Psalm 50.

This psalm is quite different. It quotes God Himself throughout. And so, it’s like a prophetic writing or an oracle. It tells the difference between true and false worship. First, God is introduced, then the different kinds of false worship are shown, and finally, the very last verse reveals true worship

1-6 – Who God is.

• The Mighty One, God the LORD, the perfection of beauty, before Him a devouring fire, around Him a mighty tempest …
• The heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge.

7-15 – Ritualism as worship, no!

• Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
• (But it’s for their attitude in sacrificing. As if they were giving to God what HE needs.) I will not accept your bulls … your goats.  EVERY BEAST of the forest (already) is MINE. 
• I own the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is MINE.
• If I were hungry, I would not tell YOU, for the world and its fullness are MINE. 
• NO!  Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, perform your vows, and call on Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

16-21 – Rebellion as worship, no!  To the wicked —

• What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?
• You hate discipline. You cast My Words behind you. You are pleased with thieves. You keep company with adulterers. 
• You give your mouth free rein for evil. Your tongue frames deceit. You speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son. 
• You’ve done these things, and I’ve been silent. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

22-23 – Right approach to God.

• The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly, I will show the salvation of God!”

Psalm 53.

This psalm is very much like Psalm 14, which we’ve already read. 

• The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

Psalm 60.

Now this is unusual. David actually tells when he wrote this psalm. Remember yesterday, when we read of all the ways God helped him to defeat his enemies?  Zorbah, plus the thousands of Edom in the Valley of Salt? 

David here seems discouraged before God gives him victory in both the extreme North (Syria) and South (Edom) of Israel.  Then, David sees the victories.  

• O God, You have rejected us, broken our defenses; You have been angry; oh, restore us!
• God has spoken in his holiness, “Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom, I cast my shoe; over Philistia, I shout in triumph!”  (Talk about God getting into the fray enthusiastically!)
• And David, “With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes.”

Don’t you love reading these psalms in their proper places in Israel’s history?

Psalm 75.

Note, that the writer, Asaph, says this psalm is to be sung to the tune of “Do not destroy” as he wrote on Psalm 57.  Don’t you wonder what that tune sounded like?

• “We give thanks to You, O God; we give thanks, for Your Name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.

If you have read through the Book of The Revelation recently, much of this psalm sounds similar.

• At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.
• When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.
• For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and He pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

WOW!

• But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
• All the horns (power) of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns (strength) of the righteous shall be lifted up. 

Yea, and amen!