Psalm 50 - The principles that shall guide the judgement of the Righteous One at the gathering of the Saints.

"El, Elohim, the LORD has spoken!" So reads the Hebrew. Arrived at the end - having sung of the elect's cry, the response to their cry in the Mighty One's appearing, the Mighty One's protection, the throne on which he sits, the city where his glory abides, and himself in the glory - having also sung that melancholy dirge over those who have no portion in this lot of the righteous - the Psalmist is led by the Spirit to strike his harp to one other strain of a kindred nature.

Here he sets out the principles of judgement that guide the decision of the King "who sits on the throne of his holiness," and reigns from "out of Zion."

It is the day of Romans 1:18. The heavens are not silent now; angels come with the God of heaven. The glory of the Lord, and those gathered saints around him (2 Thess 2:4), those who over the sacrifice have entered into covenant with him, being celebrated in v1-6, and the solemn Selah-pause having given us time to fix our eye upon the scene, the Lord suddenly speaks, reasoning with men as to their wrong idea of the way of salvation (v7-15).

Then follows their sinful practice (v16-22). In v22, the word is emphatic: "Consider this, I urge you, you who forget God."

Man treats God as if he were a being to be ministered to, instead of a gracious, sovereign benefactor. Man acts in the view of God as if the holy God were just like us. But the end comes. None shall enter into glory, none shall be shown "the salvation of God" i.e. his glorious completed redemption (as Paul spoke in Romans 8:11, and Peter in 1 Peter 1:5) at the Lord's appearing, except for the one who "orders his conversation rightly." that is, who regulates his life by such a rule as v5; in other words: by gospel rule - who prepares his way according to the preparation revealed to him by the Lord.

The one who does so must begin at the altar (v5), and there "sacrifice" or "offer praise," even as v15 also declared. He must begin by owning the LORD's benefits to us sinners, responding to the song of the angels at Bethlehem over a Saviour born, and answering to the Saviour's cry, "It is finished," by his soul's glad acceptance of that finished work.

This is the "ordering of the conversation" - and to declare this is the object of this Psalm. It sets out, at the lips of the Righteous Judge himself, The principles that shall guide the judgement of the Righteous One at the gathering of the Saints.