This psalm opens with God speaking and then denouncing the wicked. Acceptable worship and social responsibility are the two main themes. v. 1-6. THE SUMMONS TO COURT BY THE JUDGE: The Judge is heard as He calls all the people of Israel to stand before Him, the Mighty One. Heaven and earth are silent witnesses. The Judge is seen in His glory. v. 7-15. THE MESSAGE TO THE WORSHIPER: The sin of ritualism is faced as the Lord takes the position of prosecuting attorney. Israel brought their sacrifices to Him but treated God with coldness and neglect. God will not accept the rituals and ceremonies because outward acts do not cover the wrong inward attitudes. What God wants from His people is:
- Thanksgiving: simple gratitude
- Fulfilled vows: of love, worship, service, and devotion
- Fellowship in prayer: God wants an intimate relationship between His people and Himself. v. 16-23. THE MESSAGE OF THE WICKED: judgment against the hypocrites. Those whose lives deny the truth they claim to follow have charges laid against them.
- They hated discipline: they considered themselves above correction. They resented constructive criticism, even if it came from the Lord.
- They treated God's Word with contempt: they cast God's Word behind them as a worthless thing.
- They refused to walk in a path of separation: they made friends of thieves and adulterers, disobeyed the Lord, and brought reproach on Him.
- Their speech was wicked: they were unrestrained, experts in lying and deceit. They failed to realize that God's patience in waiting was to bring them to repentance.
- A warning and promise: a warning to those who forget God as if He doesn't matter. Those who obey Him will experience God's deliverance.