The principles that shall guide the judgment of the Righteous One at the gathering of the Saints

God has spoken, and He sends forth His light and truth out of Zion, which is the perfection of beauty. And His living Word will come to pass. He will also come according to promise, in judgment, for He is the judge of all the earth, and of the quick and the dead.

His Word exposes formalism in v. 7-15, and then to v. 21, hypocrisy. These twin evils are the bane of the church, and often sully her beauty. Our Lord continually rebuked the Pharisees for their insistent formality, which is emphasised by the keeping of the vain traditions of men. But He also warned His disciples, “Beware of the leaven of hypocrisy.” A little leaven of either will leaven the whole lump.

Rather, His covenant people, His saints are to glorify Him. And they do so by the sincerity and spontaneity of praise, with an accompanying rectitude of life and speech (v. 23). 

Psalm 50 - First Version

   1     The mighty God, the Lord,
         hath spoken, and did call
      The earth, from rising of the sun,
         to where he hath his fall.

   2     From out of Zion hill,
         which of excellency
      And beauty the perfection is,
         God shined gloriously.

   3     Our God shall surely come,
         keep silence shall not he:
      Before him fire shall waste, great storms
         shall round about him be.

   4     Unto the heavens clear
         he from above shall call,
      And to the earth likewise, that he
         may judge his people all.

   5     Together let my saints
         unto me gathered be,
      Those that by sacrifice have made
         a covenant with me.

   6     And then the heavens shall
         his righteousness declare:
      Because the Lord himself is he
         by whom men judged are.

   7     My people Isr'el hear,
         speak will I from on high,
      Against thee I will testify;
         God, ev'n thy God, am I.

   8     I for thy sacrifice
         no blame will on thee lay,
      Nor for burnt-off'rings, which to me
         thou offer'dst ev'ry day.

   9     I'll take no calf nor goats
         from house or fold of thine:
  10  For beasts of forests, cattle all
         on thousand hills, are mine.

  11     The fowls on mountains high
         are all to me well known;
      Wild beasts which in the fields do lie,
         ev'n they are all mine own.

  12     Then, if I hungry were,
         I would not tell it thee;
      Because the world, and fullness all
         thereof, belongs to me.

  13     Will I eat flesh of bulls?
         or goats' blood drink will I?
  14  Thanks offer thou to God, and pay
         thy vows to the most High.

  15     And call upon me when
         in trouble thou shalt be;
      I will deliver thee, and thou
         my name shalt glorify.

  16     But to the wicked man
         God saith, My laws and truth
      Should'st thou declare? how dar'st thou take
         my cov'nant in thy mouth?

  17     Since thou instruction hat'st,
         which should thy ways direct;
      And since my words behind thy back
         thou cast'st, and dost reject.

  18     When thou a thief didst see,
         with him thou didst consent;
      And with the vile adulterers
         partaker on thou went.

  19     Thou giv'st thy mouth to ill,
         thy tongue deceit doth frame;
  20  Thou sitt'st, and 'gainst thy brother speak'st,
         thy mother's son dost shame.

  21     Because I silence kept,
         while thou these things hast wrought;
      That I was altogether like
         thyself, hath been thy thought;

         Yet I will thee reprove,
         and set before thine eyes,
      In order ranked, thy misdeeds
         and thine iniquities.

  22     Now, ye that God forget,
         this carefully consider;
      Lest I in pieces tear you all,
         and none can you deliver.

  23     Whoso doth offer praise
         me glorifies; and I
      Will show him God's salvation,
         that orders right his way.