Author: John Tillman

Scripture Focus: Psalm 82
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. 

Reflection: Favored Undertakings
By John Tillman

Spiritual and physical worlds overlap in Psalm 82, and interpretations also overlap.

Is God raising objections in the assembly of other gods, or is God speaking in judgment against human “gods,” the rulers and wealthy leaders? In either case, God judges and punishes them for defending the unjust and showing partiality to the wicked.

Federico Villanueva observes Westerners seem uncomfortable with the idea of many “gods” and one “Most High God.” But the rest of the world, including biblical writers, see no conflict with Yahweh ruling over other spiritual beings. Asaph’s original meaning seems to refer to such a spiritual realm, but Jesus quotes Asaph and interprets “gods” in a way that includes human leaders who received the word of God. (John 10.33-39) Neither interpretation negates the other. Both can be true simultaneously. But don’t let the “who” make you miss the “why.”

Why God is angry is more important than who the other gods are. God is angry at injustice.

God cries out, “How long?” We are used to humans crying out “how long” to God when suffering injustice, but in this case, God raises the lament when gods and rulers defend the unjust.

In the United States Senate chamber, senators assemble beneath a Latin phrase carved into the edge of the balcony above their heads: annuit coeptis, or “God has favored our undertakings.” Americans, especially Christians, often take God’s favor for granted. “We’re the good guys. God is on our side.” But is he? Many of the most horrible undertakings in history claimed to have God’s favor. Care and humility are needed. Do we claim God’s favor while causing him to say, “How long?”

God is angry when the unjust and wicked are defended and shown partiality. Are we?
God is angry when the cause of the weak, the vulnerable, and the oppressed is ignored. Are we?
God takes his stand in the assembly, speaking against injustices. Do we?

God’s objections to unjust undertakings imply undertakings he would favor.

We must speak against, not defend, unjust events, leaders, or causes.
We must refuse to defend or show partiality to the wicked for any purpose, power, or profit.
We must take up the cause of the vulnerable, lending our voices and support, defending them from the powerful and wealthy.

God favors undertakings aligned with him. Let’s undertake them, no matter what assembly we stand in or who opposes us.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. — 2 Corinthians 4.6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Micah 3 (Listen 1:51)
Psalm 81-82 (Listen 2:36)

​This Weekend’s Readings
Micah 4 (Listen 2:33), Psalm 83-84 (Listen 3:20)
Micah 5 (Listen 2:21), Psalm 85 (Listen 1:25)

Read more about Turn Out the Lights
In choosing prophets that please us, we will soon find ourselves ashamed in the dark and isolated from the God we stopped listening to.

Read more about Honey and Grace
Christ pours out, upon those who follow him, extravagant grace that goes beyond a dry court ruling of “not guilty.”

Scripture Focus: Psalm 80.8-11, 14-18
8 You transplanted a vine from Egypt; 
you drove out the nations and planted it. 
9 You cleared the ground for it, 
and it took root and filled the land. 
10 The mountains were covered with its shade, 
the mighty cedars with its branches. 
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea, 
its shoots as far as the River.
14 Return to us, God Almighty! 
Look down from heaven and see! 
Watch over this vine, 
15 the root your right hand has planted, 
the son you have raised up for yourself. 
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; 
at your rebuke your people perish. 
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, 
the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 
18 Then we will not turn away from you; 
revive us, and we will call on your name. 

Reflection: The Ever-Patient Agriculturalist
By John Tillman

The psalmist compares Israel to a transplanted vine that is intended to bring the wine of God’s blessing to the world. Throughout the Bible, God is often pictured as an ever-patient agriculturalist.

God begins by planting a garden in which to place humanity. When tares are sown among his wheat, he delays judgment for the sake of his crop. He is a shepherd who seeks the lost sheep and gives his life for them. As the sower, he scatters seed even to soil others abandon. He is the oxen-driver who prepares a well-fitted and “easy” yoke for us. He is the orchard owner, giving his fruitless trees another year and every opportunity to flourish. He is a vinedresser, tenderly transplanting his vines from bad soil to good. He grafts in wild vines to join his true vine from which the blessings of wine will flow.

Israel was to become God’s representatives upon the Earth. They were to be set apart from the nations yet welcoming to all nations. Their holiness was not intended to condemn other nations but to call them out of the darkness. God uprooted and transplanted Israel out of Egypt. He saved them from the darkness of idolatry and from under the thumb of empire. But a little bit of Egypt stuck to their roots. Eventually, they would become as evil as the empire they were extracted from.

Like his vineyard and like the fruit tree, God wants to give us every opportunity to flourish. God desires that we be placed, planted, protected, preserved, and made productive by him. We, however, can put a halt to his husbandry.  Our soil can resist his seed. Our roots can refuse his tending. Our branches can frustrate him with our fruitlessness. We can uproot in our hearts what he plants, replanting our own idolatrous crop of greed, lust, and anger.

Eventually, God will till under fruitless vineyards. Eventually, fruitless trees will be cursed and cut down. Eventually, our tares will be separated from our wheat and burned. We will experience both God’s justice and his grace.

We can participate in this process of sanctification now, becoming a partner to our own cleansing, tilling under our own sinful crops, and enabling a rebirth of fruitfulness.

The purpose of deconstruction is reconstruction.
The purpose of uprooting is to replant.
May we rejoice in being pruned and replanted.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; knit my heart to you that I may fear your Name. — Psalm 86.11

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Micah 2 (Listen 2:11)
Psalm 80 (Listen 1:58)

Read more about The Cultivating Life
We have written before “cultivation is supernatural,” but the simple actions of cultivating faith are not ethereal or fanciful. They are the practical, steady doings of the farmer.

Read more about Cultivation Is Supernatural
Cultivation is not natural. It is supernatural. We give plants a safer, healthier place to grow than exists naturally, and they give us better food in greater quantities.