In The Word
Read: Psalms 50
God the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked.
A Psalm of Asaph.
50 The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth.
3 May our God come and not keep silence;
Fire devours before Him,
And it is very tempestuous around Him.
4 He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:
5 “Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge. Selah.
7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you;
I am God, your God.
8 “I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 “I shall take no young bull out of your house
Nor male goats out of your folds.
10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 “I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the world is Mine, and all it contains.
13 “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take My covenant in your mouth?
17 “For you hate discipline,
And you cast My words behind you.
18 “When you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
And you associate with adulterers.
19 “You let your mouth loose in evil
And your tongue frames deceit.
20 “You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 “These things you have done and I kept silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.
22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.
23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
This Psalm helps us realize that we will all answer to God for the way we have lived our lives. There will be a day of reckoning when Yahweh calls everyone in, the godly and ungodly alike. Each one of us will give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12). Of course, the ungodly who did not put their faith in Christ will be condemned to eternal judgment. Unfortunately, the godly who put their faith in Christ, but did not live out fully the ways of God, will suffer loss.
God is saying in this Psalm that He is not looking for sacrifices as excuses to live unrighteously, but asking that the people of God would be grateful for God’s help and do what they committed to do toward God. However, those that say they know God and are in covenant with Him, but live in a way that is not according to the ancient paths, God says that He will tear them to pieces when they stand before Him. He outlines in verses 17 through 22 what kind of lifestyle that looks like. The sad thing is these people thought they were acting godly.
We will all answer to God for the way we live. It reveals where our faith is. When you read verses 17 through 22, does it resemble your life now? If so, repent and begin to honor your commitment to God and be grateful for His grace.