Unit 3: Worship In The Psalms
Lesson 11
Topic: Praise Almighty God
Memory Verse: Psalm 147:1.
Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (KJV).
Central Truth
Sing praises to God for His matchless greatness.
The Lesson Outline
1. Hear and Obey the Flawless Judge
A. Summons to Appear
Psalm 50:1-6
B. The Wicked Rebuked
Psalm 50:16-23
2. Entreat the Self-Sufficient One
A. Listen to God's Message
Psalm 50:7-8
B. What God Wants from His People
Psalm 50:9-15
3. Sing Praises to the Lord
A. God Deserves Our Praise
Psalm 147:1-6
B. Sing Praise to Him
Psalm 147:7-11
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Avow and worship God for His justness and self-sufficiency.
2. Acknowledge God's sovereignty in summoning us to give an account at any time.
3. Purpose to develop a relationship with God of love and passion rather than ritual.
Introducing the Lesson
Worship is a vital part of every believer's life and an integral part of the church. We do not have animal sacrifices today. Nevertheless, worship can take many forms such as singing, giving in the offering, serving, etc. How We worship and what our heart condition is are key. A regular examination in this area of our spiritual life is wise. How do we keep worship passionate instead of just something to check of our "to do" list? Psalm 50 is a musical story about God issuing a court summons to all people. He calls both heaven and Earth as witnesses. No one is exempt from the summons to appear. In the song, God himself addresses all those claiming to be followers of Jehovah as well as those who reject Him.The Holy Scriptures
Psalm 50:1,3-6; 16,17; 21-23.1. The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
3. Our God shall come, and shall not keep. silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
5. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
6. And the heavens shall deciare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
16. But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17. Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.
21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
22. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will l shew the salvation of God.
Psalm 50: 9. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
10. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
12. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
Psalm 147:1. Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it i pieasant; and praise is comely.
3. He healeth the broken in héart,; and bindeth up their wounds.
5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understarnding is infinite.
6. The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.
11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
Commentary and Application
1. Hear and Obey the Flawless JudgeA. Summons to Appear - Psalm 50:1-6.
Psalm 50 is one of twelve songs credited to Asaph. The ancient use a legal proceeding to denote the seriousness of a matter is used here. The call (summons) has been sent out and the stage is set. God is introduced into the courtroom with fire and tempests. He is coming to judge. His power and might are shown in His manner of arrival.
Those who claim to be in covenant agreement by sacrifice are called first. He informs them that the sacrifices are not because He needs to be fed, entertained, or pacified. The gods of the ancient world required those kinds of sacrifices but not the living God. We will discuss His declaration to this group in the next part of our lesson.
Questions for Application
Why do people need judges?
Based on this Scripture, compare and contrast God's "court" with the courts of the world.
B. The Wicked Rebuked - Psalm 50:16-23.
Now, we move on to another group addressed in the courtroom of Psalm 50-the wicked, or those who reject God's laws and covenant.
These could actually be churchgoers and people who claim to be God-fearing. However, their lives in no way resemble God's love or His heart. Instead they are described as follows.They:
1. quote Scripture, but do not live it (verse 16).
2. hate God's instructions, refusing to listen (verse 17).
3. see wrong behaviour and don't just tolerate it but join in (verse 18).
4. refuse to control their tongues using them to cause harm to even their close relatives (verses 19-20).
Jesus talks about these kinds of people in Matthew 7:21-23. They will come saying, "Lord, Lord." But Jesus will declare He never knew them. Growing cold or ineffective spiritually is easier than we like to admit. For example, how often does praying before food turn into a rote recitation of mindless words? It becomes a ritual How often has the Holy Spirit gently asked you to speak to or pray for someone and you have ignored His voice? How about the time you continued in negative conversation about someone even after being given a warning signal from the Holy Spirit? All of us can attest to a segment of stagnated spiritual growth in an area where we have dug in our heels and refused to listen or discipline ourselves in order to grow. It takes vigilance to maintain a relationship of any kind. Why is it we act like our relationship with God will happen without any effort from us?
God's rebuke is that His people have lost sight of the relationship that gives flesh and blood to the covenant agreement they made with Him. They, and we, lose sight of the fact redemption costs a life, God doesn't need the sacrifice, We do. God doesn't need church. We do. God doesn't need prayer. We do. When we worship as if we are giving God something He needs, we are performing rituals. When we worship God knowing we need this relationship in order to have salvation, real peace and true joy, then we have it right.
God lowers the gavel but, instead of passing judgement, He sends a severe warning: Remember God and His ways or He will tear you to pieces with no one to Rescue you (Psalm 50:22)! Change while you can. The key to God's heart and a good relationship is to offer a sacrifice of praise (verse 23). This is the remedy for ritualism and the bridge to a great relationship with Almighty God.
Questions for Application
Like little children, how do we sometimes mistake God's longsuffering and patience for approval or weakness?How does our behaviour resemble that of the wicked addressed in this passage?
2. Entreat the Self-Sufficient One
A. Listen to God's Message - Psalm 50:7-8.
God opens this part of the courtroom scene addressing His people with a command to listen (Psalm 50:7). If they will not examine their own behaviour then He will. They represent Him to the surrounding nations. They carry His name. We can see this same rationale in our culture today when people are fired from jobs because their behaviour did not align with the image of the of the company. In like manner, we represent God to our world. Our lives should reflect His character. The famous Olympic gold medalist runner Eric Liddell put it this way, "We are all missionaries.
Wherever we go, we either bring people nearer to Christ, or we repel them from Christ."
God reminds His people that their covenant agreement of sacrifice was with Him. His silence was not commendation. It was, and still is, the gift of allowing free will to choose righteousness. He calls them to account for the vow they made to honour and obey. The felony charge against them is one of keeping the letter of the Law but ignoring the Lawgiver.
The same can be said of any of us when we go through the motions of worship or "church" without ever engaging our minds or hearts. In other words, we leave a church service, Our time of prayer, or Bible reading with no imprint from our Maker. We never actually "connect."
Questions for Application
What ways does God use today to call for His people to listen to what He is saying to them?
What charges do you think God would and would not bring against His people if He addressee them as He addresses Israel in thi is passage?
B. What God Wants from His People - Psalm 50:9-15.
The sacrifice was a symbol of Israel's covenant agreement. A wedding ring is a symbol of a covenant agreement between husband and wife; yet, many wear the ring while living outside the trust the ring conveys. lsrael was unfaithful to the covenant God had made with them. The sacrifice was to be given with the mindset that "due to my sin, it should have been me." God reveals His knowledge of their heart condition. They offered the sacrifices out of ritual rather than out of worship for deliverance from sin. The same would hold true for anyone wearing a wedding band but living as if it held no meaning.
The gavel comes down. God decrees their sacrifices are worthless unless given from a heart of thanksgiving (Psalm 50:14). King David knew this truth concerning covenant agreements with God. He said in 2 Samuel 24:24 that he would not offer a sacrifice that cost him nothing. Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of "cheap grace" in The Cost of Discipleship. To treat our relationship with God as valueless is an affront to God, who created us in His image and made a way for us to escape eternal damnation.
The good news is that even though God's love requires justice, He is also our Deliverer (Psalm 50:15)! The sacrifice in covenant means God sees us through the sacrifice and we are judged based on His (Christ's) righteousness. The price for sin must be paid. God himself is willing to pay the price, but we at least must acknowledge the cost and accept the gift. It is wrong to take that sacrifice for granted. How can we share this exciting news with others if we neglect or deny it?
Questions for Application
God needs nothing but what does He want?
Name some traditions and rituals of the church. How are these different from doctrines of the church?
What items would be on your self-check list or test to assess your spiritual walk and talk?
3. Sing Praises to the Lord
A. God Deserves Our Praise - Psalm 147:1-6.
If you have been around a toddler any length of time you probably discovered their propersity to ask the "why?" question repeatedly! So often we behave like toddlers with God. We insist on knowing the why before we listen and obey.
God often starts with the why because He wants us to know the reasons He asks us to trust and obey. Why should we sing, praise, and give thanks? Because it is we who benefit. It is we who get blessed, and we grow spiritually. Why is that? Unless we are focused on Him, we tend to get very myopic in our thinking and perspective. But when we turn our focus to God and the heavens our situation and events on the Earth slide into properperspective. The God who builds up Jerusalem - gathers exiles back home, heals the brokenhearted, and binds their wounds - is the same God who numbers the stars and calls them by name! He loves us so much that He yave His Son to die for us. This is why we sing praises to Him!
Questions for Application
What reasons can you think of that you would want to sing praises to the Lord?
How does praising God person who is doing the praising?
B. Sing Praise to Him - Psalm 147:7-11.
The God who manages galaxies and calls stars by name amazingly turns to the details of our lives. His understanding and attention to detal reaches to every hair counted on our heads (Luke 12:7). The cry of every human being is to be understood.
God understands us and still loves us immensely. Scripture is constantly telling us this truth, yet many still see God as the "sheriff of the skies" just waiting to call us out and punish us. Some even see God as aloof and out of reach. John 4:23 tells us that God Is actively seeking people who Worship Him "in spirit and in truth." God wants a relationship with us. He loves us enough to send His only Son to bridge the gap caused by sin.
Our praises and offerings of thanksgiving can hold tremendous power. Paul and Silas demonstrated this truth in Acts 16:16-34. They prayed and sang from the inner dungeon of a Philippian jail. God moved, not just to rescue them, but to bring others to Him. We see this truth also in 2 Chronicles 20:20-27 when King Jehoshaphat sent singers to lead the battle. The mystery of praise exceeds the abilities of the logical mind. Therefore, we must trust and obey when it comes to giving sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.
This psalm was most likely written as p part of the dedication of the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah. These exiled people of God were learning to renew and restore their faith. Wherever you are right now, you can do the same. Start praising and giving thanks. It may be difficult. That is why it is called a sacrifice. But just do it! You will be blessed and benefit.
Name at least three things you can do that you know bring joy to the heart of God?
How can we unleash the power of praise and thanksgiving on the Earth, especially in regard to fighting spiritual battles?
Call to Discipleship
In both the Old and New Testaments God used stories, drama, miracles, parables, poetry, song and all manner of communication in order for us to realise how much He cares and understands. In Psalm 50, God used a courtroom to tell His people to repent and act righteously. In Psalm 147, He used the rising and setting of the sun, the daily tides, the stars twinkling above all to speak of His love and concern. Are we willing to hear His call for deliverance and share that call with those around us? The days of warning will come to an end. The day of summoning will arrive. Will you be ready? Wi lyou have a host of friends and relatives ready with you? In the meantime, will you praise the Lord for all the benefits and blessings we receive when we live a life of gratitude?
Ministry in Action
Identify and correct any spiritual patterns of worship that are ritualistic rather than passionate and relational.
Develop a strategy for excelling as a person with an attitude of gratitude.
Offer to pray with and fora person who is negative, experiencing pain, suffering, or brokenness.
0 Comments
What's your comment on this?