It is generally recognised that the modern missionary movement began in 1793 when the Baptist missionary, William Carey, went to India. He went there to ″convert the heathen″. Through translating the Bible into the native languages, he brought the good news of Jesus to the people of India. While he was there, Carey observed ordinary people enduring great sufferings and injustice. He couldn't sit back and do nothing. He worked tirelessly to ″defend the weak . . . uphold the cause of the poor . . . rescue the weak and the needy″ (Psalm 82:3-4). For example, he campaigned for the humane treatment of lepers who were often buried alive. He also helped abolish the sati, the practice of burning widows alive on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands, and made it illegal to leave sick or unwanted babies exposed to die. William Carey exemplified the character of the ″gods″ as described in this psalm.

Psalm 82 is a difficult psalm to understand, although its main message is clear. The psalm begins by describing God as dwelling in ″the great assembly . . . among the gods″ (v. 1). What is this assembly and who are these gods? There are two popular answers to these questions.

The first view is that they are angels and the great assembly is in heaven. Job chapter 1 describes Satan as entering the heavenly court with the angels or ″the sons of the Most High″ (v. 6; see Job 1:6). If this is correct, then maintaining justice and caring for the vulnerable is part of the angels' ministry (vv. 2-4). Some angels, however, failed to do so and God's punishment is that ″they will fall like every other ruler″ (v. 7). This explains the presence of fallen angels or demons.

The second view is that the ″gods″ are human judges. Their first work in the great assembly of Israel was to uphold justice and defend the cause of the weak.

It is very difficult to discern which view, among others, is correct. But whether God is rebuking heavenly hosts or earthly leaders, His complaint is clear: they have not cared for those in need.

This stands in contrast to one of Jesus' best-known parables. In the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), a man is beaten and left to die. He needs rescue. Two men, teachers and leaders in Israel, walk by. But a Samaritan fulfils the will of God and rescues the weak. Jesus' command us to ″go and do likewise″ (v. 37).

The Bible tells us to do good to all people, especially to those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). As the parable in Luke 10 instructs, and as Psalm 82 makes clear, this is not an optional extra for anyone who calls himself or herself a child of God.