Psalm 50:1-6 – The Blunt Truth – Bible study
Psalm 50:1-6 The Blunt Truth The world that we live in places some premium on political correctness; however, God is not into such speech. God often speaks in very plain terms, terms that are so plain that they offend our delicate ears. Such might be Psalms 50. The book of Psalms is largely a song book and entirely a praise book to God. It is not a book designed to teach or even to rebuke, but rather one to comfort and to remind people of Gods goodness. It does not matter what mood you are in (joyful, despondent, worshipful, defeated, lonely), you can find a Psalm for you mood. This Psalm divides itself into three sections. Those will be the points of my sermon. I. \#1-6\ A Message to All A. \#1\ God is speaking. 1. He is El Elohim. Elohim is the name often used for God in the Bible and El means God. So these are two different names for God put together. We dont have a translation that accurately conveys that thought. Some say you could translate it the God of gods. Our translators simply translated it, "the mighty God." It means there is none other like this God. 2. "even the LORD" – When you see the word LORD all in capitals in the King James Bible, it stands for the name of God which is the most holy to the Jews. Devote Jews will not write or speak the name. In fact, we dont know exactly how to write or speak the name anymore because they never would. When they wrote it, they left out all of the vowels so all that was left were four consonants. By adding different vowels, in our language, you could get either the name Yahweh or Jehovah. So God is some times called both or either of these names. 3. These three names for God, used together, would signify the most powerful and the most holy God. 4. This is the God who is speaking. a. In fact, in this Psalm, God speaks directly. b. Notice that the Psalm continually switches the case of pronouns throughout the Psalm. c. Sometimes, the pronoun referring to God is third person (i.e. \#4\ "He") and sometimes it is first person (i.e. \#5\ "my" or \#7\ "I"). B. God is speaking to the whole earth. Psalm 50:1 called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. 1. That would be everywhere and everyone. 2. God wants everyone everywhere to hear what He has to say. C. What does God want them to hear? I see four thoughts in this first section. 1. Israel is Gods Seat Psalm 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. a. Zion is the name of one of the hills on which Jerusalem was built. b. So where does God "shin" from, Jerusalem, Israel. c. God is being blunt and many will not like it, but the Jews are Gods elect people. They were chosen by Godthrough no merit of their ownto receive Gods favor and to be used or God. d. This is the sovereign will of God. Ge 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: e. On a day when we ask ourselves, "What can America do to secure Gods blessings again?", we should not forget the very next verse. Ge 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 2. God will come to judge. Psalm 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. a. People today do not like the message of a coming Judge, but it is the blunt truth and needs to be told. b. Being ignorant of something does not make it go away. c. These verses are speaking of two judgments: the wicked and the righteous, called in \#4\ "his people." 3. Gods people will be gathered to Him. Psalm 50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. a. Although both the wicked and the righteous shall be judged, they will not be judged together. b. It is not explained here but the wicked will be gathered for a judgment of their soul \#Rev 20:11-15\, The Great White Throne, while the righteous shall be gathered for judgment of their works, \#1Cor 3:13\, Bema Judgment. 4. When Gods judgment is complete, the heavens shall declare that God is righteous. Psalm 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah. II. \#7-15\ A Message to Gods People A. God is going to be blunt in speaking to His own people. 1. Truth may not always be pleasant but truth is always truth. Billy Sunday was once told that his preaching rubbed the fur the wrong way. His reply was "Let the cat turn around." 2. God had already warned His people that a judgment was coming. 3. \#7\ God adds "I will testify AGAINST thee." a. That implies they are doing something wrong. b. I believe the bluntness God is about to share is about the sin they are doing that is wrong. B. What is the message to Gods people? 1. \#8-13\ I dont need your sacrifices. a. People get Gods demand for offerings confused with Gods needs for an offering. b. God does not need our offerings. c. God gives us an opportunity to worship Him by allowing us to give Him an offering. d. The Jews, at this time, had apparently showed disrespect to God either in the kind of offering they were giving or the lack of offering they were giving. e. So God bluntly corrected them. Psalm 50:8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings (1) God was not going to waste time or effort correcting them anymore. Psalm 50:9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. (2) I rescind my offer. You may NOT worship me in offerings. I wont accept them. Psalm 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine (3) It was all mine all along. I was just giving you the opportunity to demonstrate that to Me. Psalm 50:12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. (4) I dont need the offering. f. Christians today need to learn the same truth. (1) We can claim that we are living under grace if we want but the purpose for tithes and offerings has not changed. (2) They were never demanded because God needed them. (3) They were demanded to teach the people how important it is to freely give to God to show respect, honor, and worship. (4) While there are less rules about giving today, there is no less worship in giving. 2. \#14-15\ Two counsels: a. \#14\ Offering the right kind of sacrifices. b. \#15\ Once you do, call upon God and He will answer. III. \#16-23\ A Message to the Wicked A. The wicked are defined: 1. \#17\ Those that hate Gods instruction. Psalm 50:17 Seeing thou hatest instruction. 2. Those that cast behind them Gods words. (Throw them away like trash and walk on) Psalm 50:17 and castest my words behind thee. 3. \#18\ Those who agree with evil being done. Psalm 50:18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. 4. \#19-20\ Those who use their mouth to defend and do evil. Psalm 50:19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mothers son. 5. \#21\ Those who think God is weak, carnal, and even sinful like a man. Psalm 50:21 thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself B. Gods Blunt Warning 1. You better stop forgetting God or God is going to tear you apart. Psalm 50:22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. 2. If Gods bluntness offends you it is unfortunate for our arrogance offends Him. 3. He has been silent but do not confuse His silence with approval and inaction. 4. God is blunting warning you so that you will not have any reason for not knowing. He is going to judge you. 5. Someone says, "I dont know where to start in remembering God." a. He tells you. Psalm 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. b. Two things: (1) Start by praising Him instead of blaspheming Him. (2) Continue by doing right instead of wrong. (a) Conversation means manner, lifestyle. (b) These two things will move God to open your heart to His salvation. This is the message that God wants everyone to hear. It is blunt, but like a bad tasting medicine, it is needful. I pray that we will hear it and abide by it today.