Although we have studied other psalms of Asaph already, this is the first one ascribed to him.
The scene is a courtroom wherein God calls His witnesses against Israel (and all mankind). His witnesses are earth (1) and heaven (4). God always calls His creation in when bringing judgment on man. The book of Micah and other prophets share the same motif. The witnesses are called and God asks us to pause (Selah). Do we have witnesses against us in terms of our syncretism?
The charge God lays on the people is that of the people feeling they have obligated God to do their bidding based on what they have done for Him. They feel as though God needs their offerings to survive. We are to do for God out of obligation in order to honor Him for who He is and for what He has done. The Ten Commandments have been broken, and those who are to uphold them are encouraging others to break them. Doesn’t this sound like the United States in our generation?
If you were to define worship or service, what would it be? Is it giving offerings, sacrifices, time? Is it the pomp and circumstance of much religious circles. Or, is it the heart attitude that Jesus called for? Can it be purely inward as the monasteries of old? Or, is it outward as James proclaims? There must be a balance between the inward worship of heart and the outward worship of body (Romans 12.1-2).
Much more needs to be done for the greatness of this psalm. Time does not allow for it today.
I think this psalm shows how we are to obey God. We are to always keep God’s Word close to us and follow His instructions, because He will look after those who follow Him, not those who reject Him.