Hypocritical Worship
God always evaluates those that seek to worship Him (50:6). His desire is whole-hearted worship that offers up a sacrifice of praise (50:14,50). In the latter half of Psalm 50, God rebukes hypocritical worshippers.
First of all, they quote His word and yet do not obey it. They know the Scriptures and perform the right religious rituals and activity (50:8). They are speakers of the truth, but they are doers of iniquity (50:16). Second, they reject the instruction of God’s word and do not submit to its authority over their lives (50:17). Because of their rejection of the truth, they live by their own standard and soon are just like the world around them (50:18). They are comfortable around sinners because their hearts love the things the ungodly love. Third, they reveal their hearts as they weave deceit around them (50:19). They speak evil of others, even their own family (50:20). Because they hate God’s discipline, they live an uncontrolled life (Ps 50:17, James 3:6).
God responds to their behaviour with a stinging rebuke in 50:21, “You thought that I was just like you.” They convinced themselves that God wasn’t angry because He had not confronted their sin. They confused God’s patience with permission (50:21). God says that He will bring all of their sin to light, and they will see it as He sees it in all its wickedness (50:21).
God calls these hypocritical worshippers to repentance (50:22-23). They had forgotten God, by not giving Him the honour that He deserves. (50:22). God says there is a coming judgement that they cannot escape (50:22). Brethren, honouring God from a heart of faith is the answer for wrong worship (50:23). The person that is saved by grace through faith in Christ will live a life characterised by obedience.
