Psalm 50
Every seventh year, during the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests were obligated to read the law to the people and explain its meaning (Deut. 31:9–18; Neh. 8), and this psalm may have been written for such an occasion. The emphasis is on the consistent godly living that should result from true spiritual worship. Asaph was one of David's worship leaders (see Ps. 39 introduction and 1 Chron. 15:17ff.; 16:4ff.). A group of eleven psalms attributed to Asaph is found in 73—83. God the Judge summons the court (vv. 1–6) and confronts two offenders: the formalist, to whom worship is a ritual to
Wealth Will Not Determine Your Destiny (vv. 13–15) When Jesus told His disciples that it was hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, they were astonished; for most Jews believed that the possession of wealth was a mark of God's blessing (Matt.
Psalm 50
faith in the heart and a desire to honor the Lord. The animals they brought belonged to Him long before the worshippers ever saw them! The world and everything in it belongs to Him (v. 12; 24:1; 89:11; Acts 17:24–25; 1 Cor. 10:26), and there is nothing we can give to God. Some of the pagan religions of that day taught that their gods and goddesses "ate" the animals that people sacrificed, but this was not a part of the Hebrew religion (Deut. 32:37–40). What the Lord wanted from His people was thanksgiving from their hearts, obedience to His Word, prayer, and a desire to honor Him in everything (vv. 14–15). But the Lord doesn't want ritualism or formalism. He wants our worship to come from the heart.
follow (vv. 7–15), and the hypocrite, to whom worship is a disguise to cover sin (vv. 16–21). The psalm closes with a call to all worshipers to be faithful to God (vv. 22–23).
The Holy Judge (vv. 1–6) Human judges are called "the Honorable," but this Judge is called "the Mighty One" (El), "God" (Elohim), "the Lord" (Jehovah), "the Most High" (Elyon, v. 14), and "God" (Eloah). He is Judge (vv. 4, 6), Prosecutor, and Jury—and He knows all about those who are on trial! He calls heaven and earth to witness the proceedings (vv. 1, 4, 6; see Deut. 4:26, 32; 31:28; 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Mic. 1:2; 6:1–2). When a judge enters a courtroom, everybody stands respectfully; but God's entrance into this assembly is accompanied by the shining of His glory (80:1; 94:2) and a fiery tempest, not unlike the scene at Mount Sinai when He gave His law (Ex. 19:18; 24:17; Deut. 4:11–12; 33:2; Heb. 12:18, 29). When we forget the transcendence of God, we find it easier to sin. The ark was with the people on Mount Zion ("Emmanual, God with us"), but the nation must not forget Mount Sinai where their God revealed His holiness and greatness. The psalmist praised Zion for its beauty (v. 2; 48:2; Lam. 2:15), but he also wants us to remember "the beauty of holiness" (27:4; 90:17; 110:3).
The Hypocritical Sinners (vv. 16–21) This message was addressed to "the wicked," the Israelites in the covenant community who were reciting the creed with their lips but deliberately disobeying God's law. After breaking God's law, they would go to the sanctuary and act very religious so they could cover up their sins. They helped to make the sanctuary a "den of thieves"—the place where thieves go to hide after they have committed their wicked deeds (Jer. 7:11; Matt. 21:13). They had no respect for God's Word (v. 17) and not only consented to the sins of others but participated in them and enjoyed doing so (vv. 18–20). To "hate instruction" means to reject an ordered way of life patterned after God's Word, to reject a responsible life. The Lord specifically named stealing (the eighth commandment, Ex. 20:15), adultery (the seventh commandment, Ex. 20:14) and deceitful speech and slander (the ninth commandment, Ex. 20:16). These are not "old covenant sins," for believers today who live under the new covenant can be just as guilty of committing them.
God is Judge (vv. 4, 6; 7:11; 9:8; 11:4–7; 75:2; 96:10, 13; 98:9), and judgment begins with His own people (1 Peter 4:17). They are "godly ones," that is, a people set apart exclusively for the Lord because of the holy covenant (vv. 5, 16; Ex. 19:1–9; 24:4–8; Amos 2:3). Some of His people had sinned, and He had been longsuffering with them and silent about the matter (vv. 3, 21). They have interpreted His silence as consent (Eccl. 8:11; Isa. 42:14; 57:11), but now the time had come for the Holy God to speak. The purpose of this "trial" was not to judge and condemn the sinners but to expose their sins and give them opportunity to repent and return to the Lord.
Once again, the silence of God is mentioned (v. 21; see v. 3). God is longsuffering with sinners, but these wicked people interpreted God's silence as His approval. (See Isa. 42:14; 57:11; 64:12; 65:6; Mal. 2:17; 3:14–14.) Their thinking was so confused that they ended up creating a god in their own image (v. 21). God was in the hands of ignorant sinners! They had forgotten God (Rom. 1:22–28) and didn't want Him to interfere with their lifestyle. They had a false confidence that they could sin and get away with it.
The Heartless Worshippers (vv. 7–15) "Hear, O my people" has a majestic ring to it (Deut. 4:1; 5:6; 6:3–4; 9:1; 20:3; 27:9). The Lord speaks first to those who are indeed His people, but their hearts are not in their worship. Their devotion is faithful but only routine. Like the church at Ephesus, they had "left their first love" (Rev. 2:4) and were worshipping the Lord out of habit and not from the heart. Outwardly, they were doing what the Lord commanded and honoring the daily sacrifices (Ex. 29:38–42), but inwardly they lacked love and fellowship with God. They forgot that God wanted their hearts before He wanted their sacrifices (Isa. 1:11–15; Jer. 7:21–23; Hos. 6:6; 8:13; Amos 5:21–26; Mic. 6:6–8; Mark 12:28–34). The sacrifices that the Lord commanded were indeed important to the spiritual life of the nation, but they did no good to the worshippers unless there was
The Honest Worshipper (vv. 22–23) In the two closing verses, the writer succinctly summarized the characteristics of the kind of worshipper God is seeking (John 4:23–24). The true worshipper has a proper fear of the Lord and seeks only to honor Him in his worship. He obeys God's will ("orders his way aright," NASB) and is able to experience ("see") the salvation of the Lord. When you combine these characteristics with verses 14–15—gratitude to God, obedience, prayer, and a desire to glorify God—you have a description of worshippers who bring joy to the heart of God.