Considering Christ » fear

Sobering Psalm 50

Eric Holter — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:31:21 +0000

50:1 The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.

3 Our God comes; he does not keep silence;
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty tempest.
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge! Selah

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!” (ESV)

', 'Psalm 50', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Psalm+50');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Psalm+50" >Psalm 50 is a sobering Psalm. Right off the bat it positions the Lord as judge over all the earth. In the first 15 verses God summons his people and delivers a surprising rebuke. They had been offering sacrifices rightly enough, according to God’s own statues. So his rebuke is not so much for that. Yet in another sense it was–for even when sacrificing properly, they were not honoring God. He reminded them that he owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. Therefore, they couldn’t give to God anything that He did not already own. And in receiving these sacrifices, which were already his, he does not receive them as though he needed them–he wasn’t hungry for meat and blood.

God didn’t exactly rebuke them for making sacrifices since offerings were being made according to his own word. But they needed to remember that it was not their cattle God was after in establishing a sacrificial system, but their hearts. We can’t offer sacrifices to God with the mind-set of delivering God his due. No. We make sacrifices as an expression of what God already has, and what in his gracious provision he has provided to us. Which should set our hearts seeking the Lord for even more. The result of a proper sacrifice is not the fulfillment of a requirement, but establishing a pattern of asking–and then asking for more and more–through which God will abundantly supply, demonstrating his power and being glorified by meeting all our needs.

But that’s not what I find so sobering and shocking in this Psalm. It’s the rest of the passage that cuts me to the heart. The rebuke directed at his own people was serious, and convicting. But look what he says to those who are not his people (and I must remember that without the glorious grace of adoption this is where I was, and would still stand).

“But to the wicked God says:
‘What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you…’”

16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you. (ESV)
', 'Psalm 50:16-17', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Psalm+50%3A16-17');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Psalm+50%3A16-17" >Psalm 50:16-17

“What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?” Wow. God isn’t correcting the wicked; he isn’t graciously pointing out a failure in attitude or orientation. He isn’t patiently examining and adjusting their hearts. No. He casts them out utterly. He is not debating the proper approach toward sacrificing; he’s asking what right they have to even open their mouths. Because the wicked cast God’s words behind them, God refuses to even enter into conversation with them. His stand is simple–repent you wicked ones “lest I tear you apart.”

As one who stood outside the people of God, one who did indeed cast the words of God behind me, I stood with these condemning words on my head. Before God in his mercy plucked me from the edge of destruction I arrogantly took God’s statutes on my lips to degrade them, to heap contempt on them, to despise them. I shouldn’t have even had them on my lips, but I dared not only to take them up but to ridicule them.

So what possible reason then could I have to expect mercy? I wasn’t trying to obey God’s statutes. The people of God may need rebuke for improper practices and need adjustment in their heart’s orientation toward God’s grace, but I wasn’t even in the game. I stood outside uninterested, scoffing, and despising the word of God.

There’s more. As I stood scoffing, disparaging and disrespecting God’s word, even then when I considered the possibility of the existence of a God, of eternal life, and judgment–I did not fear. I arrogantly and presumptuously assumed that God was “one like myself” (

21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. (ESV)

', 'Ps. 50:21', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ps.+50%3A21');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ps.+50%3A21" >Ps. 50:21). I believed that if God existed at all that he would certainly accept me, that he would understand my failures, recognize my goodness and welcome me.

How deceived and dangerously ignorant I was. How horrifying it would have been to be expecting an understanding side-hug from God as he welcomed me into eternal life and instead to hear him roar, “Who are you? and what right did you have to take my words on your lips?” as he sent me into eternal darkness.

There was nothing I did that changed God’s mind toward me, that motivated him to rescue me from such a terrifying fate. It was his mercy alone, undeserved, inconceivable mercy that received my disgust and returned love. By his grace he opened my eyes to the beauty of Christ. How thankful I am for the cross, where in one grand action God bled, atoning for my sins, and demonstrated his glorious love converting my hard heart–turning me away from total destruction and delivering me into the kingdom of his son.

Bless the Lord O my soul. Lord you are merciful, converting enemies into friends–transforming mockers into singers of your praise. Hallelujah!

Good Salt and the Fires of Hell

Eric Holter — Sun, 25 Apr 2004 18:30:42 +0000

“Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who greatly delights in His commands.”

112:1 Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments! (ESV)
', 'Psalms 112:1', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Psalms+112%3A1');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Psalms+112%3A1" >Psalms 112:1

When I think of the blessedness of fearing the Lord I think of Jesus’ words in

9:1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (ESV)

', 'Mark 9', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Mark+9');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Mark+9" >Mark 9 after he warns that it is better to remove a hand or an eye, if it causes us to stumble, than to enter hell with two hands, or two eyes. He concludes His warning with an analogy of salty fire. Ultimately, for those who do not flee from sin, they will encounter the unquenchable fires of hell. Such thoughts are, and should be, maximally disturbing to us. They should produce a deep dread and fear of hell – and of Him who puts people there. Ultimately, the fires of hell are an awful, dreadful, horrifying thing to contemplate. However, they can also bring a blessing. Jesus equates the fires of hell with salt. He says everyone, in a sense, will be “salted with the fires of hell.” For those who end up in hell, such salting will be an unimaginably and excruciatingly eternal reality. But for those who are turned away from sin by such thoughts, the salt is good, and it is good that we should have such salt in us. He warns that if this salt becomes un-salty that it would be no use to us. This salt, the salty fires of hell, are good for us – they can actually produce a blessing that makes us happy; abundantly happy, as this verse concludes.

I think the connection between how fearing God to the end that we are happy in Him and delight greatly in Him is seen in how Jesus is speaks of the salty fires of hell as a means of preserving us, and thus keeping us out of hell. In other words, as I have a genuine – salty – and lively sense of the horror of hell in me (by contemplating it) I will be highly motivated not to go there. I will thereby avoid, by any means, the stumbling sins that would lead me there. Jesus knows that we do not like to think about terrible things like the fires of hell, yet He knows that having such salty fear within us is good. Therefore, He gives grotesque illustrations of chopping off limbs, unquenchable fire, and worms that never die. Such realities ought to disturb us, create dread and fear in us, and motivate us to flee from sin into the arms of our savior.

When this salt does its intended job and we flee to God, we find Him to be a powerful, unstoppable savior that keeps us from hell and brings us into His eternal kingdom. To the degree that our fear is active, lively, real, and salty, our feelings of delight in God will be all the more active, real, and lively.

“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands.” Happy is he who has a salty fear of God, he will “greatly delight.” He will be exceedingly pleased, extremely delighted, take rich pleasure in, highly favor, and be sorely pleased in God. Could one reason why we fail to experience the depth of joy and delight in God come from the lack of effective salt in our lives? Have we passed too quickly over those inspired scriptures that warn and threaten of hell? Do we desalinate the salt God ordained to preserve us by improperly understanding such blessed doctrines as eternal security and truths such as “once saved always saved?” Do we too quickly say to ourselves that such scriptures as

', 'Mark 9:42-50', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Mark+9%3A42-50');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Mark+9%3A42-50" >Mark 9:42-50,

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. (ESV)

', 'Romans 11:17-22', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Romans+11%3A17-22');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Romans+11%3A17-22" >Romans 11:17-22,

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Galatians 6:2
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Galatians 6:2

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (ESV)

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5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (ESV)

', 'Thessalonians 1:5-10', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Thessalonians+1%3A5-10');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Thessalonians+1%3A5-10" >Thessalonians 1:5-10, and

2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

Hebrews 10:26-31
2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

Hebrews 10:26-31

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (ESV)

', 'Hebrews 2:1-3, 10:26-31', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Hebrews+2%3A1-3%2C+10%3A26-31');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Hebrews+2%3A1-3%2C+10%3A26-31" >Hebrews 2:1-3, 10:26-31 do not apply to us because we’re saved? Or does God want to keep and preserve His eternally saved saints, of whom He will not lose a single one, through, and by the means of such salty and fearful warnings?

John Owen in “The Mortification of Sin” gives directions for how to practically kill sin in our lives. One of his encouragements is this…

“Keep alive upon thy heart these or the like considerations of its [sin’s] guilt, danger, and evil; be much in the meditation of these things; cause they heart to dwell and abide upon them; these considerations; let them not go off or wander until they begin to have a powerful influence upon thy soul – until they make it to tremble. ”

Such a genuine fear of God, such effective use of good salt for our soul, will cause trembling. But it will be happy, delightful, trembling. Trembling that produces humility before the Lord. Trembling that the Lord looks upon with infinite grace, mercy, and love. When we are thus humbled, God draws near to us, and we can draw near to Him. So in the end our souls forget their dread as they are swallowed up in a happy view of Christ.