God the Righteous Judge

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 50

 

Psalm 50:23

“Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”

(NKJV)

 

 

God is a righteous judge who will judge each person, but He judges His people differently than those choosing not to believe in Him. The judgment of those choosing to become a child of God is a judgment of rewards, whereas the judgment of unbelievers is a judgment of rebuke. A wise man will choose the judgment of rewards, and everyone reading this will have an opportunity to become a child of God at the end of this post and avoid the judgment of rebuke.

 

Psalm 50 begins with the psalmist, Asaph, declaring God is the Mighty One, the perfection of beauty shining forth from Zion (Psalm 50:1-2). Asaph continues by declaring God shall come and not keep silent with a devouring fire before Him and tempestuousness all around Him (Psalm 50:3). God shall call to the heavens and the earth from above so that He may judge His people (Psalm 50:4). The call from above is for the saints of God to gather to Him, those that have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice with the heavens declaring His righteousness for God Himself is Judge (Psalm 50:5-6).

 

As the God of Israel, God will testify against His people (Psalm 50:7). God does not intend to rebuke the sacrifices of Israel, which are continually before Him, for God does not need a bull from anyone’s house, or a goat out of their folds (Psalm 50:8-9). All the beasts of the forest, cattle on the hills, birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts are the Lord's, so he could just take one of them (Psalm 50:10-11). If God were hungry, he would simply take an animal he created, raising the question to ponder of whether God needs to eat or drink (Psalm 50:12-13). Instead of sacrifice, God desires His people to offer thanksgiving and to pay their vows to Him (Psalm 50:14). This comes with a promise that those calling upon Him in the day of trouble will experience deliverance and will glorify God (Psalm 50:15).

 

The psalm then addresses the wicked by asking them what right they have to declare His statutes or take His covenant in their mouths, seeing that they hate instruction and cast His words aside (Psalm 50:16-17). The wicked consent with thieves and partake with adulterers with evil and deceit spewing from their mouths (Psalm 50:18-19). The wicked even speak against their own brothers, their mother’s own son (Psalm 50:20). The wicked have done these things and God has kept silent with the wicked thinking God is like them, but God will rebuke them and set them in order before the eyes of His people (Psalm 50:21). God then issues a warning to the wicked who have forgotten God to consider their ways lest He tear them to pieces with His rebuke and there is no one to deliver them (Psalm 50:22). God promises to show the salvation of God to those who glorify Him and order their conduct according to his Word (Psalm 50:23).

 

God is the righteous judge with everyone subjected to His judgment, but God judges His people and the wicked differently.

 

• God’s people (Psalm 50:7-15) – This is not a judgment of rebuke but one to correct His people. (Psalm 50:8). In the Old Testament, God’s people would offer animal sacrifices for their sins, which did not actually provide atonement for sins but pointed to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to once and for all forgive sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:4). Instead of animal sacrifices, God asks His people to be thankful to God and to fulfill their vows to Him, promising to deliver them when they call upon Him when in trouble (Psalm 50:14-15).
• The wicked (Psalm 50:16-23) – This is a judgment bringing rebuke upon those who have forgotten God, and who do not live in obedience to the word of God (Psalm 50:16-21). It comes with a warning to offer praise to God and live obediently to His word so God will show them His salvation (Psalm 50:22-23).

 

In the New Testament, this difference in judgment comes with two judgments by God.

 

• The Bema seat judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10) – 2 Corinthians 5:10 says that all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Since Paul is speaking to believers, this is a judgment reserved for those who believe in Christ. It is not a judgment of sin because a believer’s sin was atoned for on the cross (Hebrews 10:4). This is a post-rapture judgment where God judges believers and rewards them for the things they did when on the earth in service to God.
• The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) – This is a judgment reserved for unbelievers and is a final judgment of sin. Psalm 50:22-23 issues a warning to anyone who has forgotten God: seek salvation before it is too late, or be torn to pieces by God's rebuke, with no one to deliver them.

 

There are different judgments by God, a judgment giving rewards to those who become children of God, and rebuke for those choosing not to become children of God. The stakes are high with the consequences of not choosing to become a child of God, suffering His rebuke, and not receiving His reward. If you are reading this and have never experienced the Salvation of God by professing a heartfelt belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 10:9-10), I urge you to do so now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

 If you just prayed, rest assured that God has totally forgiven you and that you are a child of God (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 1:12). Find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.