Did you ever ask or has it ever been asked of you, “Who made you the judge of me?” or “What gives you the right to judge me?”
Asaph was a leading Levite musician in the Temple. In Psalm 50, he presents a vivid picture of a court-room scene. The judge is present. The witnesses are ready to testify. The accusation against the defendant is clear. Because of the imagery and the content, it is a little difficult to imagine this psalm was sung in the Temple worship service.
In verses 1-6, Asaph portrays the heaven and the earth as witnesses. It is not until the last part of the psalm that the defendant (the people of Israel) is charged with insincere worship (7-14) and hypocritical worship (15-23).
Before the witnesses testified or the defendant accused, Asaph carefully establishes that God is the judge (1-6). What gives God the right to be The Judge? And, to be the judge over me? Verse 1 reveals God’s credentials through three names commonly attributed to Him. Verse 1 reveals God
“The Mighty [One], God, the Lord,…” (Psalm 50:1a)
“The Mighty One” is the Hebrew word we would pronounce “El.” The Mighty One is the One to whom others go for help. Appealing to another and receiving help implies some kind of debt that could never be repaid or gratitude for the help received.
“God” is the Hebrew word we pronounce “Elohim.” God more specifically refers to the One who makes and keeps a covenant relationship with His people. A covenant is an agreement by one for the benefit of another. God made a covenant with the people of Israel that they would be His chosen people. Fulfilling this covenant, as is the nature of covenants, is God’s responsibility and cannot be broken no matter what circumstances occur.
“The Lord” is the personal name of God. This is the Hebrew word we pronounce “Yahweh.” The Lord (often with small upper-case letters) is the One who causes all things to be as they are. This name reveals, among other ideas, that when Israel fails to live up to the conditions of the covenant God established with them, that it is His responsibility to cause His people to fulfill their obligation to Him.
The Bible’s concept of a judge, of God as the Judge, is not the same as what we often picture in our mind as the role and responsibility of a human judge in our country.
*Almighty One, God, the Lord, help us recognize and believe what You have revealed about Yourself, as our righteous and holy Judge. We are also Yours only by the covenant relationship of Jesus Christ, our Advocate and Redeemer. We can do no less than thank You for forgiving us by His atoning sacrifice and, this is incredible—making us heirs with Him. Even though we are unfaithful to You, thank You for remaining faithful to us. Because You will do whatever it takes to cause us to fulfill our obligation in the covenant relationship of Jesus Christ, we know You are the only One on whom we can and must depend and rely.*
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