For my personal daily Bible reading, I've been in Psalms lately. Today I read Psalm 50 and certain parts of it struck me. God is approaching Israel as judge in the psalm. He starts out by addressing their sacrifices:
"Listen my people! I am speaking!
Listen Israel! I am accusing you!
I am God, your God!
I am not condemning you because of your sacrifices,
or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me.
I do not need to take a bull from your household
or goats from your sheepfolds,
For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,
as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.
I keep track of every bird in the hills,
and the insects of the field are mine.
Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all it contains belong to me.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?" (v.7-13)
It is interesting that God starts by saying he isn't taking them to task for their animal sacrifices. The people were offering them "continually." The irony is that God doesn't even need the sacrifices. He already owns everything so they are just giving him back what he already possesses. But didn't God command animal sacrifice? Yes. So what is the problem here? We find out later in the psalm:
"God says this to the evildoer:
'How can you declare my commands,
and talk about my covenant?
For you hate instruction
and reject my words.
When you see a thief, you join him;
you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives.
You do damage with words,
and use your tongue to deceive.
You plot against your brother;
you slander your own brother.'" (v.16-20)
The people may have been giving the animal sacrifices, but they did so superficially. They were "getting in good" with God and then running off to sin. They didn't sacrifice with contrite hearts with any intention of actually obeying God. I have noted before that God cares about our hearts. God says in Isaiah 29:13, "[T]his people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote..." The people were giving the sacrifice by tradition, but their hearts were not near the Lord. God makes it clear in the psalm what he wants of his people:
"Present to God a thank-offering!
Repay your vows to the sovereign One!
Pray to me when you are in trouble!
I will deliver you, and you will honor me!" (v.14-15)
"Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me.
To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver." (v.23)
A thank offering was freely given, an optional sacrifice. It consisted of not just an animal offering, but a meal, symbol of fellowship with God. It was given to express gratitude to God for the blessings he had brought. In effect, God is telling his people in this psalm to celebrate fellowship with him and thank him for his blessings and to truly do these things, one must have a heart turned to the Lord. God asks not for the superficial motions of sacrifice, but a heart that thanks him, keeps its promises, prays to him and obeys him.
How can this apply in a modern context? I think the parallels are easy to see. Do we go through the motions of tradition, going to church, singing songs, listening to a sermon with a dead heart? This is a psalm that calls us to examine our heart attitudes to determine if we are truly worshipping our God. I do not see here that God is demanding perfection. He is desiring a heart turned to him that recognizes his grace. This kind of heart will fellowship with God, enjoying his presence. A heart thus cultivated doesn't view worship of God as something to get out of the way so I can go sin. I think the key in this psalm is to ask the question: What is the state of my own heart?
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