Psalms 50

1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks. He calls out to the earth from the sunrise in the east to the sunset in the west.

2 From Zion, perfect and beautiful, God's glory shines out.

3 Our God comes, and he won't be silent. A burning fire goes ahead of him. A terrible storm is all around him.

4 He calls out to heaven and earth to be his witnesses. Then he judges his people.

5 He says, "Gather my holy people around me. They made a covenant with me by offering a sacrifice."

6 The heavens announce that what God decides is right. He himself is the Judge. "Selah"

7 God says, "Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will give witness against you. I am God, your God.

8 I don't find fault with you because of your sacrifices. I don't find fault with the burnt offerings you always bring me.

9 I don't need a bull from your barn. I don't need goats from your pens.

10 Every animal in the forest already belongs to me. And so do the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I own every bird in the mountains. The creatures of the field belong to me.

12 If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you. The world belongs to me. And so does everything in it.

13 Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?

14 Bring me thank offerings, because I am your God. Carry out the promises you made to me, because I am the Most High God.

15 Call out to me when trouble comes. I will save you. And you will honor me."

16 But here is what God says to sinful people. "What right do you have to speak the words of my laws? How dare you speak the words of my covenant!

17 You hate my teaching. You turn your back on what I say.

18 When you see a thief, you join him. You make friends with those who commit adultery.

19 You use your mouth to speak evil. You use your tongue to spread lies.

20 You always speak against your brother. You always tell lies about your own mother's son.

21 You have done those things, and I kept silent. So you thought I was just like you. But now I'm going to correct you. I will bring charges against you.

22 "You who forget God, think about this. If you don't, I will tear you to pieces. No one will be able to save you.

23 Anyone who sacrifices thank offerings to me honors me. He makes it possible for me to show him that I am the God who saves."

Psalms 50 Commentary

Chapter 50

The glory of God. (1-6) Sacrifices to be changed for prayers. (7-15) Sincere obedience required. (16-23)

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.

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.

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.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 50

\\<>\\. This psalm is called a psalm of Asaph; either because it was composed by him under divine inspiration, since he was a prophet and a seer, 1Ch 25:2, 2Ch 29:30; or because it was delivered to him to be sung in public service, he being a chief musician; see 1Ch 16:7; and so it may be rendered, "a psalm for Asaph"; or "unto Asaph" {o}; which was directed, sent, and delivered to him, and might be written by David; and, as Junius thinks, after the angel had appeared to him, and he was directed where he should build an altar to the Lord, 1Ch 21:18. The Targum, Kimchi, and R. Obadiah Gaon, interpret this psalm of the day of judgment; and Jarchi takes it to be a prophecy of the future redemption by their expected Messiah; and indeed it does refer to the times of the Gospel dispensation; for it treats of the calling of the Gentiles, of the abrogation of legal sacrifices, and of the controversy the Lord would have with the Jews for retaining them, and rejecting pure, spiritual, and evangelical worship. {o} Poal "ipsi Asaph", Tigurine version, Vatablus; "Asapho", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth.