Then why do we complicate and over-think it? Undeniably, in this psalm, God speaks to us directly. He highlights 2 groups of people — the religious and the hypocrites. Then there’s the 3rd group — the people that God wants us to be. Which one are you?
The key and crucial verses are in the middle. Read (or listen) carefully and see if you can pick them out. Let’s dig in…
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Lord, the Mighty One, is God,
and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
3 Our God approaches,
and he is not silent.
Fire devours everything in his way,
and a great storm rages around him.
4 He calls on the heavens above and earth below
to witness the judgment of his people.
5 “Bring my faithful people to me—
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”
6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself will be the judge. Interlude7 “O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns
or the goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 Do I eat the meat of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?
14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.”16 But God says to the wicked:
Psalm 50 NLT
“Why bother reciting my decrees
and pretending to obey my covenant?
17 For you refuse my discipline
and treat my words like trash.
18 When you see thieves, you approve of them,
and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouth is filled with wickedness,
and your tongue is full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander your brother—
your own mother’s son.
21 While you did all this, I remained silent,
and you thought I didn’t care.
But now I will rebuke you,
listing all my charges against you.
22 Repent, all of you who forget me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
Hearing God When He Speaks
Obviously, God is not silent! Undoubtedly, the problem in today’s culture is we are distracted by the world. It is impossible to hear God if we are not actively listening to or for His Word. Jesus told us several times…
Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
Matthew 11:15 NLT
In the NLT version, Jesus says this phrase 19 times! Do you think it’s important to Him for you listen and understand? Clearly, the best and easiest way to hear God is to READ THE BIBLE! In this day and age, we have no excuses! Going on…
The Judgment of His People
Every single human being — believers, non-believers, the religious, agnostics or atheists — will be judged! How many times does God need to remind us that He is God?
Next, He calls out the religious. Those who go through rites and rituals thinking they are sacrificing.
Understand this: God doesn’t need our money! Everything in the world is His! He created it — it’s His! He is the one who allows you to earn money to buy things. God alone allows you to posses things. He gives you the skills, knowledge, and talents to earn a living.
Key Verses
In case you didn’t guess, verse 14 and 15 are the key verses here. God clearly tells us what He wants from us…
14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
Psalm 50:14-15 NLT
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.”
In other words, what God wants from us is…
- Gratitude — we must live in an attitude of gratitude every day.
- Obey Him — if you’re a born-again believer, you vowed to follow Jesus. If you don’t put Jesus first, you are not keeping that vow. If you’re not a believer but you believe in the Trinity, then you need to take that extra step and do what Jesus told us to do.
- Trust God — He is our protector, provider, our rescuer and our healer. Why — so that we will give HIM the glory!
Do You Treat His Words Like Trash?
If you have a Bible and it’s sitting on a shelf collecting dust, then yes. Also, when you listen to a false preacher who twists or waters down the Gospel, then yes.
Now, He calls out the hypocrites. Those who call themselves “Christian”, yet they sin like there’s no tomorrow. Even condoning sinful behavior is a sin!
REPENT!
His final command to us can’t be any clearer…
22 Repent, all of you who forget me,
Psalm 50:22-23 NLT
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
The 3rd Group — Jesus’ True Followers
Those last 2 verses describe the 3rd group — those who know they are sinners, have repented of their sins, thank God every day, keep to His path, and seek His Will for their lives. We know His Salvation through Jesus Christ. The folks at Spoken Gospel summarize it very nicely…
God always provides for his people. God always generously gives from his abundance so that his people can enjoy their relationship with him. Sacrifices and laws are not how we get things from God, but how we respond to God after he’s given us everything we need. After all, God saved Israel from Egypt before he ever gave them laws on Mt. Sinai. And in Jesus, God has abundantly provided all that we need again.
Jesus is the only sacrifice God needs (Romans 8:32). Jesus is also the Word of God who took God’s law seriously and obeyed God’s law perfectly (John 1:1, 14; Romans 8:3-4). Jesus was neither a moralist (religious person) nor a hypocrite! He knew he was the sacrifice God promised to his people. He obediently offered himself, better than any goat from a pen and more sure than any flippant word spoken by humans (Hebrews 9:12-14). So now, both moralists and hypocrites have good news: offer thanks to God!
In Jesus, the sacrifice is provided; there’s nothing left for you to give. And in Jesus, the perfect obedience is provided; there’s nothing left for you to do! So thank him! Jesus saved you from your sin before he ever asked you to obey or sacrifice (Colossians 3:17)!
Spoken Gospel
How to Pray Psalm 50
Read or listen to this psalm again. Take out a journal or piece of paper and rewrite the psalm as it pertains to you. Which group are you in? The devout, religious “sacrificer” or the hypocrite? You want to be a true follower of Jesus. Pour out your heart to Him. He knows you. Do you know Him?
Jesus didn’t suffer torture and die, carrying the weight of all our sins— God’s wrath — so we could have religion! He died so He could have a Personal Relationship with YOU!
Isn’t it about time you let Him in?
Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…
Great Lesson Today at My Church…
I Thank God
I first heard this song at the Jesus March in Phoenix. I loved it so much that I added it to my iTunes daily walking playlist…
Gratitude
Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be The Glory!
Recommended Bible Study Apps:
The YouVersion Bible App: https://bible.com
Through The Word: https://throughtheword.org
