If you are too busy or disinterested to read the Bible on a daily basis, you may wonder why so many people do. Perhaps it has to do with the way themes in the Bible continue to resonate today. Nowhere is this more true than in the Psalms, those poetic prayers set to music by many faith traditions.
A dramatic image from the Lutheran Church of Denmark Cathedral or Domkirke in Roskilde, where the psalms are regularly sung ~ æssmith photo
Psalm 50 can literally set my hair on end. It seems to reflect the state of the world today as it so often shows up in headlines and news stories. Too many people seem full of hate and greed. When they include those who claim to believe in God and follow his teaching, it is easy to lose heart altogether.
Consider those people who identify themselves as Christians and yet
- amass great personal wealth for their own use,
- pass laws that favour the rich over the poor,
- turn a blind eye to the moral failings of the powerful,
- support political leaders who speak the language of lies and hatred, and
- exploit the natural world for profit and deny the grave dangers of climate change.
Times become dangerous when people believe they can escape the consequences of their actions. The lesson of both history and the psalms is that this belief is an illusion. As Psalm 50 says, “God is judge himself.” Here is how it expresses the word of God for those who claim belief in him, yet act to undermine his creation and subvert his teaching:
To the wicked God says,
“What right have you to preach my laws,
or speak my covenant?
You hate my teaching,
and you trample my words in the dust.
You join with thieves and encourage them;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
You give your mouth free reign for evil,
and give your tongue to lies.
You speak against others different than you;
you slander them without ceasing.
You do these things
and take my silence for approval,
but I will rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.
Consider my words now,
you who disregard God,
before I tear you in pieces,
and there is no one to deliver you.”
Psalm 50 is more than a warning to those who oppose God by their words and actions. It reminds us that nothing is too small to escape his notice, and he is the source of all that is good. It is also not the only psalm that warns of the reckoning that sooner or later comes to the wicked.
Headlines never tell the whole story. In dark and dangerous times, servants of God everywhere work to oppose evil in all its forms, both blatant and obscure. As God also reminds us in Psalm 50, “To those who live in the right way, I will show the salvation of God.”
Note to reader:
Psalm 50 as I have expressed it in this post is an amalgamation of four different versions, drawing on my own vocabulary. I used the versions from
- The Book of Common Prayer, 1962, Canada
- The New Revised Standard Version Bible,
- The New International Version Bible, and
- The King James Version Bible.
If you don’t have these versions in your home library, you can easily check them out on my favourite quick reference Bible site.
Also, here is the link for the Roskilde Domkirke, the source of the image for this post.