Psalms 73, 74
We looked at three psalms, all written by Asaph. Remember when David was organizing the effort to transport the Ark to Jerusalem and prepare for the Temple construction, Asaph was assigned to lead the singers (1 Chronicles 16:5). He was a Levite, a skilled musician, and, evidently, like David, a terrific songwriter. It seems that his position as choir director was permanent, as later we find “the sons of Asaph” had followed in their father’s footsteps. Twelve of the psalms bear the name of Asaph or his sons (50, 73-83). The Israelites esteemed him as a great poet and perhaps even as a prophet.
Of the three songs of the day, I was particularly drawn to Psalm 50. Asaph paints the
picture of a courtroom in which God is passing judgment on His people. He is the
Judge, Israel is the defendant, and the heavens and earth are witnesses. “The
Mighty God, the Lord, has spoken; He has summoned all humanity from east to
west. Heaven and earth will be His witnesses as He judges His people” (v.1, 4, 6).
What was the charge that the Lord was bringing against His people? It
was this — impersonal, heartless ritualism. “I have no
complaint about your sacrifices,” He said, “or the burnt offerings you
constantly bring to My altar; but I want no more bulls and goats... What I
want, instead, is your true thanks to God. I want you to fulfill your vows and
trust Me... Don’t recite My laws any longer and don’t pretend that you obey Me,
for you refuse My discipline and treat My laws like trash” (v.89, 15, 16). Ouch!
To summarize, God’s people were doing what was expected of them, day
in and day out, without giving any thought to why or how they were doing it. They
were going through the motions of their religion and neglecting to develop a
relationship with their God.
Daily Reflection
Each of us can slip into impersonal, heartless ritualism, going
through the motions while losing sight of why or how we are to do them, doing
what is expected of us in our religion without developing a relationship with
our God. Have you ever found yourself in this place? Perhaps you are there now.
How do you avoid impersonal, heartless ritualism and, instead, strive for a personal,
heartfelt relationship?
God lists some ways to prevent this ritualism from occurring. “Repent, all of you who
ignore Me. Give thanks, that is a sacrifice that truly honors Me. Keep My
path and
I will reveal to you the salvation of God” (v.22, 23). Jesus echoed these sentiments when He said,
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is He who
loves Me; and, He who loves Me will be loved by My father, and I will love Him
and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21 NASB).
What insight do you find here from these verses regarding how to
cultivate a personal, heartfelt relationship with the Lord?
BiAY.org | Day 137 — 228 Days to Go
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