50:1 The mighty one, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from
the rising of the sun to its setting.
50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
50:3 Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a
devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him.
50:4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may
judge his people:
50:5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by
sacrifice!"
50:6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is
judge. Selah
50:7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against
you: I am God, your God.
50:8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever
before me.
50:9 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,
50:10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.
50:11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.
50:12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in
it.
50:13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
50:14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,
50:15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor
me."
This is quite a description of God. Not the hand holding loving
compassionate God. Not the one we saw in the Hosea passages, but a
judging law and order judge. Some congregations are probably in need
of this vision of the almighty. But what of the ones who have
suffered recently? What of the ones whoes egos have been badly
beaten like abused children? How can this passage be used in
worship?
Pasthersyl
Panthersyl,
I may be so wrong about this but I believe that culturally, the
pendulum has swung so far to the side of God the merciful, God the
forgiver, God the lover that we have lost a sense of shame. Shame,
taken to an extreme, can be destructive. And yet, the lack of shame,
equally so. Look at the headlines and tell me where the shame is
today.
I think that we must re-introduce God the judge, God the just, God
the Holy to our congregations, if only as a balance or as an attempt
to bring the pendulum back toward the middle.
We have lost that common sensical notion that our behaviors have
consequences. Much (not all) of the tragedies we hear about today
and the conditions of society are due to our straying from Godly
ways. Sin is destructive and not just eternally. And so that's why I
think this passage can (and must) be preached. God is merciful and
loving but God is just and holy as well. We must preach God in the
totality of His character and not as a one-sided caricature. How to
do so to a 'hurting' congregation, as you've described it, is a
tough question. With much prayer and preparation would be my rather
simplistic answer.
I'm reminded of a song by the popular Christian artist Carmen, where
angels and demons are describing Christ's death on the cross on a
Friday. The demons reveling in the mood that was dark and gloomy,
depressed and foreboding, the angels of God ever midfulof the
prophecy that Sunday was on its way and with it victory over death.
First thoughts in Va.
Rick
Pasthersyl, Gee, I don't know. I was driving home after arriving at
the airport on Saturday night, mindful of the call Sunday morning,
exhausted. My foot cramped up, hurt terribly to push the gas peddle.
No place to pull off. Keep going, keep going. Finally it occurred to
me to ask God for help. I'm not real big about praying for the small
aches and pains of life, maybe that's wrong, but there is so much
more. Anyhow, by the time I asked I was about 15-20 minutes into
agony, and it seemed unbearable. After about 30 seconds it went away
completely. I was startled. I praised God. I sang God's praises the
rest of the way at the top of my voice! Thanks be to God! Even for
the little, miniscule deliverance. v23: those who bring thanskgiving......
Christ is Risen. Doesn't make any sense. Guess I'll understand at
the end. HW
I've just finished a walk where I've viewed a fabulous setting of
the sun, where God's majesty 'speaks' so loudly. I felt so lifted up
and yes, so grateful. Grateful, that for some mysterious reason, God
has captured my attention, revealed His love for me in Jesus, and
washed me clean of the sinfulness that separates me from Him. He's
filled my empty spaces and for all of this I'm so deeply grateful
and yet so filled with questions as well. Why Lord have you so
revealed yourself to some while others, equally in need of You, are
so oblivious? It is mysteriously frightening.
But I do trust Him. And am committed to continuing in that trust. My
prayer is that so many more would do so as well.
Rick in Va.
In case someone wanted to review the other verses
Psalm 50:7,8,22-23 Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I
will testify against you. I am God, your God Not for your sacrifices
do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
"Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and
there will be no one to deliver. Those who bring thanksgiving as
their sacrifice honor me; to those who go the right way I will show
the salvation of God."
Shalom, bammamma
