Episode Transcript
Psalm 50 (NIV)
1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes
and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.
8 I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
...
CONSIDER THIS
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. He holds the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary for fifteen years. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
Psalm 50 carries many of the themes of the prophet Isaiah into a song of worship. We see God summoning his people to a court judgment scene, God clarifying the point of sacrifices that avail nothing if they are but empty religion and rote activity, and finally, God rebuking those who dare to pose as religious followers of the covenant when their lives are far from righteous. This is another common theme in the psalms of Asaph, of which this is one. Their family had been judged for this very problem, so the sons of Asaph want to help others avoid this error. They did this through composing acts of worship. They were so talented at composing worship songs (including twelve of the Psalms) they eventually became the first guild of worship leaders, with 148 members.
This psalm brings to task those who have the outward appearance of following God, and take the covenant on their lips, but who will not submit to his instruction (vv. 16–17). The Lord says, “You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you” (v. 17). They join in the work of thieves, adulterers, and slanderers (vv. 18–20). Worst of all, they think that because God kept silent, he must be just like them (v. 21). We all have a tendency to try to refashion God in an image of our own making. The ancient world thought God was just man writ large, like a kind of Superman. The atheists turn God into a straw man that they can easily knock down and create the impression that faith in God is foolish. Protestant liberalism tries to project a God without wrath or judgment. Evangelicalism tries to recast God as a casual friend, and on and on it goes. But the God of biblical revelation is the God whom we will someday face.
Jesus had similar words of rebuke to say in his day, echoing both the prophets and the psalms. The warning of this psalm calls us to consider these things, to make sure our hearts are right, and that our words are congruent with our actions. We want to make sure that we are worshipping the true and living God, and not some god of our own making. Then, when we call upon him, he will rescue us; then he will show us the salvation of God. May the light of Christ shine upon our hearts, revealing all that needs to be purged and set right so that we may be ready to see and embrace the salvation of the true and living God.
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
THE HYMN
Sing Psalm 50 with the Seedbed Psalter today. We suggest the tune KINGSFOLD ("I Sing a Song of Bethehem"). You can hear the tune played online by Julie here. If you listen to the podcast audio version, we will sing the psalm in this same tune. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 The Mighty One, true God, the LORD, speaks to the earth around;
He summons all from rising sun to where the sun goes down.
2 From Zion, beautiful and pure, God shines in every age.
3 Our God comes and won’t silent be—fire, tempest ’round Him rage.
4 He summons heav’n above and earth that He might judge with right:
5 “Come, gather those who cov’nant made with Me by sacrifice.”
6 The heav’ns proclaim His righteousness; He is the judge alone.
And this is what the Lord does speak to those who are His own:Selah
7 “Hear, O My people, I will speak, against you testify;
8 I am your God; I don’t rebuke your constant sacrifice.
9 “But I’ve no need of bulls or goats with which your folds are filled;
10 For I own every animal—cows on a thousand hills.
11 “I know each bird in mountains high, all creatures of the field.
12 I hunger not—the world is Mine, and all that it does yield.
13 “Do I eat flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats you bring?
14 The sacrifice you make to God must be a thank off’ring.
14/15 “Fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call when you have need.
15 I will deliver you, and you will honor Me indeed.”
16 But to the wicked in His flock the righteous God says this:
“What right have you to tout My laws; take cov’nant on your lips?
17 “For you hate My instruction, and you cast My words aside.
18 You join with thieves and also with adulterers abide.
19 “You use your mouth for evil, and your tongue for vile deceit.
20 You speak against your brother, and against him slander speak.
21 “These things you’ve done and I kept mute—you thought I was like you!
But I’ll rebuke you to your face; I will your wrong accuse!
22 “Consider this, who forget God, or I will bring you down;
To pieces you’ll be torn with none to rescue you around.
23 “The one who sacrifices true, with thanks does honor Me;
And he prepares the way so God’s salvation he may see.”
