“A PSALM ANNOUNCING GOD’S JUDGMENT”; PSALM 50:1-23
This psalm by Asaph reveals that God will judge. Psalm 50 was written to reveal that God will judge His people and also the wicked. Asaph, the writer of this psalm, was a song leader in the temple. The other song leaders were Heman, Korah and Ethan. In verses 1-3, the psalmist, Asaph, summons all on the earth in acknowledging that the Lord will judge as verse 1 states, “The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.” As the righteous judge, the Lord will judge in great fury. Our mighty God will vindicate His righteousness in the future Day of the Lord when He judges mankind for his rejection of His offer of salvation.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ, will preside at all future judgment, for all judgment has been conferred to Him. St. John 5:22 brings out that fact, for it states, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” The list of all judgment that our Saviour will preside over, along with the scriptural references is as follows:
The Judgment of the Believer’s Works (Church) – I Corinthians 3:11-15, II Corinthians 5:10;
The Judgment of the Gentiles (Nations) – Matthew 25:31-46; Joel 3:2;
The Judgment of Israel – Ezekiel 20:37-38; The Judgment of Fallen Angels – Jude 6; I Corinthians 6:3;
The Judgment of the Unsaved Dead – Revelation 20:11-18.
Accept Jesus Christ now as your sufficient Saviour, or meet Him as the awful judge. He has a right to judge, because He is God! The many inhabitants of the earth will act as witnesses to God’s judgment (vv. 4-6). Those acting as defendants will be the nation of Israel, who made a covenant with the Lord as revealed in verse 5, “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” God will indeed vindicate His righteousness, for He is the righteous judge.
In verses 7-13, Asaph discussed God’s charges against the people’s act of worship. In presenting their sacrificial offerings, Israel needed to know that the Lord did not need their sacrifices. God declares emphatically, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof” (vv. 10-12). Their sacrificial offerings revealed that they needed Him. However, their sacrificial offerings should be given
in grateful trust and thanksgiving to God (vv. 14-15).
In closing, in verses 16-23, Asaph announced the people’s hypocrisy of professing faith in the covenant, yet their profession of faith in the covenant was not accompanied with actions of righteousness, “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was
altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes” (v 21). And finally, take heed to the admonition which states, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God” (v. 23).
May God Bless!
