Psalm 50
- The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
- Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
- Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
- He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
- Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
- And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
- Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.
- I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
- I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
- For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
- I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
- If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
- Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
- Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
- And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
- 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?
- Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.
- When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
- Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
- Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.
- These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
- Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
- Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Teaching Outline for Psalm 50 (KJV)
A psalm of Asaph
1. Opening Orientation
- Author: Asaph, a Levite musician appointed by David.
- Asaph’s style is different than the smooth flow of David’s.
- Asaph was highly regarded as a chief musician and sounded cymbals of brass as the temple.
- 1 Chronicles 16:5
- Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;
- 1 Chronicles 25:1
- Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:
- Nehemiah 12:46
- For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
- 1 Chronicles 16:5
- Asaph was considered a seer and a great man.
- The opening verse of this Psalm uses the three main Hebrew names for God:
- the mighty (El)
- God (Elohim)
- the Lord (Yahweh).
- The opening verse of this Psalm uses the three main Hebrew names for God:
- Genre: Prophetic psalm; courtroom‑style proclamation.
- Theme: God summons His covenant people to judgment—not for lack of sacrifices, but for hearts that have drifted from true worship and obedience.
- Key Idea: God desires thanksgiving, obedience, and sincerity, not empty ritual.
2. God the Judge Appears (vv. 1–6)
A. God summons the whole earth (v. 1)
- “The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken…”
- Emphasize His authority: He speaks, and the world must listen.
B. A dramatic theophany (vv. 2–3)
- Out of Zion, God shines in glory.
- Imagery of fire and tempest signals His holiness and judgment.
C. Heaven and earth called as witnesses (vv. 4–6)
- God convenes a courtroom scene.
- He will judge His people, not the nations.
- “God is judge himself.”
- Psalm 75:7 ESV
- But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
- James 4:12 ESV
- There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
- Hebrews 12:23 ESV
- And to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
- John 5:22 ESV
- For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
- Psalm 75:7 ESV
- Judgment begins with God’s own household.
- 1 Peter 4:17
- For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
- 1 Peter 4:17
3. God Confronts His Faithful Ones (vv. 7–15)
A. Not rebuking sacrifices themselves (vv. 7–8)
- Israel’s rituals were regular and correct.
- The issue is not what they offered but why.
- It is often not what you do by why you are doing it.
- This is a heart issue.
B. God owns everything already (vv. 9–13)
- “Every beast of the forest is mine…”
- God does not need their offerings for sustenance.
- Worship is not meeting God’s needs—He has none.
C. What God truly desires (vv. 14–15)
- Thanksgiving
- Fulfilling vows
- Calling upon Him in trouble
- This section highlights relational worship, not ritualistic performance.
4. God Rebukes the Wicked Within His People (vv. 16–21)
A. Hypocrisy exposed (v. 16)
- They recite God’s statutes but reject His discipline.
B. Specific sins listed (vv. 17–20)
- Hatred of instruction
- Association with thieves
- Lying and deceit
- Slander, even against family
- God sees beyond religious words to daily conduct.
- James 1:22-25 ESV
- But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV
- But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
- Isaiah 29:13 ESV
- And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
- Matthew 15:8-9 ESV
- “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
- James 1:22-25 ESV
C. God’s silence was misunderstood (v. 21)
- They mistook His patience for approval.
- God warns: “I will reprove thee.”
5. Final Warning and Promise (vv. 22–23)
A. A sober warning (v. 22)
- Those who forget God face destruction with none to deliver.
B. A hopeful conclusion (v. 23)
- True worship = thanksgiving + ordering one’s life rightly.
- God promises: “To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”
6. Final Notes
A. God desires heart‑level worship
- Ritual without relationship is empty.
- In the Christian life this leads to growing cold and leaving God.
B. God’s people are accountable
- The psalm addresses Israel, not the pagan nations.
- Application: The church must examine itself.
C. Gratitude and obedience are central to worship
- Thanksgiving is repeatedly emphasized as the proper sacrifice.
D. God’s patience is not approval
- A vital lesson for moral and spiritual formation.
articlesforchristians 
Comments on: "God’s Judgment and True Worship in Psalm 50" (1)
[…] God’s Judgment and True Worship in Psalm 50 […]