Defend The Poor
Opening Prayer
Thank You, Creator Father, for a day to rest as You rested and to remember that once I was enslaved but now I am free.
Read Psalm 82
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
1 God presides in the great assembly;
he renders judgment among the “gods”:
2 “How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”;
you are all sons of the Most High.’
7 But you will die like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.”
8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
for all the nations are your inheritance.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Have you ever witnessed anyone being mistreated, slighted or bullied? What would God’s response be?Who are the “gods” of verse 1? The Hebrew word used here sometimes refers to angelic beings surrounding God, sometimes to God himself. However, Jesus quotes Psalm 82 in John 10:31–39 referring to those “to whom the word came,” i.e., Israel. So here, “the great assembly” is probably not the divine heavenly court as in Job 1, but, as in Exodus and Numbers, the people of God.
Still, whoever the “gods” are, the identity and character of the one true God are clear. He holds supreme authority, he is the ultimate judge and he is totally opposed to the exploitation of the poor and the marginalized. Elsewhere in the Bible we repeatedly read that every member of God’s people has a duty to protect and care for the poor, the exploited, the widow and the orphan in their community. Isaiah 1:17, for example, says, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” It’s up to us. Where do you see injustice in your community? Where do you see the oppressed in our land?
Apply
Ask God to show you one thing he would have you do for the poor and vulnerable in your community.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, You came to preach good news to the poor (Luke 4). May I too share Your love with those around me, just as You did.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.