Our Daily Scripture – 1/16/24 (Tue)

SCRIPTURE:  PSALM 50

MEMORY VERSES:

“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm 50:14-15)

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:23)

MANIFESTATION OF THE GOD ALMIGHTY:

  1.  He speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. (v. 1)
  2.  He shines forth from Zion with perfect Zion. (v. 2)
  3.  He summons the heaven above and the earth to judge his people. (v. 4)
  4.  He owns every animal of the forest,. (v. 10)
  5.  He knows every bird in the mountain and is the owner of all the creatures of the field. (v. 11)

DESCRIPTION OF THE WICKED:

  1.  They hate God’s instruction and cast His word behind. (v. 17)
  2.  They join with a thief and indulge in adultery. (v. 18)
  3.  They use their mouth for evil and harness their tongue for deceit. (v. 19)
  4.  They speak continually against their brother and slander their own mother’s son. (v. 20)

THOUGHTS:

This Psalm focuses on two kinds of religious worshipers:

  1.  Insincere worshipers (vs. 1-15) – People offer insincere sacrifices hoping to earn God’s blessings.  God does not need the things we give him because he owns everything.  What he wants is the sacrifice of thanksgiving, praise and obedience.
  2.  Hypocritical worshipers (vs. 16-22) – They profess to be Christians but practice otherwise.  They are guilty of theft, adultery, deceit and slander.  They thought they can escape from punishment but judgment will begin with God’s people.

The penalty for sin is death.  However, a person could offer an animal to God as a substitute to himself symbolizing the person’s faith in the merciful forgiven God.  But when the people were offering sacrifice, their hearts were not in it.  We may also fall into the same pattern when we participate in religious activities – tithing, or attending  church out of habit or conformity rather than out of heartfelt love and obedience.  God wants righteousness not empty ritual.

God’s silence does not mean he is condoning sin.  He is withholding the deserved punishment by giving time for people to repent and turn from evil.  But his silence does not last forever because a time of punishment will surely come.