God Knows Your Heart

Change my heart oh God, 
Make it ever true.
Change my heart oh God, 
May I be like You.

You are the potter, 
I am the clay, 
Mold me and make me, 
This is what I pray.

All kinds of people go to church.  Some truly participate in worship.  Others go through the motions.  God knows your heart, and what motivates you.

This week I was reading Psalm 50, and it really struck me how God loves people who are committed to Him, and how much He hates hypocrisy.  It also struck me how hypocritical I have been at various times in my life, and how indebted to God's grace I really am.

Let's go through the Psalm together.

The Mighty One, GOD, the LORD, speaks out and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.  From ZION, perfect in beauty, GOD shines forth.  Our GOD comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before Him, and around Him a tempest rages.  He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:  "Gather to Me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice," and the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is judge.--Psalm 50:1-6

God is calling all His peoples together.  He is about to make an announcement.  He is sitting in judgment over all who proclaim His name.  Everyone who enters the Temple and participates in the sacrifice is on trial.  Jesus described this event in Matthew 25:32 as separating the sheep from the goats.  The Message translates it this way:  "He summons heaven and earth as a jury, He's taking His people to court: 'Round up my saints who swore on the Bible their loyalty to me.' "

There is none like God.  As Creator, He alone is qualified to call His people to account.  From the east to the west, He is over all.  His throne is in Jerusalem, and He shines in splendor there.  He will not sit idly by and watch as those who claim to be His own people engage in all kinds of activities.  His presence is like a fire that will not be quenched; it is like a hurricane force wind.  The heavens and the earth are called in as the jury as God sits in judgment over His people.  "Hear ye, hear ye," He says.  "Calling all people who are set apart for me.  I have kept my part of the covenant, the bargain I made with you.  Let's see how well you have kept your part of the covenant of God Almighty."  The jury (both heaven and earth) is sworn in by His righteousness, and He is the one true God, and His judgments are true.

Hear, O my people, and I will speak. O Israel, and I will testify against you:  I am God, your God.  I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.  I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.  If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.  Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?  Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.  --Psalm 50:7-15.

 When a judge holds a preliminary hearing, he will often say that he has read the Complaint and the Answer, or that he has read the depositions that were taken beforehand.  This is the basis upon which the remainder of the Hearing will stand.  In these verses, God is the judge, but also gives testimony, because His testimony is true.

Next He says He has seen the sacrifices that they bring.  They are in compliance with His laws.  He will not condemn them, because they are under the sacrifices that are always being made in the Temple.  Under the New Covenant, we are under the Blood of the Lamb, the perfect sacrifice that God Himself provided for us so that we can come into fellowship with Him.  Jesus said in John 3:18 says, "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

There is a word of warning, though.  His people serve Him through their works, through their lives, and not in the sacrifices they bring to Him.  God is not powerless to care for Himself.  He is not like the idols made of stone and wood that others serve--those other gods need constant attention, because they cannot do anything for themselves.  God asks a rhetorical question: If I were hungry, would I really call on you to feed me?  Didn't I make everything on earth, He said, and don't I have all the animals in the forest and in the fields at my disposal?  Everything is mine, God says, so I don't need any help from you.  So don't think your service means anything to me.

Instead, the obedience of sacrifice means that your heart is right with God.  The acts of worship are for your benefit, not His.  Jesus said in Luke 19:40, "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."  The mountains and the hills will break forth in singing (Isaiah 55:12) when His people stop praising Him.  It is for our benefit that He gives guidelines for worshiping Him.  Our hearts are made whole when we worship and praise Him.

Verse 14 makes reference to "Thank Offerings".  In Leviticus chapter 7, God gives instructions for a special kind of offering for the people to bring to God.  If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, verse 12 says, he can bring cakes of bread made without yeast along with the meat (bull or ram) to offer to God.  But verse 13 of Leviticus 7 says that he can also bring cakes of bread made with yeast, to be shared with the priest.  In other words, the Law allows for a Thanksgiving Feast, including yeast rolls, to be eaten with the priest before God.  As the meat is being cooked, it is accepted by God as a savory smell, and the unleavened bread is for Him to share in the fellowship.  I think of this every Wednesday night when my wife and I take a covered dish to our home Bible study.  We all share a meal, in fellowship with each other and with God, giving thanks to God for His blessing on our lives.  You may do a variation of the same thing, either in your church or maybe once or twice a year on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  As long as we truly give thanks to God, the fellowship we have with like-minded people is a blessing to each one of us.

But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?  You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.  When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.  You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.  You speak continuously against your brother, and slander your own mother's son.  These things you have done and I kept silent: you thought I was altogether like you.  But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face."  --Psalm 50:16-21

The Righteous Judge testifies against those who call themselves His children, but their hearts do not know Him.  Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21).  How does God know their hearts are not into worship?  He says they hate His instructions and throw away His words. How many people in the pews on Sunday forget the sermon as soon as they get into the parking lot?  Many may have been raised in the church, but do not attend regularly; some are only seen in the church on Easter and at funerals.  "When you see a thief, you join with him."  Instead of doing good whatever the cost, many times we take a little for ourselves, a little "sumpin' sumpin'" for me because, "everybody does it."  We find loopholes in tax laws, and where there are no loopholes we make some up.

"You throw in your lot with adulterers."  This is one of the most damning indictments against so-called religious people.  Statistics show that there is as much divorce in the church as there is in the world.  A major cause of divorce and dissatisfaction among married men is pornography.  It is everywhere--freely available, and seemingly secret.  Men think they can get away with it, because as long as nobody finds out, they are in the clear.  The wife knows something is not quite right; she may search your browser history or scroll through images on your cell phone when you are not looking. God knows your heart.  He knows when you are being unfaithful with your eyes.  He knows when you are comparing physical attributes of your wife with other women.  When Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her," to what was he comparing us?  Do you think that Jesus professes love for Christians, but secretly looks longingly at other religions?  Does He think, "Wow, look at those breastplates," or, "What a great looking assembly."  Of course not.  I'm being ridiculous.  But isn't that exactly what men do to their wives?  Throwing your lot in with adulterers is acting the same way as the world does, to disrespect and demean women, who are themselves created in the image of God.  One more thing to think about: how do you know that those women whose photos you see were giving their consent?  Some of them may have been manipulated into taking compromising pictures of themselves.  Some may have even been taking part in human trafficking and sold as sex slaves.  Do you really want to be a part of that, dude?

Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.  --Psalm 50:22-23

There is good news.  If you saw yourself in the description of the wicked, there is hope.  If God's Holy Spirit has convicted you of doing activities which God hates, there is still time.  If you don't want to spend eternity in hell, apart from God forever, then repent and accept the sacrifice that has been made on your behalf.  1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."  Turn your hearts to God, so that He can forgive you.  Bring thanks to Him, and share His blessing with others in His family, so that you can be in fellowship with God.  Honor God, and turn your desires toward Him so that He can show you His great salvation.