–Ernest Haycox  (Alder Gulch)

       “Thus says the LORD of hosts:  ‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother.'”

                         –Zechariah 7:9 (NKJV)
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What happens when people, especially those in leadership positions do not heed the warnings of God?   In Psalm 82, God is warning unjust leaders.  He chides them for what they are doing and they are told to change their ways.

          1 — God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.
          2 — How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?   Selah
          3 — Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy.
          4 — Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked.
          5 — They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are unstable.
          6 — I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High.
          7 — But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.’
          8 — Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit all nations.  (NKJV)

       This Psalm starts out with a courtroom sitting.  God is seen standing in the room where He is judging the “gods.”  This term has thrown some into confusion.  This is not speaking of mythology.  The Almighty is not judging Zeus or Athena, or any of the other mythological gods.  He is not speaking about polytheism which many take this Scripture to try and prove their beliefs.  It is not speaking of the New Age and Mormon belief of the promise that man will become gods.  From reading the verses, it is clear that He is speaking to the judges of the earth–the leadership.
       God is giving a firm warning to these “judges”.  As Matthew Henry wrote, “Those who will not observe the judgments of God’s mouth shall not escape the judgments of His hand.”   The Lord desires that there be justice, but these pseudo-leaders have perverted justice.  The righteous suffer, and because of that evil is rewarded.  In this Psalm,” God is calling into account all corrupt rulers who were responsible for defrauding the weak, the fatherless, the poor, and the oppressed.” (Steven Lawson)
       Look at the beginning, this is important.  God is presiding!  All rulers and authorities are under His domain and control.  Judges are put in place to execute justice under the laws of the land, but instead they are blind.  No, not blind like the statue that depicts law, but blind to their duties and responsibilities.  When lawless, unjust men rule it causes havoc among the people, there is unrest, and in truth the whole world order starts to reel.  Think of just those of the last century:  Stalin, Hitler, Amin, Pol Pot, and the list could go on.  The world was shaken because of their injustice and inhuman treatment of those whom they ruled over.
       Martin Luther made the statement, “Rulers must understand that they are not placed over stocks and stones, nor over swine and dogs, but over the congregation of God; they must therefore be afraid of acting against God himself when they act unjustly.”  God is in charge.  All nations are under His control and if warnings are not heeded, then His judgment will follow.  (Even so, come, Lord Jesus.)

                    “Arm me with jealous care,
                    As in thy sight to live;
                    And O thy servant, Lord, prepare
                    A strict account to give!”
                             –Charles Wesley

                         –Stephen Bly  (Throw the Devil Off the Train)

       “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

                         –Hebrews 11:7 (NASB)
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I doubt if anyone would not agree that this world is full of evil.  It is wicked and there seems to be little possible to stop its advance.  In looking at our world I began to think of the times of Noah.  Jesus said, “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-27, NASB).
       Some theologians believe that this verse just means that when the Lord returns it will happen during the normal happenings of life.  It will be life as usual until the Lord returns.  But I began to look at the verses in Genesis.  That was an evil time.  Perhaps the most evil in history.  It was a time devoid of faith and godly virtue.  “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5, NASB).  Evil continually, so evil and wicked that it grieved the Lord and He said that He would “blot out man…” (Genesis 6:7, NASB).
       It must have been extreme wickedness.  The hearts of man were wicked, and vile and perverse evil was practiced.  But let’s go back to Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah.  He walked with God.  So much so that God took him.  I wonder what Methuselah thought when his father did not return from his daily walk with the Lord?  The days were already evil, yet Enoch was able to walk with God despite the evil.  That should tell us something–a person can live for God in this pagan and apostate world.  Another question, was Methuselah a godly man?  Did he instill the knowledge of the holy One to his children, especially to Lamech the father of Noah?  Was Lamech godly?  There must have been something there for we know that “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9, NASB)
       Man knew about God, or at least did at one time.  Most likely they had perverted their worship and began to serve false gods–idols.  It also seems that they were so far gone that they could not be turned around; hope had passed them by.  There is no message of redemption except that Noah was a preacher of righteousness.  His life exemplified godliness.  His message was for the people to turn, yet no one did.   Scriptures say that the “earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11, NASB)
       However, God in His mercy and grace–His unmerited favor gave Noah a command.  Noah was a man of faith; he proved his faith through his faithfulness in doing what the Lord commanded.  Now, another question, why did all the inhabitants have to be destroyed?  Was this God showing mercy?  One writer said that the devil was trying to pervert all the people so that there could be no righteous left to continue the bloodline of which Jesus would come.  Hmmm, perhaps?  Noah found grace!  It is important to remember that grace is not a reward, but a response to faith.  He must have been a remarkable man, especially for his times.  The Lord declared, “for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.” (Genesis 7:1, NASB) and because he was faithful it is said that he “did according to all that the LORD had commanded him.”  (Genesis 7:5, NASB)  Oh that we be like Noah–faithful, righteous, and obedient.  He was not perfect, but he was righteous and he stood out in the midst of wicked and perverse people.

                    –B. N. Rundell  (Journey to Jeopardy)

       “Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”

                    –2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
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Something caught my attention while I was reading the other day and I want to share it with you for you to ponder.  It comes from a book written by Brannon McPherson,

                     “To end everything is to begin judgment.”

Over the years I had heard many people complain or exhort depending–why doesn’t the Lord just end this evil world?  Why doesn’t He bring justice?  But when you look at it, if He would put an end to the world, the next thing on the agenda would be judgment.  Yes, for sure, justice would come.  The writer of the Hebrews states, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this is the judgment.”  (Hebrews 9:27, NKJV)  This is for all humans who have lived on this earth.
       It will not be all singing and dancing and whooping it up, nor will it be immediate torment, but first–the Judgment.  All will be judged!  Now I don’t understand it all, but once you die time ceases.  Are we thrust immediately before the judgment throne?  In one sense we are, because God is not bound by time; He is omnipresent.  He is already at the Judgment and is waiting for us to join Him.  I am not saying that man goes dormant after death, but there is no time for them anymore.  
       When your life ends–what then?  The Judgment.  After that the believer experiences joy unknown.  There is a table spread before them waiting for the Groom to appear and dine with us.  There is joy forevermore and we will be in the presence of Christ for eternity.  In other words, we can face the sleep of death with boldness.  The day of judgment is before us, however there is no fear because we have accepted His love.
       However, what about the wicked?  When they die, time ceases for them as well.  They will not be RIP, but they will be at their Judgment, the Great White Throne.  After death comes the judgment.  There is something about the first death and the second and final death.  We all die once, but those who have not accepted Jesus Christ will forever be dead, yet alive in torment.
       “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17, NKJV)   Natural, physical death would now enter upon creation.  Man would die one day a physical death.  But then we must look at the words of Jesus for He says, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5, NKJV)  A new birth, a birth of the Spirit.  This birth keeps man, not from physical death, but from the final death, the second death.
       I wrote all of this to say that the reason God doesn’t end everything now is that judgment would immediately follow.  He is waiting, waiting for that perfect time.  He is waiting for the time of which Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV)  The promise of the Lord is coming–there is a Day of Judgment, however He is waiting, waiting for that last person to accept Him.  Only God, in His infinite omniscience knows the day and hour when the Son will return and hope will be lost.

                    –Elmer Kelton  (Badger Boy)

       “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves”

                    –Matthew 7:15(NKJV)
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The world is full of evil, just look around you.  Evil, as in the days of Noah, where God finally said, enough is enough, and destroyed the world.  But evil wasn’t destroyed, the men who practiced evil and injustice were, but since sin is bound in the heart of man Noah and his family brought evil to the world after the Flood.  Man is bent on the destruction of himself and those around him.  
       How often have you cried for justice?  When you look at the schools and educational system, where is the justice?  Politics?  There is little justice to be seen and those who practice justice are mocked, ridiculed, and scorned.  Jude aptly described the culture and society of our day.  

               “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries…  But these speak of evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.”
                              –Jude 8, 10 (NKJV)

One of the major cries of the Prophets was “where is the justice?”  And along with that they warned those who practiced injustice.  Injustice, evil, mockery and scorn, this is the world in which we live.  How do we do it?  By faith!  Wiersbe writes, “Faith learns to live with seeming inconsistencies and absurdities, for we live by promises and not by explanations.  We can’t explain life, but we must experience life, either enduring it or enjoying it.”
       Therefore, much of how we endure or enjoy life depends upon our attitude.  Our faith gives us the hope and the attitude that God is in charge and He will do what is right.  There is coming a day of reckoning–of justice, and that is up to God Almighty–the great Judge Himself.  Evil is there, but the goodness and grace of God will prevail.  Injustice is there, but justice is there also and the great Day of His appearing is at hand.  “The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.  The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.”  (Psalm 37:12-13, NKJV)
       I am reminded of the words from the song by J.H. Stockton:  “Only trust Him, only trust Him, Only trust Him now…”  In the pagan and apostate world we are to go through life trusting in the Lord.  No matter your situation–trust Him.  No matter the storm–trust Him.  No matter the obstacles in your path–trust Him.  No matter what the devil throws at you–trust Him.  In other words, no matter what, know that God has everything under control and that we are to trust Him.

               “God holds the key of all unknown,
                       And I am glad;
               If other hands should hold the key,
               Or if He trusted it to me,
                       I might be sad.

               I cannot read His future plans,
                       But this I know:
               I have the smiling of His face,
               And all the refuge of His grace,
                       While here below.”
                               –Joseph Parker