Psalm 50

“Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:22-23 (NKJV)

The cultural era in which we live rejects established institutions and moral absolutes. If it has a place for ‘god,’ it is not the God of the Bible. The god this generation establishes is a god of love without judgment. This being the case, many so-called “believers” are rejecting the notion of a literal hell, a real place where real people who do not receive the real gospel will really go.   To them, Jesus is the ultimate pacifist. Perhaps they simply ignore that Scripture says He made a whip and drove buyers and sellers from the Temple complex!

Today’s passage focuses on the Messiah and reminds us of a God of judgment and grace with limits. He says, “Consider, lest I tear you to pieces.”  God communicates His desire to commune with His people while at the same time declaring a certain judgment if they do not repent. This is the same picture we get of Messiah Jesus from the gospels.

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all His angels are with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. The people of every nation will be gathered in front of Him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on His right but the goats on His left.” Matthew 25:31-33 (NKJV)

So, we have a picture of a God who will judge unrepentant sinners righteously yet will show salvation to those who “order their conduct” (repent). Notice this same message being preached by John the Baptist before Jesus’ public ministry began.

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:7-12 (NKJV)

But shortly, Jesus would arrive, whose Hebrew Name, “Yeshua” means “Salvation.”

“‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:20b-21 (NKJV)