Day #131

Sermon - Audio
Pslam 50,53,60, & 75 - Audio
Pslam 50,53,60, & 75 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Psalm 50

1-6) The Psalm start with consideration God's judgment of the wicked with images of thunder and fire. Judgment is coming to those who refuse to recognize God's authority. God is loving and good, but because of His holiness he must deal with those who practice injustice and harm others. God does this, or he would not be God. In the recovering community we know that we have harmed others. Therefore it is important to take a moral inventory of our life, and do the best we can to right the wrongs we have committed.

6-9) A person could offer an animal to God as a substitute for herself, symbolizing a person's faith in the mercy of God. But, the people were offering sacrifices and forgetting about the importance of obedience or how they were supposed to repent and change. This is called worship without the heart. We may fall into the same pattern when we participate in our religious activities, tithe, or attend church out of habit or conformity rather than heartfelt love for God.

He speaks to their use of sacrifices (v. 8); in the light of vv. 10-13, as well as v. 16, he is addressing people tempted to think that God somehow needs the sacrifices, and that they can be used almost as a bribe to satisfy him. (ESV Study Bible)

16-21) At times people mindlessly repeat God's laws but are filled with self-deception and sin. They claim his promises but refuse to obey him. This is sin, and the Lord will judge people for their lack of authenticity. We too are hypocrites when we are not what we claim to be.

21) At times God seems silent. But his silence is not condoning sin, nor is he indifferent to it. Instead he is withholding deserved punishment, giving time for people to repent (2 Peter 3.9).

Psalm 53

Echoing the message of Psalm 14, this psalm proclaims the foolishness of saying that there is no God. People may say there is no God in order to cover their sin, to have an excuse to continue in sin, and/or to ignore the Judge in order to avoid the judgment. A "fool" does not necessarily lack intelligence; many people who do not serve the Lord are very smart and highly educated. I have a friend who calls them "educated idiots." The Bible see fools as people who reject the wisdom of God, who is the only one who can save them.

Psalm 60

Psalm 60 provides details about David not found in 1st and 2nd Samuel or 1st and 2nd Chronicles. Although the setting of the psalm appears to be from 2 Samuel 8, that passage makes no reference to the fact that David's army had a tough fight on this occasion.

3) Instead of giving Israel the wine of blessing God had given them the cup of his judgment. God's rejection was intended to bring them back to himself.

6-10) God said the cities and territories of Israel were his, and he knew the future of all nations. When things seem to be going crazy and that God is not paying attention we need to be reminded that God is in charge of all things.

8) David mentioned the enemy nations that surrounded Israel. Moab lay directly to the east, Edom to the south, and Philista to the west. 2 Samuel 8 indicates David was fighting Aram. Although there were enemies all around, David believed that God would help them triumph.

Psalm 75

Because God is the final judge, the final outcome we be judgment for the wicked. When people oppress others and threaten our security, we can be confident that God will finally destroy them.

2) God will act when he is ready, and not before. As limited as we are in perspective faith calls us to believe that God is in control.