Psalm 50 — The Mighty God
Introduction: This is the only Psalm attributed to Asaph in book two of the five books of the Psalms; the other eleven are listed consecutively in book three as Psalm 73 through Psalm 83. Asaph was a leader of worship during the reign of King David after David had brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and placed it into the tent he had pitched for it. The seven year temple construction project was completed by King Solomon some eleven years after he began his reign, and there is no clear evidence in the scripture whether this Psalm was written before or after the temple was completed.
NOTE: Scripture passages are from the King James 21st Century Version.
A — The Mighty God
Psalm 50 “1 The Mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.”
Comments: The Mighty God is a short phrase that has special meaning as it appears in several Old Testament passages in addition to here in Psalm 50. The first verse of those that will illustrate the way such references can be mutually related, contains words Jacob spoke about his son Joseph and the strength the LORD would provide to him. Genesis 49:24 “But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.” Several centuries later Moses gave the message of the LORD to the children of Israel that they should not fear the people they would face as they entered the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 7:21 “Thou shalt not be frightened at them; for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and fearsome.” After the time of the Judges, Isaiah gave the prophecy of the coming Messiah. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
The LORD God has spoken to mankind even from the beginning of creation in a wordless language that all people can understand. Psalm 19 “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. 2 Day upon day uttereth speech, and night upon night showeth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” Isaiah 25:8 “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the LORD hath spoken it.”
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans that the call of the LORD was for both Jews and Gentiles. Romans 9 “24 even us whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 I will call them ‘My people,’ who were not My people.” 2 Timothy 1 “9 who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but in accordance with His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”
B — God Has Shined Out of Zion
Psalm 50 “2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.”
Comments: The LORD directed Moses to tell Aaron and his sons the form of a special blessing. Numbers 6 “24 The LORD bless thee and keep thee; 25 the LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; 26 the LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” Psalm 48 “1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, on the mountain of His holiness. 2 Beautiful in situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion.” When the Lord Jesus came into Jerusalem he was now the light of men. John 8:12 “I am the Light of the world. He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” 2 Corinthians 4 “6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
C — A Devouring Fire Before God
Psalm 50 “3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence; a devouring fire shall go before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. 4 He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth, that He may judge His people: 5 ‘Gather My saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.’ 6 And the heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge. Selah.”
Comments: The LORD has been consistent about judgment for the righteous and the unrighteous throughout the history of mankind as recorded in scripture. Nahum 1 “6 Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. 7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.” 2 Thessalonians 1 “7 when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, and who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 when He shall come on that Day to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all those who believe.”
D — The Fullness of the World Belongs to God
Psalm 50 “7 Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. 8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before Me. 9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor hegoats out of thy folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11 I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is Mine and the fullness thereof. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?”
Comments: Before the children of Israel went into the Promised Land the LORD told them that their hearts needed to be right before him for any gifts of worship to have true meaning, for he had no need of anything from them. Deuteronomy 10 “12 What doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.” Mark 8 “35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
E — Offer Thanksgiving and Pay Your Vows
Psalm 50 “14 Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High, 15 and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”
Comments: David made great preparations in materials for the temple and gave glory to the LORD. 1 Chronicles 29 “11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power and the glory, and the victory and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine. 14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly in this manner? For all things come from Thee, and from Thine own have we given Thee.” In another Psalm, King David stated that he knew he could call on the LORD in a time of trouble. Psalm 86 “5 For Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me.”
F — God Speaks to the Wicked Among Followers
Psalm 50 “16 But unto the wicked God saith: ‘What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth, 17 seeing thou hatest instruction and castest My words behind thee? 18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consented with him, and thou hast been partaker with adulterers. 19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. 21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself. But I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes.’”
Comments: The wicked include those who act as though they honor God, but in fact they are not truly devoted to him. Their actions are borne out of self-righteousness. It is only the mercy and patience of the LORD that allows extra time for his grace to be accepted before he brings punishment upon the wicked. Isaiah 59 “2 But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.” When the Lord Jesus taught in Jerusalem he condemned the same hypocrisy. Matthew 23:13 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”
G — Those Who Put God Aside Must Consider His Word
Psalm 50 “22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver: 23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me; and to him that ordereth his manner of living aright, I will show the salvation of God.”
Comments: Long before the Psalm was written, the LORD spoke to Moses of his mercy, but also told him he would not clear those who refused to receive it. Exodus 34 “6 The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” Isaiah 55 “6 Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” 1 Peter 1 “18 For ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, from your vain way of living, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, 20 who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”
Reflections in Prayer
I thank you LORD that your call has continued to go throughout the whole earth, and that your light has shined in my heart because of your grace and mercy. I believe that you are a consuming fire that will remove all that is unholy, and I also believe you provide security from harm for those who are among your saints. The heavens will declare your righteousness as you alone bring final judgment. I understand that any material thing we could give to you is already yours because you are the Creator God, but you do accept the sacrifice of praise made humbly from the heart. I offer you thanksgiving my Savior because I believe you will deliver me in the day of trouble, and I want all the glory to be yours for that salvation. I pray for those around me who have forgotten your gracious blessings, and I want to continually offer praise to you Lord to bring to you honor and glory. Help me Lord to order my life in the way most pleasing to you to demonstrate that my faith and hope is in the true and living God. Amen.
Published 4 July 2013