrogance, bullying, manipulating others,
and/or he or she might be someone who thinks that just because he or she has a
certain education and/or is in a particular position of authority that he or she
walks on water, and that he or she can make decisions about other people’s
lives without true knowledge and understanding, and often with prejudicial and
unjust judgment and even condemnation.
These people in such positions of power over other people’s
lives, with all their education and training, and especially those within the
church with such power, and with such knowledge of God and his word under their
belts, should know better than to treat people that way, or to be so arrogant
to think that they can treat others with such disdain and disregard. God has
placed them in those positions of authority, and thus they are answerable to
Almighty God for how they treat those underneath their authority, or even those
not under their authority but who they may feel they can bully or push around.
Yet, even with all their education and training, many of
them know nothing, really. They do not have the mind of Christ, they lack in
spiritual understanding and compassion for others, and they walk about in
darkness because they are following after their own instincts instead of
following the lead of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They compare themselves by
themselves and so are not wise. They think others are like them, and so they
judge others based on their own weaknesses. And, because they have lost much
real connection with the head, Jesus Christ, and are following their own human
and fleshly instincts, and so many are following after the ways and schemes of
men instead of following the truth of God’s word, the foundations of the church
are shaken and the people of God are in want of true shepherds to lead them,
and so the sheep are scattered, because they have few to care for them (see
Ezekiel 34) and/or to give them true spiritual leadership and guidance.
To the Elders
Peter addressed the elders on a similar subject when giving
instructions to elders on how they should conduct their lives, I believe “on
and off the field.” They should lead the people under their care as a shepherd
would lead his sheep and would care for them. They are to serve as overseers.
An overseer is a supervisor, a manager or one who watches over others,
including in helping to direct their work, yet he is also one who serves kind
of like a dad watching over his children, protecting, guiding, leading, and
loving, much the way a good shepherd would care for his sheep, and would even
give his own life for his sheep.
An overseer should do his job, too, not because he feels
compelled to do so, either because of the status or position or rank or prestige
he might receive from such an honorable position, but he must serve others with
a willing heart because he is eager to serve them; because he cares about
others as a loving parent cares for his children. He should not serve because
he is greedy for wealth, prestige, honor, power or control, and he should never
lord it over those entrusted to his care. In other words, he should never use
his title, position, power or authority as an excuse for treating others with
disdain or with disrespect, or as a free license to take advantage of the
weaker vessels among the flock, though many, many do this. Ego and love for
power and prestige often lead a man of God down the wrong path.
Instead of going into the ministry or accepting an
appointment as an elder because you think this is what you are supposed to do,
or out of greed for money, power or prestige, or because you think you have
great knowledge to share, or because of the power high you might receive from such
a position, or for whatever noble reason you might choose to do this, take the
time before God to examine your heart to make sure your heart is in the right
place, that you are doing this out of obedience to God and for love of God’s
people, and then make sure that you preach what you live, i.e. that you are
being an example to the flock for them to follow, because that is the greatest
leadership of all! [See 1 Pet. 5]
Mere Men
God always has a way of bringing things into perspective
and/or bringing them into the realm of reality when we begin to get our heads
in the clouds or we begin to think we know things when we don’t know at all,
etc. Even though these men being spoken about here in this psalm, and in Ez. 34
and in 1 Pet. 5 are in prestigious or high positions of rule and authority over
mankind, they are still men, and they will die just like mere men. None of us
should ever get to the point to where we think we are infallible or untouchable
or to where we have such power over others that we think we can’t be brought
down. We can!
One day God is going to judge this earth and Jesus Christ is
going to return and then he will set up his rule and reign on the earth. Amen!
I look forward to that day! Evil will no longer reign. Those who are power
hungry and who abuse those less fortunate than them will no longer rule. The
perfect and sinless reign of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords
will have absolute dominion over all things, as he does now, yet he will no
longer allow evil to have a presence or to inflict his saints again. His saints
will rule with him, and the rule will be just and honest and loving and will
have the benefit of others in mind. Amen!
To the Oppressed
If you are one who has been or is presently being oppressed
by those in positions of rule and authority who are abusing those positions,
take heart! Lift your hearts to God in prayer, call upon him, and he will help
you through this time. He will guide and direct your path in the way you should
go. He will give you wisdom and Biblical discernment to make the right
decisions in obedience to him and to his commands. Though you may have been
forsaken by the shepherds of this world who have forgotten that they are mere
men, know that God has not forgotten you and he is not sleeping. He knows what
is going on and he will give you everything you need to go the right direction.
Trust those oppressors to his judgment and his timing and his mercy, believe
that God knows best, that he is in control, and that a day is coming when all
things will come before him and everything will be exposed. Forgive your
offenders, put on love, kindness and humility, and keep on keeping on in the
faith!
I Will Lift My Eyes
/ An Original Work / December 12, 2012
Based off Psalms 121-125
I will lift my eyes
To my Lord Most High.
My help comes from
Him,
Who saved me from sin.
He will not let your
foot slip, and
He who watches will
not sleep.
Our Lord watches over
you, and
Your life He will
keep.
I will lift my eyes
To my Lord Most High.
My help comes from
Him,
Who saved me from sin.
I give thanks to Him.
I will lift my eyes
To my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord.
My sins, He’s
forgiv’n.
Because of His great
love for us,
He made us alive with
Christ.
Through the kindness
of our Savior,
He gave us new life.
I will lift my eyes
To my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord.
My sins, He’s
forgiv’n.
My home now in heav’n.
Praise be to the Lord,
Who is on our side.
Our help found in Him.
He gives peace within.
Those who trust will
ne’er be shaken.
God will supply all we
need.
Our Lord has done
great things for us.
He’s our friend,
indeed!
Praise be to the Lord,
Who is on our side.
Our help found in Him.
He gives peace within.
I can count on Him.
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