Psalms 50:7-15 - Exposition

"The continuance of this dramatic scene," as Professor Cheyne remarks, "scarcely answers to the commencement. The judgment seems to be adjourned, or to be left to the conscience of the defendants.'' The faithful are summoned, and appear, but not to receive unqualified commendation (see Matthew 25:31-40 ). Rather they receive a warning. The strong and prolonged depreciation of sacrifice ( Psalms 50:8-13 ) necessarily implies that in the religion of the time too much stress was laid upon it. We know that, in the heathen world, men sought to buy God's favour by their sacrifices, some] believing that, physically, the gods were nourished by the steam of the victims, others regarding them as laid under obligations which they could not disregard. We know, too, that, in the later monarchy, sacrifice to so great an extent superseded true spiritual worship among the Israelites themselves, that it became an offence to God, and was spoken of in terms of reprobation ( Isaiah 1:11-13 ; Isaiah 66:3 ). Already, it would seem, this tendency was manifesting itself, and a warning from Heaven was needed against it .