Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Mount Sinai in Exodus, he now shines from Mount Zion, the place of heart-felt worship and the covenant of grace that will affect the whole world. Fire and violent storms represent the judgment he is about to render. God allows mankind to be tested with fiery trials and the storms of life to see if our worship and our values will endure. “ Heaven and earth will be his witnesses as he judges his people: ‘Bring my faithful people to me– those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.’ Then let the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself will be the judge. Interlude” (4-6) The whole earth has been called to witness God’s justice and now the angels are included in the heavenly courtroom. Surprisingly it is God’s own people that are summoned to stand before him: “ For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God’s own children.”(1 Pet. 4:17) In the Old Testament, it was the worshipers sacrifice that opened his relationship to God. In the New Testa- ment it is reversed; only those who have accepted the sacrificial offering of His Son are counted as a part of his covenant. This first section is such an awesome summons that Asaph inserts an ‘Interlude’, a court recess to allow reflection and refreshing before continuing on with God’s judgments. “ O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly bring to my altar. But I want no more bulls from your barns; I want no more goats from your pens. For all the animals of the for- est are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. Every bird of the mountains and all the animals of the field belong to me. If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you, for all the world is mine and every- thing in it. I don’t need the bulls you sacrifice; I don’t’ need the blood of goats.” (7-13) The direct prophecy by God begins as Asaph plays his cymbals and sings. God has no complaint that his people offer the prescribed animals on the altar but he is rejecting formalism, ritual and cere- mony without the heart being engaged. Every church tradition and denomination has its own ceremony and ritual in its worship although some are more rigid than others. It’s unavoidable to be repetitive in some way but there is always a danger of fulfilling the motions of worship without the spirit, heart and soul being involved. God mentions the domestic bulls, goats and cattle, the prescribed sacrificial animals as well as the wild animals of the forest, the birds and the animals in the field. He owns them all and has no need of them. He is hungry for one thing; the true heart of worship from his people. It is possible to fulfill the out- ward requirements of worship and yet be far from loving God. The most dramatic example of this is when the accusers of Jesus kept the ceremonial law that masked their murderous hearts: “ Then he (Jesus) was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go in themselves be- cause it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover feast.”(Jn. 18:28) They were about to kill Jesus and then offer their sacrificial Passover lambs to God. II THE SACRIFICES REJECTED - 7-15

“ What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High. Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (14,15)

There are three essential ingredients to sincere worship presented here: • Thankfulness is the sweetest part of praise and causes a beautiful fragrance to come before God. “ No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18) • Honesty is a vital part of worship and it is expressed by keeping your promises (vows) to God. • Trusting him in times of trouble causes us to be attractive to the Lord. Nothing causes us to glo- rify him more than when he answers the desperate prayers of his people!

III THE SINS EXPOSED - 16-23

“ But God says to the wicked: ‘Recite my laws no longer, and don’t pretend that you obey me. For you refuse my discipline and treat my laws like trash.” (16-17)

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