Psalm 50 Commentary
Another courtroom session. The saint goes in first. The ungodly will have their own turn. But first, we have introductory remarks from the Judge.
His name is the Mighty One, God, and the LORD. His name is described at length. It relates to the task at hand, judging the people.
He summons the earth and the heavens. He also summons individuals. God’s creation is called to account. Specifically, the Creator God checks His creation.
Coming up first is the saint. God is fed up with men’s make-believe religion. Rituals are the means to an end. Saints have settled down and concluded that they have worshipped the LORD by merely performing a couple of cold rituals.
What makes them feel God needs a meal? Even if He did, would the Creator God depend on man’s generosity?
This chapter discredits the religion of works. It’s salvation by faith, not by works!
What lies behind my action, or lack of it?
Believers can miss God in the process of cleaning the church, painting it, or arranging the chairs. The LORD requires the person and not necessarily his services. Services should come as a consequence of fellowship with Heaven.
The saint stands in the dock for offering services to the LORD without prioritizing the relationship.
Up next is the ungodly. Why all the noise? God. God. God. Why talk about the God you don’t even know? Why pretend knowledge of the Almighty when you have no interest in obedience?
And when the LORD keeps quiet, you think all is well, and your behavior is after all just right. A blatant lack of faith!
We are observers. We hear the Judge say these things about the saint and about the ungodly. We know the saint has to do better. And the ungodly? Well, we can see a couple of things from the Creator’s judgment.
Silence from the Creator’s throne doesn’t mean acceptance. The misconception that the LORD is fine with the sinner’s wrongdoing leads to more sin. Lack of faith is atheism – concluding that lack of action is proof of God’s absence.
The chapter ends with an important statement of hope to the saint.
The blameless will see God’s salvation. Attached to this statement of hope is a naked warning that the Creator God will tear to pieces the ungodly. There will be no one to rescue them.
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