The mighty God, even the LORD, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined. Whoso offers praise glorifies Me: and to him that orders his conversation rightly will I show the salvation of God.
Psalm 50:1-2, 23
Between verse 2 and verse 23 God talks about the sacrifice that He doesn’t need or desire and the judgment that all must face. He talks about what He takes pleasure in and the fact that He is the owner of all things. In verses 1 and 2 the Psalmist recognizes the power, authority and majesty of God. He calls Him the mighty God. There is no other God but God. Literally he is saying, El Elohim Jehovah or God, God, God has spoken. When you see a statement in three’s there is to be great emphasis put on that statement for that is what the writer is doing.
Some say that God doesn’t speak to us anymore but He has spoken and is speaking and what He is saying to us is found in the Bible. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us, “God, who at different times and in diverse ways spoke in time past unto the ancients by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.”
There is going to be a day when God will call the living and the dead before Him unto judgment. John saw that day while in the Spirit on the isle of Patmos. He wrote what he saw: “I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.” (Revelation 20:11-13) Until that day what are we to be doing?
It is not the sacrifice of animals that God desires. To those who have been washed in the sacrificial blood of His only begotten Son will He give everlasting salvation. It is the sacrifice of praise from those with a pure heart, pure speech and clean hands that He delights in. Only the blood washed have a pure heart. Only those who order their speech rightly can offer the sacrifice of praise to God. Only those who have done righteously have clean hands. It is to such people that God delights in—I sure hope that is you and me. Let this be our prayer: “Create in me a pure heart O Lord and renew in me the right Spirit. Let my life and my praise be pleasing to You O Lord. Amen”
