As I have tried to clarify before, the highlighted verse, v.20, has nothing to do with giving testimony of surviving childhood sexual abuse, even when the perpetrator is one's own brother. It's about citizens of the land, in this case a nation; those in power, particularly, those of God's household, who mistreat their own countrymen: gossiping, bearing false witness, etc. These people then had the nerve to approach God to seek favor, as if He was oblivious to the entirety of the matter. Hypocrites.
Psalms 50:7-23 (NLT)
⁷“O My people, listen as I speak. Here are My charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! ⁸I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. ⁹But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. ¹⁰For all the animals of the forest are Mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are Mine. ¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is Mine and everything in it. ¹³Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. ¹⁵Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”
Thank You LORD for Christ, Your whole Word
Psalms 50:7-23 (NLT)
⁷“O My people, listen as I speak. Here are My charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! ⁸I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. ⁹But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. ¹⁰For all the animals of the forest are Mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are Mine. ¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is Mine and everything in it. ¹³Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. ¹⁵Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”
(i.e. Don't try to play God. Simply be fair and just. The Potter already knows)
¹⁶But God says to the wicked: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? ¹⁷For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash. ¹⁸When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers. ¹⁹Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies.
God even knows when people are serving up injustice, while at the same time approaching His Word seeking selfish desires.
²⁰You sit around and slander your brother— your own mother’s son.
(i.e. Online gossip and scheming)
²¹While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you. ²²Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. ²³But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
People sometimes forget with whom it is they are dealing. Indeed, it is futile to take bogus claims before the Sovereign and Righteous God: for He is omniscient. That's lying to the court on a whole other level.
[BUT GOD, said to the nation], "You thought I was altogether like you." Meaning, because His wisdom is on a much higher level, His verdicts cannot be disputed. God’s judgment is righteous and absolute, based on all the evidence. For instance: He knows the intricacies that men are clueless about. He even knows that which man seeks deep to hide.
Part of Jesus's assignment was that He hang on the cross, but as if that weren't enough, man chose to taunt Him and serve Him bitter water. Likewise, it's one thing to be cast into the streets, but added wickedness to be compassed about and targeted with food manipulation as part of a ploy to win a game (which was lost). God don't play.
At the end of the day, I'm still a human being; and, food manipulation and attacks against an elder is not just, "not a good look," it's absolutely evil. Nevertheless, though I must bear witness in testimony, I leave vengeance in God's hands.
Matthew 25:45 (NIV)
"He will reply, ’Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
Again, manipulation is cheating. As it is written: "Cursed is the cheat"
¹⁶But God says to the wicked: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? ¹⁷For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash. ¹⁸When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers. ¹⁹Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies.
God even knows when people are serving up injustice, while at the same time approaching His Word seeking selfish desires.
²⁰You sit around and slander your brother— your own mother’s son.
(i.e. Online gossip and scheming)
²¹While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you. ²²Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. ²³But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
People sometimes forget with whom it is they are dealing. Indeed, it is futile to take bogus claims before the Sovereign and Righteous God: for He is omniscient. That's lying to the court on a whole other level.
[BUT GOD, said to the nation], "You thought I was altogether like you." Meaning, because His wisdom is on a much higher level, His verdicts cannot be disputed. God’s judgment is righteous and absolute, based on all the evidence. For instance: He knows the intricacies that men are clueless about. He even knows that which man seeks deep to hide.
Part of Jesus's assignment was that He hang on the cross, but as if that weren't enough, man chose to taunt Him and serve Him bitter water. Likewise, it's one thing to be cast into the streets, but added wickedness to be compassed about and targeted with food manipulation as part of a ploy to win a game (which was lost). God don't play.
At the end of the day, I'm still a human being; and, food manipulation and attacks against an elder is not just, "not a good look," it's absolutely evil. Nevertheless, though I must bear witness in testimony, I leave vengeance in God's hands.
Matthew 25:45 (NIV)
"He will reply, ’Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
Again, manipulation is cheating. As it is written: "Cursed is the cheat"
Thank You LORD for Christ, Your whole Word
