Ps. 94.21 (dry and devastated)

They band together / against the life / of the righteous
and condemn / innocent blood. 

As we saw in the previous reflection, a central issue in these verses is the alliances that are forged. The previous verse asked whether the ‘seats of destruction’ could be “allied with you”. Here, the oppressors ‘band together’. In the following verse Yhwh will become “my fortress” and a “rock of refuge”. This dynamic of alliances reveals an important point for today’s verse. The previous verse denied Yhwh’s alliance with them; the following verse will highlight Yhwh’s alliance with the righteous. Here, standing between Yhwh’s absence and Yhwh’s presence, are the oppressors whose only cohesion (alliance) is with each other. Their power therefore is not rooted in the divine realm, but a purely human assertion. And, as this psalm has emphasized time-and-again, that realm of purely human assertion is patently stupid (vs. 8-9) and vain (vs. 11); it is, also, terribly dangerous (vs. 13). Perhaps more troubling still, it is not simply neutral, a realm of valueless freedom. Instead, it is the realm of chaos, death and wickedness. To dwell and operate in this dark sphere is partake of oppression and the destruction of innocent blood. It seems almost demonic not only in its rebellion but in its active attempt to destroy that which Yhwh prizes (the righteous and innocent). More troubling still is the fact that these wicked have a particular role—they are the judges who sit on the ‘seat of destruction/judgment’. They are the ones who are supposed to enact justice and righteousness through their decisions; instead, rather than listening to the cries of the oppressed, they listen to each other not to condemn injustice but to condemn innocence. The picture here is of a group of judges who should be externally focused on the parties seeking justice but instead are purely internally focused on their own schemes and machinations. Rather than being fountains of justice, they exploit their roles and leave the earth dry and devastated.