Monday, March 5, 2018

Psalm 50:1-23 (PQ 27/2/2018)


THE SACRIFICE OF GRATITUDE

Verse Key 50:14

God hates those who are filled with his own righteousness. Today's words speak volumes. Israel is like modern legalist believers who imagine themselves to obtain salvation by their own strength.



1. God is the Judge (1-13) The appearance of God is dreadful. In the midst of storm and fire devouring and with a thunderous sound, he will appear and summon the earth to judge. He summoned Israel, who was the people of the Covenant, and never ceased to offer burnt offerings. The problem was not really sacrifice, the problem was the disposition of heart with which they brought and offered sacrifice. What were they like? They offered many of the burnt offerings, thinking that they would satisfy God. Nevertheless, what they did was not what God wanted to have. God pushes people to look at heaven and earth and all the animals that they lock up. Who owns all these animals and birds? Doesn't it all belong to God? Does God eat animal flesh? But they acted as if God were eating him and giving him a meal to please him. They were so humanistic and carnal. God did not rejoice in it.



2. Sacrifice of gratitude (14-23) God says,"I'm tired of your sacrifices." What God wanted was not such sacrifices, however abundant they may be. What God wanted was the contrite heart and recognition in the heart. Then, the personal relationship with God matters most. When we pray in the name of Jesus, he listens to us. God really rejoices in having a relationship with his people and this relationship is established when man repents and asks for God's mercy and offers the sacrifice of gratitude. From v. 16 to 21, the Bible says what the activities of the wicked were. They were the pseudo-believers, having fun with the word of God. But they didn't put it into practice. They never learned and despised the truth. They ally themselves with the guilty such adulterers and hate brothers. God keeps silence, so that the wicked thought that God would tolerate them, but this silence will not last that long. God will judge their life double. One thing we should not forget is that God wants to sacrifice, not animals, but the heart. We must watch out for our path, which so quickly risks turning away from the truth.

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