Psa 50:12 | KingComments | STEP | God is now introduced as speaking. He calls His people – “My people” – to hear, for He is going to speak ( ). The attitude of hearing is the basic attitude that becomes every person and especially God’s people toward Him. Next, God addresses His people as “Israel”, which is the people in the position He has given them. Israel means ‘prince of God’. God says He will testify among them, for He has a trial with them. It is a special trial: the Judge Himself is the Witness. Emphatically, He introduces Himself to them: “I am God.” He, and no one else. He, God, the Creator of the universe, the Ruler of the universe, addresses them. That almighty God stands in a special relationship with them. He says: “I am … Your God.” This brings Him very near. He takes note of everything they do, especially their sacrifices with which they come to Him. What weighs heavily on His mind in this regard is that they serve Him formally, but their hearts are not involved. This is what He is going to speak to them about, because they have wrong ideas about how God sees their sacrifices. Formally, they are doing well. They are not withholding from God their sacrifices, but bringing them ( ), as He has also ordained for them. Therefore, He will not punish them for that. Their “burnt offerings are continually before” Him (cf. ). He sees what sacrifices they come up with. God speaks of a “young bull out of your house” and of “goats out of your folds” ( ). Therein lies the idea that they come to God with their sacrificial animal as a great gift that they pay for out of their own pockets anyway. In this way, they want to oblige God, as it were, for a return. One good turn deserves another. They give something away and surely God will appreciate and repay them in the form of a special blessing. They have forgotten that they have received everything from God and give it to Him out of His hand (cf. ). What they are blind to is that He needs nothing from the people. All the beasts, the wild beasts “of the forest” and “the cattle on a thousand hills “, belong to Him ( ). As a result, He has a right to them and can dispose of them whenever and wherever He wants. Therefore, He is in no way dependent on their sacrifices. Whatever man possesses, he possesses because God has given it to him. God has never given man absolute dominion over anything. Man is merely His steward and, as such, accountable to God for all that he has. God also ‘knows’ “every bird of the mountains” ( ; cf. ). He knows their number, knows where they abide, and cares for them. He has disposal of them. When His people offer Him a bird, they need not think He needs it. He also says that “everything that moves in the field” is His. They are never out of His presence. As soon as He would need one, He can take one. It also implies confidentiality and care. No one can give Him anything that He does not possess. God instituted the sacrificial service not because He needs those animals, but because the people urgently need them. Sacrifices are not there because God would need food or something, as it is with the idols, but because man needs them in order to draw near to God. God is “the blessed God” ( ), Who has everything He needs in Himself. He has all satisfaction in Himself. No one can give Him anything that He does not possess and would need. Suppose, says God, that I was hungry, I would not tell you, I would not let you know ( ). If I wanted to eat something, I could go for it in all the world I have created, because the world and all that it contains belongs to Me. It can give Me anything I want. God says this to show how absurd it is to suppose that He would in any way depend on or be obliged to man. With indignation, God poses the question that must penetrate deep into their consciences as to whether He would really eat the flesh of bulls and drink the blood of male goats ( ). By this He makes clear to His people what foolish thoughts they have about the sacrifices they bring to Him. What primitive thoughts God’s people can have about serving Him. This happens because of the influence that the nations around them have, by opening themselves up to their way of serving their gods. The idol priests eat what has been sacrificed to the idols, suggesting that the idols are eating it. They have forgotten that God is a Spirit. What He wants, is for them to offer Him their thanks ( ). It is not He Who should thank them for their sacrifices, but they should thank Him for Who He is and what He has done for them. They have promised to give Him those sacrifices (cf. ; ). Well then, let them do so and do so in the right attitude and mind. He is “the Most High” and knows what they have promised. He reminds them of it. They cannot play games with Him. The bringing of a vow offering is not to provide for God’s ‘sustenance’, but to thereby indicate that His people have noticed that He has provided for rescue. These are the sacrifices He values. Nor does it require great effort, but a heart that is aware of God’s wonderful goodness that He demonstrates time and time again. God is not concerned with great sacrifices made many times over. That is what man wants, because then he can do some work. God does not ask for our effort, the products of our work, but He asks for our heart (cf. ). At the same time, it is a lot that God asks, yes, He asks everything: He asks for our whole heart ( ), which is our whole life. In His great mercy He invites them to call upon Him “in the day of trouble” ( ). God does not want a people who only pray to Him when they need Him, but He wants a relationship with His people, with a people who honor Him ( ). From that relationship He invites them to call on Him when they are in need. When they cry out to Him from that relationship when they need Him, He is available to them. This is prophetically about their calling in the time of the great tribulation. If the relationship is there, and they cry out to Him in their trouble, He will help them out of the trouble and thereby give them cause to honor Him for it. To honor is to offer praise, but it’s broader than that: to obey everything He says. Honoring is what suits them and what God likes to see from them. God does not need them, but they need Him. He does not come into trouble, but they come into it.

‏ Psalms 50:12

The God-Fearing Indicted

God is now introduced as speaking. He calls His people – “My people” – to hear, for He is going to speak (Psa 50:7). The attitude of hearing is the basic attitude that becomes every person and especially God’s people toward Him. Next, God addresses His people as “Israel”, which is the people in the position He has given them. Israel means ‘prince of God’.

God says He will testify among them, for He has a trial with them. It is a special trial: the Judge Himself is the Witness. Emphatically, He introduces Himself to them: “I am God.” He, and no one else. He, God, the Creator of the universe, the Ruler of the universe, addresses them. That almighty God stands in a special relationship with them. He says: “I am … Your God.”

This brings Him very near. He takes note of everything they do, especially their sacrifices with which they come to Him. What weighs heavily on His mind in this regard is that they serve Him formally, but their hearts are not involved. This is what He is going to speak to them about, because they have wrong ideas about how God sees their sacrifices.

Formally, they are doing well. They are not withholding from God their sacrifices, but bringing them (Psa 50:8), as He has also ordained for them. Therefore, He will not punish them for that. Their “burnt offerings are continually before” Him (cf. Exo 29:42). He sees what sacrifices they come up with.

God speaks of a “young bull out of your house” and of “goats out of your folds” (Psa 50:9). Therein lies the idea that they come to God with their sacrificial animal as a great gift that they pay for out of their own pockets anyway. In this way, they want to oblige God, as it were, for a return. One good turn deserves another. They give something away and surely God will appreciate and repay them in the form of a special blessing. They have forgotten that they have received everything from God and give it to Him out of His hand (cf. 1Chr 29:14b).

What they are blind to is that He needs nothing from the people. All the beasts, the wild beasts “of the forest” and “the cattle on a thousand hills “, belong to Him (Psa 50:10). As a result, He has a right to them and can dispose of them whenever and wherever He wants. Therefore, He is in no way dependent on their sacrifices. Whatever man possesses, he possesses because God has given it to him. God has never given man absolute dominion over anything. Man is merely His steward and, as such, accountable to God for all that he has.

God also ‘knows’ “every bird of the mountains” (Psa 50:11; cf. Pro 12:10a). He knows their number, knows where they abide, and cares for them. He has disposal of them. When His people offer Him a bird, they need not think He needs it. He also says that “everything that moves in the field” is His. They are never out of His presence. As soon as He would need one, He can take one. It also implies confidentiality and care.

No one can give Him anything that He does not possess. God instituted the sacrificial service not because He needs those animals, but because the people urgently need them. Sacrifices are not there because God would need food or something, as it is with the idols, but because man needs them in order to draw near to God. God is “the blessed God” (1Tim 1:11), Who has everything He needs in Himself. He has all satisfaction in Himself. No one can give Him anything that He does not possess and would need.

Suppose, says God, that I was hungry, I would not tell you, I would not let you know (Psa 50:12). If I wanted to eat something, I could go for it in all the world I have created, because the world and all that it contains belongs to Me. It can give Me anything I want. God says this to show how absurd it is to suppose that He would in any way depend on or be obliged to man.

With indignation, God poses the question that must penetrate deep into their consciences as to whether He would really eat the flesh of bulls and drink the blood of male goats (Psa 50:13). By this He makes clear to His people what foolish thoughts they have about the sacrifices they bring to Him. What primitive thoughts God’s people can have about serving Him. This happens because of the influence that the nations around them have, by opening themselves up to their way of serving their gods. The idol priests eat what has been sacrificed to the idols, suggesting that the idols are eating it. They have forgotten that God is a Spirit.

What He wants, is for them to offer Him their thanks (Psa 50:14). It is not He Who should thank them for their sacrifices, but they should thank Him for Who He is and what He has done for them. They have promised to give Him those sacrifices (cf. Lev 7:11-21; Deu 23:21-23). Well then, let them do so and do so in the right attitude and mind.

He is “the Most High” and knows what they have promised. He reminds them of it. They cannot play games with Him. The bringing of a vow offering is not to provide for God’s ‘sustenance’, but to thereby indicate that His people have noticed that He has provided for rescue. These are the sacrifices He values.

Nor does it require great effort, but a heart that is aware of God’s wonderful goodness that He demonstrates time and time again. God is not concerned with great sacrifices made many times over. That is what man wants, because then he can do some work. God does not ask for our effort, the products of our work, but He asks for our heart (cf. Mic 6:6-8). At the same time, it is a lot that God asks, yes, He asks everything: He asks for our whole heart (Pro 4:23), which is our whole life.

In His great mercy He invites them to call upon Him “in the day of trouble” (Psa 50:15). God does not want a people who only pray to Him when they need Him, but He wants a relationship with His people, with a people who honor Him (Psa 50:14). From that relationship He invites them to call on Him when they are in need.

When they cry out to Him from that relationship when they need Him, He is available to them. This is prophetically about their calling in the time of the great tribulation. If the relationship is there, and they cry out to Him in their trouble, He will help them out of the trouble and thereby give them cause to honor Him for it. To honor is to offer praise, but it’s broader than that: to obey everything He says. Honoring is what suits them and what God likes to see from them. God does not need them, but they need Him. He does not come into trouble, but they come into it.