Chapter 50

Asaph.

2021 - So this is not "The Sons of Korah", but specifically by Asaph.

1st stanza, God as judge.

2nd, God speaks

3rd, God needs no sacrifices, for all the bulls and goats are His.  He knows the birds, he knows everything that moves.  All are His.  There is nothing that we can sacrifice to him that isn't his.  So what he wants of us is thanksgiving, vows performed, and our prayers in time of trouble.  He wants us to look to Him for deliverance.  These things - love devotion faith dependence.  These are what he wants from us, and these are NOT already His because He gave us the freedom, the room, to decide where we will direct these things. 

2024 - God is speaking to Israel in these verses, and says: 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? [Psa 50:13 ESV].  Note that even in that day when drinking blood was strictly prohibited, God says he can drink it.  So...it isn't that drinking blood is sin.  It is that man was not to drink blood.  Only God could do that.  And then in the NT, at the last supper, Jesus tells the 12 to drink his blood from then on, in remembrance of him.  This is still difficult to understand.  I have not seen this verse this way before.

4th, He speaks to the wicked.

2023 - These verses: 

16 But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?

17 For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.

18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers.

19 "You give your mouth free rein for evil, 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 have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. [Psa 50:16-21 ESV]

Ever have someone you know is an unbeliever quote a verse to you to shame you?  Usually they like judge not lest ye be judged.  Seems like they all know that one.  Here's the thing.  Christians DO very OFTEN mess up, and the accusations may be well founded.  However, we ought not feel worse because it was an unbeliever rather than a brother or sister who called us out.  Look at how God describes such people in these verses.  God does not count a sin called out by an unbeliever as worse than a sin in secret.  God says he let's them make all the noise they want, but ultimately, they will be charged with all that they have done wrong...and we will be judged guiltless because of the blood of Christ.  Our repentance ought to be directed to God, not to the ones who prefer sin to righteousness anyway!

Possible FB post...needs work.

2025 - So how should we respond when an unbeliever quotes the Bible at us to show our sin?  We need first to confess that we are not perfect - no more perfect than the accuser.  But we are different than the accuser in that Jesus' own blood was offered to for our sin and removed God's judgment from us.  Then, from level ground, we can ask our accuser if they believe the book they are using to judge us.  That book says "And salvation is found in no one else..."  There's no alternate path to God.  Being "better than Joe" won't do it. 

So get on the same side of the desk by confession, point out the real difference with profession, and then offer something better with invitation.

5th, God rebukes the wicked.

6th, Summation, and this verse:

    23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!" [Psa 50:23 ESV]