Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1
The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it
sets.
2From
Zion, perfect in beauty,
God
shines forth.
3Our God
comes
and
will not be silent;
a fire
devours before Him,
and
around Him a tempest rages.
4He
summons the heavens above,
and the
earth, that He may judge His people:
5“Gather
to me this consecrated people,
who
made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6And the
heavens proclaim His righteousness,
7“Listen,
my people, and I will speak;
I will
testify against you, Israel:
I am
God, Your God.
8
I bring no charges
against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings, which
are ever before me.
9I have
no need of a bull from your stall
or of
goats from your pens,
10for
every animal of the forest is mine,
and the
cattle on a thousand hills.
11I know
every bird in the mountains,
and the
insects in the fields are mine.
12
If I were hungry I would
not tell you,
for the world is Mine, and all that is in
it.
13Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14
“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill
your vows to the Most High,
15
and call on Me in the day of trouble;
I will
deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
16But to
the wicked person, God says:
“What
right have you to recite my laws
or take
my covenant on your lips?
17You
hate my instruction
and
cast My words behind you.
18When
you see a thief, you join with him;
you
throw in your lot with adulterers.
19You use
your mouth for evil
and
harness your tongue to deceit.
20You sit
and testify against your brother
and
slander your own mother’s son.
21
When you did these
things and I kept silent,
But I
now arraign you
and set
my accusations before you.
22“Consider
this, you who forget God,
or I
will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
23
Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor Me,
******
PSALM 50
his Psalm, as the former 49, is a psalm of instruction, not of prayer or praise; it is a psalm of reproof and admonition, in singing which we are to teach and admonish one another.
In the foregoing psalm, after a
general demand of attention, God by His prophet deals (v. 3) with the children
of this world, to convince them of their sin and folly in setting their hearts
upon the wealth of this world.
In this psalm, He deals with
those that were, in profession, the church's children, to convince them of
their sin and folly in placing their religion in ritual services, while they neglected practical godliness; and this is as sure a way to ruin as the
other.
This Psalm is intended,
1. As a proof to the carnal
Jews, both those that rested in the external performances of their religion,
and were remiss in the more excellent duties of prayer and praise, and those that expounded the law to
others, but lived wicked lives themselves.
2. As a prediction of the
abolishing of the ceremonial law, and of the introducing of a spiritual way of
worship in and by the Kingdom of the Messiah, John. 4:23-24.
3. As a representation of the
Day of Judgment, in which God will call men to an account concerning their
observance of those things which they have thus been taught; men shall be
judged "according to what is written in the Books;" and therefore
Christ is fitly represented speaking as a Judge, then when He speaks as a
Lawgiver. Here is,
I. The glorious appearance of
the Prince that gives law and judgment (v. 1-6).
II. Instruction given to His worshipers, to turn their sacrifices into prayers (v. 7-15).
III. A rebuke to those that
pretend to worship God, but live in disobedience to His commands (v. 16-20),
their doom read (v. 21, 22), and warning given to all to look to their
conversation as well as to their devotions (v. 23).
The apostle
Paul exhorts us;
Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you,
brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.”
These instructions and
admonitions we must take to ourselves, and give to one another, in singing this
Psalm.