Psalm 50
Psalms 50:1-23
God will be silent no more [draft sermon outline]
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Published December 7th, 2022
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Psalms 50:1-23
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God Himself Is Judge 50 A Psalm of n Asaph. 1 o The Mighty One, God the Lord , speaks and summons the earth p from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, q the perfection of beauty, r God shines forth. 3 Our God comes; he s does not keep silence; 1 before him is a devouring t fire, around him a mighty tempest. 4 u He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 “Gather to me my faithful ones, who made v a covenant with me by sacrifice!” 6 w The heavens declare his righteousness, for x God himself is judge! Selah 7 y “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. z I am God, your God. 8 Not for your sacrifices a 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 b 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, c for the world and its fullness are mine. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 d Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, 1 and e perform your vows to the Most High, 15 and f call upon me in the day of trouble; I will g deliver you, and you shall h glorify me.” 16 But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? 17 i For you hate discipline, j and you cast my words behind you. 18 If you see a thief, k you are pleased with him, l and you keep company with adulterers. 19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil, m and your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. 21 These things you have done, and I n have been silent; you thought that I 1 was one like yourself. But now I o rebuke you and p lay the charge before you. 22 “Mark this, then, you who q forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be r none to deliver! 23 The one who s offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who t orders his way rightly I will show the u salvation of God!”
Psalms 50:1-23
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50 1 מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֵ֤ל ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים יְֽהוָ֗ה דִּבֶּ֥ר וַיִּקְרָא ־ אָ֑רֶץ מִמִּזְרַח ־ שֶׁ֝֗מֶשׁ עַד ־ מְבֹאֽוֹ ׃ 2 מִצִּיּ֥וֹן מִכְלַל ־ יֹ֗פִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים הוֹפִֽיעַ ׃ 3 יָ֤בֹ֥א אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וְֽאַל ־ יֶ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ אֵשׁ ־ לְפָנָ֥יו תֹּאכֵ֑ל וּ֝סְבִיבָ֗יו נִשְׂעֲרָ֥ה מְאֹֽד ׃ 4 יִקְרָ֣א אֶל ־ הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם מֵעָ֑ל וְאֶל ־ הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ לָדִ֥ין עַמּֽוֹ ׃ 5 אִסְפוּ ־ לִ֥י חֲסִידָ֑י כֹּרְתֵ֖י בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי ־ זָֽבַח ׃ 6 וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ שָׁמַ֣יִם צִדְק֑וֹ כִּֽי ־ אֱלֹהִ֓ים ׀ שֹׁפֵ֖ט ה֣וּא סֶֽלָה ׃ 7 שִׁמְעָ֤ה עַמִּ֨י ׀ וַאֲדַבֵּ֗רָה יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ אָנֹֽכִי ׃ 8 לֹ֣א עַל ־ זְ֭בָחֶיךָ אוֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ וְעוֹלֹתֶ֖יךָ לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד ׃ 9 לֹא ־ אֶקַּ֣ח מִבֵּיתְךָ֣ פָ֑ר מִ֝מִּכְלְאֹתֶ֗יךָ עַתּוּדִֽים ׃ 10 כִּי ־ לִ֥י כָל ־ חַיְתוֹ ־ יָ֑עַר בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת בְּהַרְרֵי ־ אָֽלֶף ׃ 11 יָ֭דַעְתִּי כָּל ־ ע֣וֹף הָרִ֑ים וְזִ֥יז שָׂ֝דַ֗י עִמָּדִֽי ׃ 12 אִם ־ אֶ֭רְעַב לֹא ־ אֹ֣מַר לָ֑ךְ כִּי ־ לִ֥י תֵ֝בֵ֗ל וּמְלֹאָֽהּ ׃ 13 הַֽ֭אוֹכַל בְּשַׂ֣ר אַבִּירִ֑ים וְדַ֖ם עַתּוּדִ֣ים אֶשְׁתֶּֽה ׃ 14 זְבַ֣ח לֵאלֹהִ֣ים תּוֹדָ֑ה וְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לְעֶלְי֣וֹן נְדָרֶֽיךָ ׃ 15 וּ֭קְרָאֵנִי בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלֶּצְךָ֗ וּֽתְכַבְּדֵֽנִי ׃ 16 וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀ אָ֘מַ֤ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים מַה ־ לְּ֭ךָ לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֖א בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי ־ פִֽיךָ ׃ 17 וְ֭אַתָּה שָׂנֵ֣אתָ מוּסָ֑ר וַתַּשְׁלֵ֖ךְ דְּבָרַ֣י אַחֲרֶֽיךָ ׃ 18 אִם ־ רָאִ֣יתָ גַ֭נָּב וַתִּ֣רֶץ עִמּ֑וֹ וְעִ֖ם מְנָאֲפִ֣ים חֶלְקֶֽךָ ׃ 19 פִּ֭יךָ שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ בְרָעָ֑ה וּ֝לְשׁוֹנְךָ֗ תַּצְמִ֥יד מִרְמָֽה ׃ 20 תֵּ֭שֵׁב בְּאָחִ֣יךָ תְדַבֵּ֑ר בְּבֶֽן ־ אִ֝מְּךָ֗ תִּתֶּן ־ דֹּֽפִי ׃ 21 אֵ֤לֶּה עָשִׂ֨יתָ ׀ וְֽהֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי דִּמִּ֗יתָ הֱֽיוֹת ־ אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה כָמ֑וֹךָ אוֹכִיחֲךָ֖ וְאֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה לְעֵינֶֽיךָ ׃ 22 בִּֽינוּ ־ נָ֣א זֹ֭את שֹׁכְחֵ֣י אֱל֑וֹהַּ פֶּן ־ אֶ֝טְרֹ֗ף וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל ׃ 23 זֹבֵ֥חַ תּוֹדָ֗ה יְֽכַ֫בְּדָ֥נְנִי וְשָׂ֥ם דֶּ֑רֶךְ אַ֝רְאֶ֗נּוּ בְּיֵ֣שַׁע אֱלֹהִֽים ׃
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God will be silent no more Intro : Contemporary ideas of 'silent no more', 'speaking out', etc. God no longer being silent is emphasised in the Psalm, v3 and 21, along with frequent references to speech. He is silent no more so that his people might enter into life forever. Sequence of 42-49, and now this; picks up on themes of Gods dwelling; but raises the question of how his people can be worthy to dwell with him. Before a long Davidic stretch. NB lots of other ones by Asaph grouped later, 73 and following. Asaph, what do we know? Descended from Levi. 1 Chronicles 6.39; 1 Chronicles 15.17-19; 1 Chronicles 16.4-5; 1 Chronicles 25; 2 Chronicles 20.14; 2 Chronicles 35.15; Ezra 3.10. A leading singer when ark was brought to Jerusalem. David made him leader of the choral worship. Reputation as a seer cf Psalms 73-83 2 Chronicles 20.14 1. Let all creation listen, for God is coming to judge, v1-6 Theophany. Recalls Mount Sinai. Zion, cf Lamentations 2.15. His 'capital'. Where his 'seat' is. Where we are now if we are in Christ. Represents his reign, to be extended out over all the cosmos. All creation summoned to be witnesses as God brings this lawsuit against his people, cf Deuteronomy 30.19. Judgment must begin with the house of God, 1 Peter 4.17 Faithful ones, covenant, and sacrifice recall Exodus 24.3-8; Gather to me my faithful ones...ie my covenant people. Not necessarily those inwardly righteous, as this Psalm makes clear. v6 for God, God is judging. Or is about to judge. It's not a noun but a participle. 2. Outward sacrifice is not what God seeks, but heartfelt dependence v7-15 v7 sense is, listen, I am accusing you. Verse 8 , part b extends the thought. I am not rebuking you for your sacrifices, for your continual burnt offerings. v10 every living thing in the forest. God owns life; 'moving things' for insects etc in the field, v11. the world and its fulness is mine, v12 - cf Psalm 24 . Self-existence of God, cf Acts 17.25 . He doesn't need us. We need him. Alternative tranlsation: 'the one who offers sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and sets a way [that] I [may] show the salvation of God' 3. Empty talkers are rebuked, v16-23 v19 frames deceit. Lit., links together. v20 against a son of your mother you give/place a stumbling-block v21 that the I AM was one like yourself v21 and I have been silent, same word as v3 - ie now he will not be silent v23 Heb “and [to one who] sets a way I will show the deliverance of God.” Alternative tranlsation: 'the one who offers sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and sets a way [that] I [may] show the salvation of God'; cf Hebrews 13.15 God's glory. His self-existence. He chooses to enter into covenant with his people. His faithful justice. FCF. Making religion a matter of outward forms, with no heartfelt allegiance. H1. Various forms of virtue signalling, built originally upon good morals, but which are without true faith or repentance in God. H2. Christians forms without Christian functions (of thanksgiving, and faith in times of trouble). Person of Jesus. Jesus is the final prophet and lawyer (eg Matthew 23). But he is the faithful one, who trusts in the Father, who gives thanks to him, who walks blamelessly. He is the faithful covenant partner who goes to dwell in Zion because he is worthy. And Jesus has life in himself (John 5.26) Work of Jesus. He takes the place of the unfaithful one, so that the punishments might fall and be exhausted. Covenant curses fell on him and he died and was buried. Lawsuit against his people in view of the whole earth happens at the cross, as covenant unfaithfulness is punished - in Christ - in full view of the nations, heaven and earth. He is the final sacrifice and priest. He is the final Judge, and proof of this is that he has already 'taken office' through his resurrection as the Christ (Acts 17.29-31) Union with Jesus. So that in his resurrection we might be taken, as unworthy ones, in Christ to Zion forever to dwell. The new covenant is between Father and Son, we are in him by faith and share in all his benefits. Who is there to condemn? Christ Jesus who died, is our intercessor. Wrap up : God is silent no more so that his people might enter into life forever.
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