Psalms 50:1

Psalms 50:1 says, This is not identified as a psalm of David, but of Asaph, who Matthew Henry says was the chief musician, then verse one says, The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.  Asaph said that the mighty God, the LORD, had spoken.  God has always spoken to His people, but too often they have not listened.  If we can truly comprehend how mighty God is, then we should never fail to listen to Him as Christians.  Verse two adds, Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.  Out of Zion, the mountain of God, His beauty shined forth in the world.  Out of faith in Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, God's beauty shines forth today.  Verse three declares, Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.  The people of Israel who had become hypocritical were warned that God's judgment was coming like a fire to destroy all who did not put their faith in Him.  One day, all those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will be sent away into the everlasting fires of hell.  Verse four adds, He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. The people of Israel were told that God would call to earth from heaven above to judge His people.  One day, God is going to judge all people, and the only way to forgiveness is through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse five states, Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.  God called on the saints, those who had entered into a covenant relationship with Him and had tried to live true to it, to be gathered together.  We as Christians gather together today to worship and praise God, and we need to make sure that we do so in accordance with His guidance.  What we sacrifice to God is our self will.  Verse six adds, And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.  We are told that the heavens will declare the righteousness of God, and that God is the judge of Himself.  No one is qualified to judge God but God Himself.   Verse seven declares, Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.  The people of Israel were called on to hear God, Who they called their God, and were told that He would judge them.  As Christians, we must be true to our faith in God, but He is ultimately the One Who will judge whether we have been or not.  Verse eight adds, I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.  God's judgment of the people of Israel as having broken their covenant with Him was not in their not offering sacrifices, but in their attitude behind doing so.  We may go through all the motions to show ourselves to be Christians, but if we do not truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, it will do us no good.  Verse nine continues, I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.  God said He had no need for their cattle or goats.  They all belonged to Him anyway.   There is nothing that we can offer God that is not already His, except for ourselves.  Though we may be His by creation, He gives us the choice of whether or not to be His spiritually.  Verse ten says, For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.  As just stated, since everything belongs to God already, He really needs nothing from us.  Sacrifices and offerings were just signs of obedience to Him.  Verse eleven adds, I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. God knows that it is all His, and so should we.