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Psalm 50 Commentary
Psalm 50 Commentary: From the beginning of man’s relationship with God – after Adam sinned – sacrifices became commonplace among humans. The taking of an animal’s life in place of your own is a feature of many ancient religions. And it was certainly a feature of the one true religion revealed in Scripture.
But almost as common in the pages of Scripture is reference to the fact that God isn’t interested in sacrifices from a person who in all other ways is alienated from God.
And you can summarize that idea in a number of sayings – “God wants your heart and not just your hands” – or “God wants a relationship over external religious activities” – or as Jesus Christ said – quoting from the Old Testament, “I desire mercy and not a sacrifice.”
And the psalm that we’re going to study right now is just one more piece of testimony to the fact that God is after more than just sacrifices. So, let’s turn to Psalm 50 to see this.
And in Psalm 50, we’re given this theme: that “Praise and godly living is more important to God than external religious activity.”
Psalm 50 Commentary: 1-7 | God is Coming to Judge His People
And at the opening of this psalm, the psalmist pictures a time when God is going to come to judge the world and in particular his people Israel in verses 1-7.
KJV Psalm 50:1 The mighty God, even the LORD, [hath spoken/speaks],
and [called/summons] the earth from the [rising of the sun/east] unto the [going down thereof/west].
And so, God is calling the whole earth here. From east to west – the mighty God will summon everyone.
And God will do this judging from a specific place. Verses 2 and 3 tell us that he will judge from Zion – from Jerusalem.
2 Out of Zion, the [perfection of beauty/most beautiful of all places],
God [hath shined/comes in splendor].
3 Our God [shall come/approaches],
and shall not keep silence:
a fire shall devour before him,
and [it shall be very tempestuous/a storm rages] round about him.
And in verse 4 we finally get to the purpose for which God is going to summon the whole earth.
4 He [shall call to/summons] the heavens [from/which are] above,
and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
So, he’s going to gather those who identify as his people to judge them from heaven and earth.
And this is what God will say..
5 Gather my [saints/godly ones/covenant people] together unto me;
those that [have made/ratified] a covenant with me by sacrifice.
So, God first of all will call to him those who have shown their relationship to him by sacrifice.
Now, God makes it clear in the Old Testament – and even later in this psalm – that he’s not interested in sacrifice that is void of a holy lifestyle that reflects the relationship that the worshipper has with God. So, this is not teaching that a person’s attempt to sacrifice to God is the way to be accepted by him.
Rather, God will accept those who have made a covenant with him through sacrifice. Who have demonstrated that they are in a covenant – a relationship based upon a promise – with God by sacrificing.
And for us living after Christ has come and died and rose again – his sacrifice is what brings us into covenant with God. It’s through Jesus that we have a saving relationship with the mighty God who is coming to judge.
And – praise be to God – we who have accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf are saved from the wrath to come – which this psalm is focused on thus far.
And that’s amazing that anyone will be acce
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By PaulPsalm 50 Commentary: From the beginning of man’s relationship with God – after Adam sinned – sacrifices became commonplace among humans. The taking of an animal’s life in place of your own is a feature of many ancient religions. And it was certainly a feature of the one true religion revealed in Scripture.
But almost as common in the pages of Scripture is reference to the fact that God isn’t interested in sacrifices from a person who in all other ways is alienated from God.
And you can summarize that idea in a number of sayings – “God wants your heart and not just your hands” – or “God wants a relationship over external religious activities” – or as Jesus Christ said – quoting from the Old Testament, “I desire mercy and not a sacrifice.”
And the psalm that we’re going to study right now is just one more piece of testimony to the fact that God is after more than just sacrifices. So, let’s turn to Psalm 50 to see this.
And in Psalm 50, we’re given this theme: that “Praise and godly living is more important to God than external religious activity.”
Psalm 50 Commentary: 1-7 | God is Coming to Judge His People
And at the opening of this psalm, the psalmist pictures a time when God is going to come to judge the world and in particular his people Israel in verses 1-7.
KJV Psalm 50:1 The mighty God, even the LORD, [hath spoken/speaks],
and [called/summons] the earth from the [rising of the sun/east] unto the [going down thereof/west].
And so, God is calling the whole earth here. From east to west – the mighty God will summon everyone.
And God will do this judging from a specific place. Verses 2 and 3 tell us that he will judge from Zion – from Jerusalem.
2 Out of Zion, the [perfection of beauty/most beautiful of all places],
God [hath shined/comes in splendor].
3 Our God [shall come/approaches],
and shall not keep silence:
a fire shall devour before him,
and [it shall be very tempestuous/a storm rages] round about him.
And in verse 4 we finally get to the purpose for which God is going to summon the whole earth.
4 He [shall call to/summons] the heavens [from/which are] above,
and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
So, he’s going to gather those who identify as his people to judge them from heaven and earth.
And this is what God will say..
5 Gather my [saints/godly ones/covenant people] together unto me;
those that [have made/ratified] a covenant with me by sacrifice.
So, God first of all will call to him those who have shown their relationship to him by sacrifice.
Now, God makes it clear in the Old Testament – and even later in this psalm – that he’s not interested in sacrifice that is void of a holy lifestyle that reflects the relationship that the worshipper has with God. So, this is not teaching that a person’s attempt to sacrifice to God is the way to be accepted by him.
Rather, God will accept those who have made a covenant with him through sacrifice. Who have demonstrated that they are in a covenant – a relationship based upon a promise – with God by sacrificing.
And for us living after Christ has come and died and rose again – his sacrifice is what brings us into covenant with God. It’s through Jesus that we have a saving relationship with the mighty God who is coming to judge.
And – praise be to God – we who have accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf are saved from the wrath to come – which this psalm is focused on thus far.
And that’s amazing that anyone will be acce