Psalm 50:7-15

7."Hear, O My people, and I will speak ; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God.8."I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9."I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds.
10."For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.
11."I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12."If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.
13."Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats ?
14."Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High ;
15.Call upon Me in the day of trouble ; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."


I read Psalm 41-50 today, the day before Easter. With the approach of both Easter and my theology exam on the doctrines of salvation, I have been thinking a lot about the sacrifice Christ made for us on the Cross. This particular section of Psalm 50 gives voice to God’s thoughts about the animal sacrifices Israel had to offer for their sins. He starts with both a judgment and a reassurance. God says He is going to testify against Israel, but in the same verse (7) He reminds them that He is their own God. In verse 8, God says the sacrifices are continual- which means that Israel’s sins are continual, a great grief to God. In verse 9-10, God reminds the Israelites that although He has commanded blood sacrifice, He has also provided the means of sacrifice for them. Every animal that is sacrificed belongs to God. Verses 12-13 particularly stood out to me because of a question I heard recently. Some people are asking, “Is God bloodthirsty?” (because He required the blood sacrifice of animals and of Jesus). But verses 12-13 seem to be sarcastic in tone- as if God, who is greater than the universe, is thirsty for blood! Instead, God asks for our thanks, our allegiance, and our trust to call upon Him in time of trouble (14-15).
These verses remind me of Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us on the Cross. He is our God, and only He could provide the sacrifice we need to be reconciled to God. Only He could atone for all the sins of the world by His blood. And because of His sacrifice, we can thank Him, give Him our allegiance, and trust Him to rescue us out of our sin. Jesus does deserve all the honour I can give Him.