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"God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgements among the \u201cgods\u201d: Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance\u201d (Psalm 82:1-2).

Not many of us will remember hearing a sermon on this song. And I doubt that it's popular in modern devotional literature. It takes a bit of imagination to grasp its setting.

North American Christianity is extremely monotheistic. There is only One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But ancient Israel did not have the same understanding. They believed that other gods existed and were able to influence events in this world.

Thus, Israel was frequently persuaded to worship the gods their neighbours believed in. To encourage the Israelites to be faithful to their Lord, the Psalms include phrases like, \u201cFor great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods\u201d (96:4) and \u201cGive thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever\u201d (136:2).

Israel\u2019s song writers knew that faith is shaped through communal worship. Music speaks to the heart in ways that mere words cannot. So, if you are young, learn the songs of our faith.

Now back to our Psalm, its setting is a council of the gods as they gather to rule the world. The God of Israel presides over the council, and he calls the other gods to account for their poor decisions. They are not ruling according to the values of His kingdom.

Before dismissing this psalm as having no relevance for us, it\u2019s important to know that these other gods had human agents who enacted their will. These agents were being called to account as much as their gods were. As such, this psalm invites us to evaluate the values that guide our decision making. Are these values in line with God\u2019s law?

Specifically, we must assess our own attitudes and actions towards the oppressed, the weak, the fatherless, and the poor. As we encounter these folks in our daily lives, do we turn a deaf ear, or do we respond with compassion and mercy?

In our society, we're programmed to expect people to shape up, take control, solve their own problems. We applaud self-reliance and scorn any show of dependence or need. When someone asks for help, we instinctually respond with suspicion. \u201cDo they really deserve our help?\u201d

God's structure of law and order is undermined when His people ignore the needs of others; His kingdom is advanced when they do. We may not be elected officials, but we are God's official representatives with our own spheres of influence. And we are accountable to Him to reflect not only His justice, but His mercy as well.

God is the judge of human judges. He created justice and equity. The nations of the world belong to God, and he holds us responsible for our ethics and conduct.

Isaiah 58 reflects how important justice and mercy are to God. In Isaiah 1:14 and Amos 5:21, God says that he hates Israel\u2019s worship because her hands are full of blood. She does not practise justice and mercy between worship times. How would God evaluate our worship?

Does your heart resonate with God's mercy? While reading this, what excuses have you been making so you don\u2019t need to get involved? In Luke 6:34, Jesus says, \u201cBe merciful, just as your Father is merciful.\u201d The way towards mercy is not to try harder, but to receive it first. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how merciful God has been towards you. Having received mercy, we are able to pass it on.