Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

We open today with Psalm 50, which is a strong rebuke against people who

misunderstand God's heart. There were Israelites who viewed the

sacrificial system as a trade-off for sinning, like a penalty you pay and then everything is fine again, like some kind of speeding ticket.

But God says that's never been what this is about.

In verses 8 through 15 he basically says I don't want your

bulls and goats and birds I want your heart. For some of them this may have been

very confusing like then why did you spend so much time telling us about the sacrifices?

They weren't paying attention and because of that lack of attention they missed the very details that would reveal God's heart to them.

Instead, they just viewed him as greedy, as though he needed food to eat like all the

pagan gods. Meanwhile, their hearts are far from him. They're doing wicked things or proving of others who do wicked things or even just sitting by idly complicit when sin is committed.

God rebukes them for this. He wants them to remember him. And one way to do that is to bring

him their gratitude and Thanksgiving.

Psalm 53 is a lot like a Psalm we've already covered, Psalm 14, so he won't spend too much time here, but I just want to point out one thing.

This chapter is about the fool, the person who dismisses God and does his own thing.

When that's how a person operates

removed from the understanding of God's sovereignty and goodness,

it becomes easy to think you're in control of your own future.

And if you're in charge, then lots of things can go wrong.

And if lots of things can go wrong, then that can lead to a lot of fear and striving.

First five points to this.

It says,

...