“God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings: “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? Interlude “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core. I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’” Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.”
Psalms 82:1-8 NLT
Psalm 82 gives a clear picture of the nature of relationship between the heavenly realm and the physical realm. It paints the picture of God being a supreme being amongst lesser spiritual beings. Asaph sees God as allowing these beings to have a control over the nations that has devolved to wickedness and been a source of contention for humanity. This is in juxtaposition to God who loves humanity and treats it well. There is animosity between the two powers, but a clear picture that God is the supreme deity above even those lesser gods. Their sin, is in fact, as our sin. They claim to be Gods when they are merely gods. So instead, God plans to reduce them to a status of mortals. Jesus quotes this passage while condemning the Pharisees and religious leaders who viewed themselves on par with God and used him as a platform for their own devices. The message is clear. Not even the gods are above YHWH. All who challenge him will be brought low. It is also clear that the ontology of sin is inherited from the chaotic practices of these heavenly beings. It is a fascinating look at the world as we know it, but not as we see it.
JOSH McGARY.COM 