Notice in the superscript, Psalm 50 is referred to as “A Psalm”. The
indefinite article suggests that this was a song written to be sung accompanied
with instrumentation. There are altogether 57 of such psalms. We are also told
that this Psalm 50 was composed by Asaph. Who is Asaph? In Chronicles 16:4-5,
we are told that that Asaph was a choir chief. King David had put him in charge
of a band of musicians who were placed before the Ark in the Tabernacle that the
king had pitched in Jerusalem. These musicians led in the offering of praise and
thanksgiving before the Ark. Apart from Asaph, David had two other choir leaders,
namely, Heman and Jeduthun.
The purpose of this Psalm was to warn God’s people, journeying as
pilgrims to Zion, not to practice hypocrisy and formalism before Him. The
setting of this Psalm is a court scene. As Judge, the Holy God of heaven summoned
His people to appear before Him. God’s presence was attended by great holiness,
wonders and awe. It was a fearsome scene. He called for a hearing before Him with
the heavens and earth summoned as His witnesses. In this hearing God presented
two charges against His people.
Firstly, recorded in 7-15, God showed great displeasure with His people’s
offerings and sacrifices. Although they had offered the sacrifice with great
pomp and great show, they were devoid of sincerity. What God really desires was
offerings accompanied with sincerity, thanksgiving, gratitude and faithfulness.
God reminded His people that everything they brought as a sacrifice before Him came
from Him. For everything on earth, even the animals they brought as sacrifices,
belongs to Him. What could man bring to Him that would not be His in the first
place? What God really wants to see alongside the offering is a willing
surrender of self with thanksgiving and gratitude. Romans 12:1-2 enforce what God
really wants of us. He wants complete and sincere surrender of ourselves to Him
as living and willing sacrifices. We must come to Him recognizing He is God,
and then to present and yielding ourselves to Him with deep gratitude and
thanksgiving for what He has done for us. We are reminded that this is the
logical thing to do in the light of all that God had done for us in Christ
Jesus.
The second charge brought against His people, described in 16-21, was
their rebellious conduct. They did not keep His instructions and commands given
in the Law. In the covenant, God had prescribed how His people should order their
life and conduct. But they had spurned His instruction in rebellious living. They
had shown disdain for God. They broke all the commandments to love their
neighbors. They live wildly, they stole, committed adultery, maligned, deceived,
slandered and yet had the audacity to think that God would condone their activities.
They had such a low estimate of God, thinking that He would not mind their
reckless activities. Worst still, they must have thought that God was like
them. None should be mistaken about God. He is a righteous God and will summon us
to give an accounting for the things we have done and yet refuse to repent. How
then should we live our life? In verses 22-23, God Himself offers us the
solution.
We must always remember and factor God into our life. The one thing to do
always, is to honor God and conduct life with an attitude of gratitude. We should
not merely offer praise to Him with words, but also with right and sincere living.
When we honor God with right living, we will find His salvation – the blessing of
a fulfilling and meaningful life.
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