seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 50 A psalm of Asaph.
a. Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
b. Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
c. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
d. Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain
To me... this poem says "Why bother?" God says.... "you do a really good job at the sacrifices..... I get plenty of burnt meat.... and great BBQ smells.... but you don't change your ways. Why bother doing the sacrifices if you're not learning what sins to stop?"
Stupid Humans!
This is from Bible-studys.org.
So why bother? If the scripture doesn't mean anything.... why bother? Don't even the stupid humans know that God created us... and He knows what we will choose before we choose it.... He knows how the story ends.... so why bother? What good does it do to show off for fellow stupid humans??? When you think about it... it's just like a stupid sheep just jumping straight up and down for no particular reason.... and the rest of those stupid sheep do the same thing... there's no reason... it's just stupid.
If I'm going to sacrifice time in the Bible... then I'm going to learn something that I can use.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes
and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[a](b)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes
and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[a](b)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.
8 I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
I will testify against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.
8 I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You sit and testify against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,
you thought I was exactly[c] like you.
But I now arraign you
and set my accusations before you.
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You sit and testify against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,
you thought I was exactly[c] like you.
But I now arraign you
and set my accusations before you.
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless[d] I will show my salvation.”
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless[d] I will show my salvation.”
a. Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
b. Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
c. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
d. Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain
To me... this poem says "Why bother?" God says.... "you do a really good job at the sacrifices..... I get plenty of burnt meat.... and great BBQ smells.... but you don't change your ways. Why bother doing the sacrifices if you're not learning what sins to stop?"
Stupid Humans!
This is from Bible-studys.org.
Psalm 50: The psalm is a warning to the pilgrim of Zion to avoid hypocrisy and formalism before God. The setting of the psalm is comparable to a courtroom: God, the Judge, appears in a theophany (verses 1-3), and calls for a hearing (verses 4-6), the heavens and earth being called as witnesses. The accusations are twofold: God’s people must realize that true worship does not consist of mere sacrifice, but of sacrifice offered with thanksgiving and faithfulness (verses 7-15). Second, the wicked are denounced for not keeping God’s law, though they pretend that they do (compare Matt. 7:21-23 for a similar denunciation). In reality, they are those who “forget God” (verse 22), and face certain destruction unless they repent.
This is from enduringword.com.I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings: God did not rebuke His people for offering sacrifices. He commanded them to do that. Yet, He was not interested in receiving more animal offerings (I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats from your folds) apart from their trusting obedience. This was a rebuke of ritualism, of empty repetition of religious ceremonies.
Today.... people do go to church.... here lately.... it's a death defying feat in some circumstances.... some go to prayer services and never make it home again.... but for the majority..... people go to church.... but they do it to be seen..... they do the lessons.... so people will know they did their lessons and think better of them.... they know the key phrases.... and they give out warm wishes and hugs..... they're there every time the doors are open.... poor person "doing so much for the Lord".... when in fact... when they are not in church... they're rude, greedy, mean people who would even kick the family dog rather than feed it.So why bother? If the scripture doesn't mean anything.... why bother? Don't even the stupid humans know that God created us... and He knows what we will choose before we choose it.... He knows how the story ends.... so why bother? What good does it do to show off for fellow stupid humans??? When you think about it... it's just like a stupid sheep just jumping straight up and down for no particular reason.... and the rest of those stupid sheep do the same thing... there's no reason... it's just stupid.
If I'm going to sacrifice time in the Bible... then I'm going to learn something that I can use.