RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 50
LESSON #08/P2
GOD’S JUDGMENT OF THE JEWS

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 50:7

• THE SUB-TITLE:
• "A PSALM OF ASAPH"
• ASAPH WAS ONE OF THREE SONG LEADERS IN THE TEMPLE IN THE TIME WHEN DAVID WAS KING. THE OTHER TWO SONG LEADERS WERE HEMAN AND ETHAN.
• THIS PSALM WAS WRITTEN BY ASAPH.
• THE NAME, ASAPH, MEANS = COLLECTOR. OR GATHERER.

• THE PRINCIPAL AND PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
• THIS PSALM IS A PROPHETIC PSALM ABOUT JUDGMENT.
• IN THE SEQUENCE OF PSALMS 45, 46, 47, 48, AND 49, WE HAVE SEEN THE CHRONOLOGY OF FUTURE TIME EVENTS:
• THE COMING OF CHRIST TO THE EARTH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
• THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM ON EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS.
• THE FINAL BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG AT THE END OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM PERIOD.
• PSALMS 50 IS THE FINAL JUDGMENT.
• READ PSA 50:1-7
• THE GATHERING FOR JUDGMENT:
• GOD CALLS ALL MANKIND FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST TO STAND BEFORE HIM IN JUDGMENT. (1)
• THE JUDGE:
• HE IS THE PERFECTION OF BEAUTY AND HOLINESS. HE COMES TO JUDGE IN SHINING GLORY. (2)
• GOD HAS WAITED A LONG TIME BEFORE BRINGING JUDGMENT ON MAN.
• BECAUSE OF HIS LONGSUFFERING MERCY, GOD HAS BEEN SILENT REGARDING MANS SINS. HOWEVER, ONE FUTURE DAY, GOD WILL WAIT NO LONGER. HE WILL COME IN ANGER AND WRATH TO JUDGE MAN’S SINS. (3)
• THE GATHERING OF GOD’S PEOPLE:
• GOD SEPARATES OUT THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GOD AND BY FAITH TRUSTED IN THE MESSIAH, FROM THOSE WHO DO NOT.
• WHO ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH GOD BY SACRIFICE? (5)
• THESE ARE THE JEWS, GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE, WITH WHOM GOD MADE THE COVENANT OF LAW WITH MOSES. THAT COVENANT INCLUDED VARIOUS ANIMAL SACRIFICES ON A DAILY BASIS.
• HOW DO WE KNOW THIS VERSE DOES NOT REFER TO BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST WHO TRUST IN CHRIST’S SACRIFICE?
• VERSE 7 TELLS US THAT THESE ARE FROM ISRAEL.
• "SELAH" (6)
• "AND THE HEAVENS SHALL DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. FOR GOD IS JUDGE HIMSELF."
• READ JOH 5:22-30
• JESUS SPOKE ABOUT THE FINAL JUDGMENT THAT IS RELATED IN THIS PSALM.
• THE MARVELOUS WISDOM IN PSA 50:6 THAT WE SHOULD MEDITATE ON IS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE JUDGE.
• THE AWESOME THING ABOUT CHRIST JUDGING THE JEWS IS THAT THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS SENT BY GOD. THEY DID NOT ACCEPT THEIR MESSIAH. NOW THAT MESSIAH WILL JUDGE THEM FOR THEIR REJECTION.
• THE SCENE IS A COURTROOM:
• THERE IS A JUDGE, JESUS CHRIST. (4)
• THERE ARE CHARGES MADE, AND THERE IS TESTIMONY TO SUPPORT THOSE CHARGES. (7)
• THERE IS A DEFENDANT, GOD’S PEOPLE, THE JEWS. (7)

• READ PSA 50:8-15 THE FIRST CHARGE AGAINST THE JEWS:
• CHARGE #1 = FORMALISM IN WORSHIP:
• THE DEFINITION OF FORMALISM = STRICT ADHERENCE TO OR OBSERVANCE OF PRESCRIBED OR TRADITIONAL FORMS.
• GOD GAVE THEM THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW OF MOSES THAT SPECIFIED DAILY ANIMAL SACRIFICE.
• GOD TELLS HIS PEOPLE THAT THEY ABIDED BY WHAT HE TOLD THEM TO DO. THEREFORE, HIS CHARGE AGAINST THEM IS NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE OBEDIENT TO THE LAW. (8)
• GOD TELLS HIS PEOPLE THAT THEY DID NOT OFFER HIM ANYTHING THAT DID NOT ALREADY BELONG TO GOD. (9-10)
• ALL THE ANIMALS THEY OFFERED IN BURNT OFFERINGS ALREADY BELONGED TO GOD BECAUSE HE CREATED THEM.
• READ JER 7:22-23
• READ MIC 6:6-8
• ALL THE MEAL OFFERINGS OF WINE, OIL, AND FLOUR ALREADY BELONGED TO GOD BECAUSE HE CREATED ALL THE PLANTS. (12).
• EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD BELONGS TO GOD. THERE IS NOTHING MAN HAS THAT HE CAN GIVE TO GOD EXCEPT ONE THING:
• HIS FREE WILL LOVE AND APPRECIATION WHICH RESULTS IN A HEART OF OBEDIENCE. (14)
• WHEN MAN GIVES GOD HIS HEART OF LOVE, HIS PRESENCE IS THERE TO HELP WHEN MAN HAS PROBLEMS. (15)
• IT IS THROUGH THIS TRUST RELATIONSHIP THAT BRINGS GLORY TO GOD.

• READ PSA 50:16-20 THE SECOND CHARGE AGAINST THE JEWS
• CHARGE #2 = HYPOCRISY
• THE NON-BELIEVING JEWS GAVE LIP SERVICE TO GOD’S LAW AND COVENANT, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. (16)
• THE NON-BELIEVING JEWS WORSHIPPED WITH THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN GOD, BUT THEY HATED GOD’S INSTRUCTION. (17)
• READ ROM 3:1-4, 9-12
• INSTEAD, THEY PARTICIPATED IN ALL MANNER OF SINS:
• ROBBERY AND ADULTERY (18)
• EVIL AND DECEITFUL SPEECH (19)
• GOSSIP AND SLANDER (20)

• READ PSA 50:21-23 GOD’S JUDGMENT ON THE WICKED NON-BELIEVERS
• GOD SAYS THAT ONE DAY HE WILL JUDGE THE WICKED, NOT JUST THE NON-BELIEVING JEWS, BUT ALL NON-BELIEVERS. HE HAS KEPT SILENT LONG ENOUGH. (21)
• THAT FINAL JUDGMENT OF ALL NON-BELIEVING JEWS AND NON-BELIEVING GENTILES OCCURS AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT.
• READ REV 20:11-15
• THE FINAL CRITERIA FOR THIS JUDGMENT IS WHETHER OR NOT A PERSON’S NAME APPEARS IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE.
• THOSE WHO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST IN THEIR HEARTS HAVE THEIR NAMES WRITTEN IN THAT BOOK OF LIFE.
• ALL OTHERS, WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE, WHO HAVE EITHER IGNORED OR REJECTED CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH HAVE NO PART IN THE BOOK OF LIFE. AS A RESULT THEY DO NOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
• NOTICE THAT VERSE 23 MENTIONS THOSE THAT ARE SAVED TO ETERNAL LIFE.
• THOSE WHO OFFER TRUE PRAISE TO GOD, BECAUSE THEY KNOW HIM PERSONALLY FOR WHO HE IS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR, THEY HAVE SALVATION.
• THOSE WHO "ORDERETH THEIR CONVERSATION ARIGHT" HAVE SALVATION.
• THE INDICATION IS NOT JUST THE WORDS YOU SAY HYPOCRITICALLY WITH YOUR MOUTH AS THOSE IN VERSE 16, BUT TRUE WORDS THAT COME FROM A HEART FILLED WITH LOVE FOR GOD THAT SHAPE YOUR WHOLE LIFESTYLE.

• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• WE HAVE LEARNED THAT GOD DOES NOT WANT FORMALISTIC WORSHIP OR HYPOCRITICAL WORSHIP. HE WANTS TRUE WORSHIP FROM THE HEART.
• READ JOH 4:23-24
• DISCISSION: WHAT DO YOU THINK GOD LOOKS FOR IN WORSHIP?

• APPLICATION OF PSA 50
• CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS OF WORSHIP:
• VERBAL PRAISE
• A LOVING HEART
• AN OBEDIENT LIFESTYLE
• HOW WELL DO YOU DEMONSTRATE YOUR LOVE FOR CHRIST IN EACH OF THESE THREE AREAS? EXPLAIN.

• PREPARATION FOR PSA 51
• READ PSA 51:1-19
• READ 2SAM 11:2-27 AND 2SAM 12:1-14 FOR BACKGROUND.
• THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT WORDS WE USE INTERCHANGEABLY FOR SIN IN THIS CHAPTER. WHAT ARE THEY? (5 DIFFERENT WORDS IN THE KING JAMES VERSION).

• WHAT DO YOU THINK PSA 52:5 MEANS?

• WHAT KIND OF SACRIFICE DOES THIS CHAPTER TELL US THAT GOD DESIRES?

• WHY DO YOU THINK THE BIBLE CALLS DAVID A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART? (ACT 13:22)

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 51:17