All Rise for the Judge (Psalm 50)

Psalm 50 takes the form of an ancient covenant lawsuit as the prophets often drew upon known societal practices to convey their message in earthy ways. Here, the psalm pictures a judge holding formal court between two parties: the accuser and the defendant (Ps 50:1–5; Hos 4:1). Witnesses are called to give evidence for the case (Ps 50:1; Mic 6:1–2). And the opposing party is allowed to cross-examine, then present additional evidence (Isa 41:21). After all the testimony has been heard, the judge pronounces his verdict—a mishpaṭ (Deut 19:17; 25:1; 1 Sam 24:15; 2 Sam 15:1–4; Isa 3:13; Jer 2:9). And the defendant is judged either “guilty” or “righteous.” In this case, with no need for a balance of powers, Yahweh assumes the multiple roles of judge, plaintiff, and prosecuting attorney. In fact, Yahweh also commands their worship. This initially makes us feel uncomfortable to worship the one who determines our fate. Judges must be feared, respected, honored, and obeyed, but rarely do we worship them as gods. So, we are taken aback when Psalm 50 exhorts us to worship God as Judge.

God Commands Our Genuine Worship (vv. 1-6)

First, God commands our genuine worship. According to the superscription, Psalm 50 is “A Psalm of Asaph”—the first of twelve psalms attributed to him (Pss 73-83). So, we know this is a worship song because Asaph is a worship leader. He is chief among the Levitical singers appointed by King David to lead God’s people in song: “[to minister] before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel” (1 Chr 16:4-5a).[1] The Bible describes every one of us as worshipers who present our allegiance to someone or something. Yet we can often worship wrongly: We worship ourselves. We worship wrong gods. Or we even worship the right God in the wrong way. We all need wisdom to worship rightly, so Asaph offers his counsel in Psalm 50.

The Lord our Judge enters the courtroom as “The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting” (v. 1). Like many an important person, Asaph introduces God the Judge with a string of titles: El Elohim Yahweh (see Josh 22:22). He is “The Mighty One”—El—the majestic Deity over all the earth. He is “God”—Elohim—resplendent in glory. And he is “the LORD”—Yahweh—the covenant King of Israel. There is no other God like him.

Our God also speaks. He summons the earth to be his courtroom and directs the rising and setting of the sun. In fact, he emerges like the sun, shining forth from Zion—the holy mountain in Jerusalem on which the temple stood (Pss 48-53).[2] “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest” (50:2-3). His courtly robes display the beauty of his perfection. His booming voice commands the room. His holy justice burns like fire and swirls about him like a raging storm (Isa 66:15). Psalm 50 recalls the giving of the Law at Sinai. When God delivered Israel from captivity in Egypt, he led them through the wilderness and appeared to them atop the holy mountain. And there, through Moses, God gave his people the Law—most significantly, the Ten Commandments. Exodus 19 depicts the glory of God displayed before his gathered people:

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up (vv. 16-20).

All rise for the Judge. All glory be to God. For just as that majestic day upon Mount Sinai, Yahweh now emerges from Mount Zion in the fire and the storm. His first act as Judge is to call the heavens and the earth to stand as witnesses representing the whole of God’s creation (Ps 50:4).[3] For as our sovereign Creator, he has the power to subpoena any of his subjects. The heavens and the earth were present from the beginning, before mankind. They existed throughout history, solid and unmoving, as a silent witness against man’s wickedness. Yet now God summons them to speak. And with this, we are shocked. For God has not come to judge the wicked, but to “judge his own people: Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!” (vv. 4b-5). The defendants are his chosen people—his beloved—his “faithful ones” (hasidim) who once professed their faith to him (Exod 24:3-8). They had offered many sacrifices and vowed covenant promises that Yahweh would always be their God. But somewhere along the way, they stopped worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth. They broke their promises and became unfaithful to their God. So, God came down to judge them since judgment must “begin at the household of God” (1 Pet 4:17).

As believers today, we enter into worship with fear and trembling. For God is Judge of all the earth and he commands our genuine worship. We cannot question his wisdom as “the heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge!” (Ps 50:6). He can accuse anyone he wants and call anyone as witness, for the heavens are on his side and they affirm his rightness. God alone is Judge of all the earth. The Selah at the conclusion of verse 6 prompts us to pause and reflect on God’s right to judge. “The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab 2:20). It does not matter if we once professed our faith as children of the covenant—cleansed by the blood of Christ. We might even be called his faithful ones—beloved saints in God’s forever family. We might have brought countless sacrifices and offerings throughout the years. Yet if we do not worship God in spirit and in truth, he will surely come to judge. He will rally all heaven and earth against us and he himself will serve as prosecutor. Genuine worship truly matters to our God—not because he is cruel or egotistical, but because he dearly loves us. For he knows that when we worship him, it puts our hearts in proper order. His fierce and piercing justice is not retributive, but restorative. He humbles us when we grow prideful in order to raise us up. So when we praise him, we are finally living as we ought. And when we rightly reflect his glory, we as creatures receive his blessing. God commands our worship for our eternal good.

God Corrects Our Misguided Worship (vv. 7-15)

God first commands our genuine worship (Ps 50:1-6). He then corrects misguided worship if we stray from what is true. Again, we are shocked by God’s surprising actions: “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God” (v. 7; see Deut 5:6; 6:4). Instead of defending his people, Yahweh testifies against them. As at Sinai, he still claims to be their God. Yet now, he comes to judge them. His first indictment is that their worship is misguided: “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me” (Ps 50:8). They had not neglected the temple worship or religious rituals. They’re still slaughtering animals and bringing burnt offerings every day, especially on the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur. Yet God declares their worship to be misguided. For according to Hosea 6:6, the Lord cares most about our hearts: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Isa 1:11-15; Amos 5:21-24; Mic 6:6-8). God desires that we know and love him, for right worship is ultimately about right hearts. We become misguided, though, when we entertain a wrong view of why we worship. So, the Lord insists, “I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine” (Ps 50:9-11). Along the way, God’s people wrongly believed that he was in need of them—that their worship somehow appeased him. That’s what the pagans thought about their gods—that the quality of their worship was based upon performance: their wealth, their sheepfolds, their hills and valleys. Yet Israel’s God is different.  He doesn’t need their bulls and goats. He doesn’t pander for their sacrifices. For he governs every animal in the forest. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills as far as the eye can see. He knows each bird and counts all creatures as his own. Whatever we claim as ours still personally belongs to God: “All of them are mine!” Therefore, worship is not about us or the gifts we bring. For God does not need us to stroke his ego, to buy him second-hand gifts, or to satisfy our debts. We come to worship not because God needs us, but because we need him. We must acknowledge how great God is—how marvelously far above us. Then, we will worship in humility out of gratitude for our Maker.

Our wrong view of why we worship arises from a wrong view of whom we worship.  As God declares, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” (vv. 12-13). Again, the pagans pictured their gods as consuming food and drink. Like humans, they required sustenance. But our God does not devour bulls and goats. For if he desired any food at all, he could simply pluck it from the menu of his creation. If he ever did get hungry, he would not need us to provide him sustenance. For God existed long ago before he made this world—before creation (Acts 17:24-25). He is God Almighty—the Most High Creator of the universe, the Mighty One who delivers us in the day of trouble, and the Radiant One who demands all glory (Ps 50:14-15). So, he requires sacrifice for our sake, not for his. This “sacrifice of thanksgiving” and the “vows” (or votive offerings) are also separate from the previous burnt offerings of bulls and goats to atone for sin (see vv. 5, 8, 13). Such thank offerings are voluntary—from a willing heart as they praise the Lord for answered prayer (Lev 7:12; 22:29).[4]

Likewise, we worship the Lord today out of gratitude for his gifts. He gives us strength to stand and the voices with which we sing. He has placed us in a local church and shepherds us with leaders, teachers, and disciplers. He provides us the ability to work and generous income we can share with others through our offerings. But most importantly, God sacrificed his beloved Son to be our Savior. That’s why we celebrate in worship—not for God to remember us, but so that we remember God. His once-for-all sacrifice has forgiven us and makes us pure before him. So, God corrects misguided worship because he loves us and seeks our good. He wants us to know him rightly, for who he is and all that he has done.

God Condemns Our Hypocritical Worship (vv. 16-23)

Lastly, God condemns our hypocritical worship. Such worship may be based in truth, but offered in the wrong spirit. So, “to the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?’” (Ps 50:16). Such people still speak religious words and recite the Ten Commandments. They claim allegiance with their lips, but their hearts are far from God (Isa 29:13; Matt 15:7-9). “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16). In Psalm 50, though, the Lord does not judge wicked pagans, but wicked Jews—two-faced worshipers like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They rehearse God’s statutes word-for-word and claim his covenant, but they do not live for God. Their professions are empty words and their promises are fruitless. Their carefully polished lives are nothing more than whitewashed tombs, full of decaying bones (Matt 23:27-28). They are not simply misguided worshipers, but heartless enemies feigning to be friends. So, the Lord continues his condemnation: “For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you” (Ps 50:17). Sinners pretend to love God’s Word, but toss it aside when we think that no one’s looking. Our hearts won’t listen as we reject God’s discipline and instruction. But know this, God condemns hypocrisy. He will not accept false worship, for God’s people must worship both in spirit and in truth. It’s not enough to say we love him. We must also live it out.

The psalmist then turns to the center of God’s Law—the Ten Commandments—to show the ways we often violate God’s Word. First, we condone those in blatant sin: “If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers” (v. 18; see Exod 20:14-15; Deut 5:18-19). Then, we let loose our tongues with wicked lies and slander: “You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son” (Ps 50:19-20; Exod 20:16; Deut 5:20). How can God’s people live in such a way? How can we delight in evil deeds and wicked speech? And even if we never committed offenses personally, do we applaud the sins of others? Truth be told, not one of us is perfectly obedient (Rom 3:10-12). We all fall short (v. 23). We’re all found guilty. Thus, we cannot escape God’s judgment (6:23a), for we are not above his Law: “These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you” (Ps 50:21). The Lord was so patient in judgment that his people mistook his silence as permission for their sin (Eccl 8:11; Mal 2:17; 3:14-15). They thought that he was just like them and that his calmness allowed for wiggle room. But now, the Judge rebukes them and soberly warns them to repent (see 2 Pet 3:9-11). He lays out the charges before them. He shows the evidence and calls forth witnesses to give no doubt about their guilt: “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!” (Ps 50:22). God cautions all those who have forgotten he is Judge (Deut 4:9, 23, 31; 6:12; 8:11, 14). He threatens to tear into them like a wild animal (Gen 37:33; 44:28; 49:27; Pss 17:12; 22:13; Ezek 22:25, 27; Amos 3:12; Hos 5:14; Nah 2:12). He warns them of destruction and declares no one will deliver them (8:19; 32:18-19). Then, he calls for their repentance when they realize they cannot save themselves. Such fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because we worship God in spirit when we worship with right hearts and we worship God in truth when we know him as he is.

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Ps 50:23). Again, we witness voluntary thank offerings which presents our praise to God for who he is and what he’s done for us (Hos 14:2; Heb 13:5). We can focus on these thank offerings because Christ has been our sin offering. In Christ, we come before the Judge who pardons us as righteous and welcomes us as family. In Christ, God’s courtroom becomes a place of celebration—a declaration of his victory. In Christ, we freely worship because God judged his Son instead of us. In Christ, changed hearts result in changed behavior for the “one who orders his way rightly.” No longer will we turn from God who patiently restores. We will be like athletes focused on the finish line—nothing to stop us from finishing the race—nothing to deter us to the left or right—nothing to hinder us who have fixed our gaze on the way which God desires (see Phil 3:8-14).

Then, we will see the Lord’s salvation—not for being good pretenders who go through religious motions—not for living good lives by human effort, but by the grace of God. For right worship reveals a heart entranced by God. So, how do we do this practically? How do we honor the Judge with heartfelt worship? We worship him in spirit and in truth as we meditate on his Word and as we delight in him for who he is and what he’s done. First, consider who God is as we walk together through the psalm together:

• God is our Creator and Sustainer who governs the heavenly bodies and owns every beast of earth.
• He is the Mighty One, God the Lord—the only One worthy of our worship.
• He is Yahweh, our covenant Promise-keeper.
• He is our sovereign King who reigns Most High.
• He is independent, self-existent, and far above creation.
• He is our holy and righteous Judge.
• He is our Savior and Deliverer in times of trouble.
• He is our God and we are his beloved people.
• Praise be to God for who he is!

Then, consider God’s actions as we walk through Psalm 50 once more:

• God comes.
• God speaks.
• God summons.
• God shines forth in beauty.
• God does not keep silent.
• God devours like fire.
• God rages like the storm.
• God calls forth both heaven and earth.
• God judges his people and gathers his faithful ones.
• God testifies.
• God rebukes us and lays down charges before us.
• God rejects any hypocritical sacrifices and offerings.
• Yet God also answers us in the day of trouble.
• God delivers when we need him.
• And God receives our praise.
• God is the One who shows us his salvation.
• Praise be to God for all that he has done!

“To worship [rightly] is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, [and] to devote the will to the purpose of God.”[5] Then, as you worship rightly, your heart will be changed and your life will show the difference. Praise God for his blessed salvation!

Counsel Psalm 50

Many counselees do not worship in spirit and in truth because they possess a wrong view of God. Either they do not fear him and presume upon his grace or they fear him too much and abandon grace. We must instruct our counselees to recognize God as Judge and to confess their guilt as lawbreakers. But then, we must also lead them to receive God’s saving grace until changed hearts produce changed lives.

Projects for Growth (Psalm 50)

1. If you were to stand before God the Judge today would you tremble in fear or worship him with thanksgiving? Would he declare you innocent or guilty? What evidence can you bring on your account?
2. Compare Psalm 50 with God’s giving of the Ten Commandments.

3. Do you rightly worship God in truth? Walk through Psalm 50 to see how it shows God for who he is (i.e., names, titles). Then, identify each of God’s actions to describe his actions for his people (e.g., comes, speaks, summons, shines forth).

4. Do you rightly worship God in spirit? What practical steps must you take to free your heart of hypocrisy or empty formalism?

5. Why do we no longer need the blood of bulls and goats to atone for sin (Heb 9:13-14; 10:10)? How do we celebrate such forgiveness in our worship today? How do we bring our voluntary thank offerings before the Lord (Ps 50:23)?

6. Contemplate the lyrics of the song, This is My Father’s World by Maltbie D. Babock (1901). Let these truths lead you into praise.

Pray Psalm 50

1. O God, you summon the heavenly bodies to do your bidding (vv. 1-6).
2. You own the cattle on a thousand hills and every living beast (vv. 10-12).
3. Do not consume me by your holy wrath (vv. 7-9, 16-22).
4. Instead, save me through the atoning sacrifice of your beloved Son (vv. 13, 15).
5. Then, I will praise you and bring thank offerings out of gratitude (vv. 14, 23).

[1] Asaph shared this duty alongside Heman and Jeduthun (see 1 Chr 6:31, 39; 15:14-17, 19; 16:1-7, 37; 25:2; see Neh 12:46). King Hezekiah later affirmed the authorship of psalms to Asaph (2 Chr 29:30).

[2] In the Ancient Near East, the sun was often linked with judgment.

[3] This merism of heaven and earth summons the entirety of the created universe (see Deut 4:6; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1; Isa 1:2; Mic 6:1–2).

[4] The old covenant expressed two main purposes in the sacrifices. Burnt offerings for sin showed God’s people that atonement was needed—that they were sinners in desperate need of God’s salvation. So, worshipers would travel to Jerusalem, enter the temple precinct, and purchase an animal for the sacrifice. They would pay good money earned through honest labor as the costly price for sin. Then, they would bring the animal before the priest and the priest would take its life. And somehow, in God’s providence, the lifeblood of that animal would cover the sins of the worshipers. This may seem like mysticism. How could the blood of bulls and goats atone for sin (Heb 10:1-4)? It might not make much sense to slaughter animals and sprinkle their blood, then to incinerate them with fire. Yet God commanded his people to bring him sacrifices and burnt offerings. For in these sacrifices, God was preparing his people for “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, 36)—the final, perfect sacrifice once-for-all offered on their behalf (Heb 9:13-14; 10:10). Certainly, bulls and goats did not have the power to cover sin, but the Judge who received those offerings year-after-year was the One who could. Therefore, we worship today not by bringing endless animal sacrifices, but praising the Person and Work of Christ.

In addition to the need for sin’s atonement, the second purpose in the sacrifices was to show Israel that everything they had received was given them by God. For God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He causes the rain to fall and the crops to grow. He ordains each livestock birth and protects the flock from harm. So, when his people come to worship, they are simply returning to the Lord a portion of the treasures he has gifted them. Likewise, when we worship, we present to God a portion of our time, our energies, and the work of our hands. We give back to God from the generous bounty he has given to us. Our sacrifice in worship is a thank offering to consecrate his sacrifice for us.

[5] William Temple, Nature, Man, and God, quoted in The Westminster Collection of Christian Quotations, comp. Martin H. Manser (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 407.