My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 50:7-15

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. 8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. 9 I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

God identifies Himself in the courtroom, and brings the general testimony against the defendant. God is presenting His case against Israel, and in the midst of this presentation, seeks to clearly define the case He has against Israel. His first clarification is regarding the sacrifices Israels brings to Him. The fact of the sacrificial system being performed is not the issue. The nation has continually performed the action of sacrifice on the altars as prescribed in the Law of Moses.

Yet God speaks of not accepting the offerings being dutifully placed before Him, by His people. The actions were being performed and God provides no rebuke of the religious ceremony being followed.

The issue that becomes apparent is that the people of God had an incorrect understanding of the sacrificial observance, in that they began to consider the offerings something that God required. This is often a shortsightedness of God’s people, thinking that whatever we are directed to do will add something to God, provide Him some service that is necessary for Him.

He is the self existent eternal God.

Prior to our arrival on the scene, He existed with no lack. Upon our creation (which we had no part in), we were totally dependent upon Him for our breath and life. During our time on earth, He provides our necessities, not the other way around. He supplies our needs (and many of our wants), even in our rebellion. If at some point we become aware of His existence, we default to thinking He needs something we have, or something we can do. How does that occur?

I would suggest this is a core principle of religion.

God does not need anything we could provide. He provides for us, and the natural response from a receiving people should be a thankful heart.

We so often consider our God someone we are to serve and obey, and rightly so, yet we also become confused in our understanding of Who we are relating to. He is not a god who demands sacrifice in order to be satiated, or draws us into some agreement to our destruction and enslavement. He is in need of nothing, and provides all to a needy people.

As the psalmist comes to a conclusion in this portion, two actions are directed to the people of God. Two actions as a result of this judgement brought against the people of God.

1. Offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving
2. Pay thy vows unto the Most High.

Thankfulness

Funny, even in judgement, God is demanding not only that which is right, but that is also to our benefit, releasing us from a spirit of duty into a spirit of thankfulness. As we practice this spirit of thankfulness, I am sure you will find that it is most pleasurable, that the benefit of offering thanks to God for His many blessings is a blessing in itself. But that is the type of Savior we have – One who is a blessing to us, even in the midst of a time of judgement.

Paying Vows

Thankfulness is not the only judgement handed down. In your thankfulness, pay the vows you have declared to Him. Be faithful to those promises you have made to Him. The removal of required duty, replaced with a thankful service to the God who has delivered us is the message we need to hear from this psalm.

If you are sensing an drudgery of obligation in your relationship with the Father, if in your service unto the Savior is not surrounded and infused with a thankful spirit, beware! This psalm is addressing this very concern, but have no fear, for the Lord immediately encourages us to call upon Him, even in the day of trouble.

Even as judgement may be touching your life in regards to your very relationship with Him, He is available to call upon for help, for He will deliver us.

He is good all the time.

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