Psalm 50:1-6 - "For God Himself is Judge"
APR 27, 2023
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When we as believers are experiencing and enjoying the wonderful blessings of the
LORD, we are so prone to wander from Him and focus on the blessings instead of
the Blesser. This reminds me of the old hymn written by Robert Robinson in 1758
when he was only 22 years old, called "Come Thou Fount of Every
Blessing". One of verses goes like this: “O to grace how great a debtor daily
I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart
to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s
my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.”


Especially in our contemporary Christian culture today we tend to sing about and think
only of God as our Friend, Who loves us and we can do anything we want to do
with no accountability.  We forget that
He is also our Judge and one day He is coming, and we must stand before Him as
He sits on His Holy throne!  Psalm 50 is
a message Psalm to remind God’s people of that aspect of God. The chapter ends
with this warning and admonition in verse 22: "Now consider this, you
who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver”.


The Psalmist introduces this message with a reminder that God is a holy and righteous
Judge (vv. 1-6). Human judges are called "The Honorable," or “Your
Honor”, but this Judge is called "The Mighty One" (El),
"God" (Elohim), "the Lord" (Jehovah), "the Most
High" (Elyon, v. 14), and "God" (Eloah). He is Judge (vv. 4, 6),
Prosecutor, and Jury—and He knows all about those who are on trial! He calls
heaven and earth to witness the proceedings (vv. 1, 4, 6; see Deut. 4:26, 32;
31:28; 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Mic. 1:2 and 6:1-2).


 “The Mighty One, God the LORD, Has spoken”.  When
a judge speaks everyone listens carefully because his word is final. No one
argues with the judge! And my friend no one will argue with God on the day that
sits to Judge His people.


Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God will shine forth. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire
shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.” When
a judge enters a courtroom, everybody stands respectfully; but God's entrance
into this assembly is accompanied by the shining of His glory (80:1; 94:2) and
a fiery tempest.  This is not unlike the
scene at Mount Sinai when He gave His law (Ex. 19:18; 24:17; Deut. 4:11-12;
33:2; Heb. 12:18, 29).


When we forget the transcendence of God, we find it easier to sin. When this Psalm
was written the ark was with the people on Mount Zion ("Immanuel, God with
us").  But the nation must not
forget Mount Sinai where their God revealed His holiness and greatness. The Psalmist
praised Zion for its beauty (v. 2; 48:2; Lam. 2:15), but he also wants us to
remember "the beauty of holiness" (27:4; 90:17; 110:3).


God is a righteous Judge (vv. 4, 6; see also Psalms 7:11; 9:8; 11:4-7; 75:2; 96:10,
13; 98:9), and judgment begins with His own people (1 Peter 4:17). They are
"godly ones," that is, a people set apart exclusively for the Lord
because of the holy covenant (vv. 5, 16; Ex. 19:1-9; 24:4-8; Amos 2:3). Some of
His people had sinned, and He had been longsuffering with them and silent about
the matter (vv. 3, 21). They have misinterpreted His silence as consent (Eccl.
8:11; Isa. 42:14; 57:11), but now the time had come for the Holy God to speak.


The purpose of this "trial" was not to judge and condemn the sinners but
to expose their sins and give them the opportunity to repent and return to the
Lord. Remember 1 Corinthians 11:31-32: “For if we would judge ourselves, we
would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that
we may not be condemned with the world.”


Please take time today to let God’s Word cleanse you as you reflect on the condition
of your heart and life!


God bless!

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