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Psalms 50

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1A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets.

2From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

3Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him.

4He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:

5“Gather to Me My saints, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

6And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Selah

7“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.

8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are ever before Me.

9I have no need for a bull from your stall or goats from your pens,

10for every beast of the forest is Mine—the cattle on a thousand hills.

11I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.

12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.

13Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.

15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

16To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?

17For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.

18When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers.

19You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.

20You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.

21You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

22Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

23He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rightly orders his way, I will show the salvation of God.”

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Psalms 50:1-6 Verses 1-6

This psalm is a psalm of instruction. It tells of the coming of Christ and the day of judgment, in which God will call men to account; and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of judgement. All the children of men are concerned to know the right way of worshipping the Lord, in spirit and in truth. In the great day, our God shall come, and make those hear his judgement who would not hearken to his law. Happy are those who come into the covenant of grace, by faith in the Redeemer's atoning sacrifice, and show the sincerity of their love by fruits of righteousness. When God rejects the services of those who rest in outside performances, he will graciously accept those who seek him aright. It is only by sacrifice, by Christ, the great Sacrifice, from whom the sacrifices of the law derived what value they had, that we can be accepted of God. True and righteous are his judgments; even sinners' own consciences will be forced to acknowledge the righteousness of God.

Psalms 50:7-15 Verses 7-15

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to love God and our neighbour better than all burnt-offerings. We are here warned not to rest in these performances. And let us beware of resting in any form. God demands the heart, and how can human inventions please him, when repentance, faith, and holiness are neglected? In the day of distress we must apply to the Lord by fervent prayer. Our troubles, though we see them coming from God's hand, must drive us to him, not drive us from him. We must acknowledge him in all our ways, depend upon his wisdom, power, and goodness, and refer ourselves wholly to him, and so give him glory. Thus must we keep up communion with God; meeting him with prayers under trials, and with praises in deliverances. A believing supplicant shall not only be graciously answered as to his petition, and so have cause for praising God, but shall also have grace to praise him.

Psalms 50:16-23 Verses 16-23

Hypocrisy is wickedness, which God will judge. And it is too common, for those who declare the Lord's statutes to others, to live in disobedience to them themselves. This delusion arises from the abuse of God's long-suffering, and a wilful mistake of his character and the intention of his gospel. The sins of sinners will be fully proved on them in the judgment of the great day. The day is coming when God will set their sins in order, sins of childhood and youth, of riper age and old age, to their everlasting shame and terror. Let those hitherto forgetful of God, given up to wickedness, or in any way negligent of salvation, consider their urgent danger. The patience of the Lord is very great. It is the more wonderful, because sinners make such ill use of it; but if they turn not, they shall be made to see their error when it is too late. Those that forget God, forget themselves; and it will never be right with them till they consider. Man's chief end is to glorify God: whoso offers praise, glorifies him, and his spiritual sacrifices shall be accepted. We must praise God, sacrifice praise, put it into the hands of the Priest, our Lord Jesus, who is also the altar: we must be fervent in spirit, praising the Lord. Let us thankfully accept God's mercy, and endeavour to glorify him in word and deed.

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Afflicted Saints: should be Frequent in Prayer Psalm 50:15–17

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” / To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips? / For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.

Animals: Belong to God Psalm 50:10–12

for every beast of the forest is Mine—the cattle on a thousand hills. / I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine. / If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.

Company: Evil Psalm 50:18

When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers.

Cruelty to Animals Psalm 50:10

for every beast of the forest is Mine—the cattle on a thousand hills.

Deliverance Psalm 50:15

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

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Righteousness See [535]JUSTIFICATION. Sacrifice The offering up of sacrifices is to be regarded as… Salvation This word is used of the deliverance of the Israelites… Covenant A contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old… Offering An oblation, dedicated to God. Thus Cain consecrated to God… Harness (1.) Heb. asar, "to bind;" hence the act of fastening… Brother (1.) In the natural and common sense (Matt. 1:2; Luke… Forest Heb. ya'ar, meaning a dense wood, from its luxuriance. Thus… Israel The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at… Pieces (1) of silver. In Ps. 68:30 denotes "fragments," and not… Cattle Abounded in the Holy Land. To the rearing and management… Field (Heb. sadeh), a cultivated field, but unenclosed. It is applied… Drink The drinks of the Hebrews were water, wine, "strong drink,"… Asaph Convener, or collector. (1.) A Levite; one of the leaders… Flesh In the Old Testament denotes (1) a particular part of… Judge (Heb. shophet, pl. shophetim), properly a magistrate or ruler, rather… Earth (1.) In the sense of soil or ground, the translation… Blood (1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use…