Praise God for giving us His Holy Spirit, Who will “lead us into all truth”—if we listen carefully, wanting to hear His “still, small voice.”
On occasion, while thinking of whatever, I’ll softly hear a chapter and a verse, or just a chapter, and I almost always find the text significant.
‘Psalm 50’ is one of those quiet promptings that I’ve heard a number of times, years ago, and kept looking it up each time. I’m still learning from it.
Two things struck me as significant each time I read it. The first related to the people who consider themselves children of God and who James-3 curse other people. I knew this was happening to me every day. Psalm 50 helped me understand that some of these James-3 cursers actually think God condones their behavior. But the reality is that if they don’t repent before they die, they’ll end up in a place of extreme torment from which no one will be able to deliver them. During the funeral, the pastor will probably say they are in heaven, but in reality, they’re being torn to pieces (v. 22), or something even worse!
I had a prophecy for a pastor who really had an evil part to his heart (many do in this evil age). The word was that the flames would be neck high if he didn’t repent and do what God said.
Psalm 50 is part of the old covenant, where God winked at behavior in comparison to what He holds us accountable for now, because now we know better; we have the Counselor, the Holy Spirit to “lead us into all truth!” Paul said in Acts 17:30:
“And the times of this ignorance (old covenant) God winked at; but now (new covenant) commandeth all men every where to repent.”
Jesus also taught that the new covenant is far stricter than the old saying in the sermons of the mount, Mt. 5:
21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ 28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her…. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
And even though Psalm 50 is old covenant, when God “winked at” sin in comparison to now, people who thought they were covered with the blood were actually headed for eternal torment simply for saying deceitful and slanderous things!
See for yourself:
Psalm 50
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
3 Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him.
4 He calls to the heavens above, to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather my saints together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6 The heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah.
7 “Hear, my people, and I will speak; Israel, and I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
8 I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens.
10 For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High [keeping their end of the covenant].
15 Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” [deliverance to those who honor God]
__________
To the wicked covenant claiming people:
16 But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips, [nowadays, saying, ‘Lord, Lord,’ claiming to be going-to-heaven, washed-by-the-blood Christians]
17 since you hate instruction [aren’t teachable, won’t listen to the truth, to those whom God sent], and throw my words behind you? [ie: “love your neighbor as yourself;” “bless and don’t curse”]
18 When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers. [Jesus calls looking at a woman to lust after her, adultery, in Mt. 5]
19 “You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son.
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent [while we’re on earth]. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes. [standing (in this case, trembling) before God on the day of judgment is when we see Him face to face.]
22 “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be none to deliver. [torment in hell — where it is too late to repent — where there is no way out]
___________
These prepare their way for their salvation:
23 Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”
The second thing that spoke to me back then, when I would hear so subtly, “Psalm 50,” was the sacrifice that God wants from us is thanksgiving—being thankful to Him—Abba Father—dependent upon Him.
When I first became a Christian in the ’70s, I practised what I had read Merlon Carothers teach: thank God for everything.
(To be continued, perhaps, in another post, someday.)
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