On Psalm 50

Summer Psalms - On Psalm 50

August 24, 2022

Pray for Illumination - Heavenly Father, help me to know your ways; teach me your paths and lead me into your truth. Amen.

Read Psalm 50

Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”  Psalms 50:23

I have been struck by other cars while driving on three separate incidents.  On two of those occasions, the other drivers were apologetic and assumed full responsibility.  In fact one of those drivers were even thankful when I was willing to overlook the infraction.  However the third incident took place in a parking lot where it can be difficult to prove who is at fault.  In fact, after the truck had struck the side of the our vehicle, no fault of our own, the other driver got out to negotiate with me.  He was ready to split the damages 50/50!  Well, I was having nothing to do with that!  So while I took pictures and wrote notes, I sent Tanya to find as many witnesses as possible who saw what really happened.  Thankfully, in the end, the other driver was found to be 100% at fault.

In Psalm 50, we see the Great Judge of the universe summoning the heavens and the earth as witnesses against Israel.  What is on trial here is not their practices of offering sacrifices, perform religious rituals, or their ability to speak about their covenant relationship with God, but rather their motivation for doing so.  God makes it clear that everything in all of creation belongs to him and is in no need of anyone to give him anything, as if it is theirs to give or not give.

I have no need of a bull from your stall
    or of goats from your pens,
for every animal of the forest is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields are mine.  Psalm 50:9-11

What he does hold against them is that even though they may be able to perform all the good religious practices and say all the right words, their hearts do not remain faithful to God.  They are faithful in ritual only as if God only deserves 50% of who we are.  And to this, the heavens and earth are witnesses! They testify to the fact that God is the Righteous Judge of the universe.  And it is our sacrifices of thanksgiving that pleases God.  For when we realize that all that we have and all that we are belongs to God, we are able to truly know and receive his great Salvation!

Let us invite the Holy Spirit to test the motivations of our hearts.  When we go to church and worship, is it out of obligation or thankfulness?  When we give our tithe, is it seen as something we have to give up to God or do we thankfully acknowledge that what we give already belongs to Him?  

Heavenly Father, may you forgive us when we attempt to divide our lives into parts, some that we think we are generously giving to you, other parts that we keep for ourselves.  Help us to know that all that we have is yours and help us to receive what we have been entrusted with, with great thankfulness and abundant generosity!