Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

50:7-15 He Speaks to His People: Worship Him from the Heart. God's act of judgment is an oracle, explaining what it really means to be his people. He speaks to their use of sacrifices (v. 8); in the light of vv. 10-13, as well as v. 16, he is addressing people tempted to think that God somehow needs the sacrifices, and that they can be used almost as a bribe to satisfy him. God's reply (an obvious one for those who think clearly about the creation account) is that he owns the entire created order and does not depend on it in any way. The oracle then turns to the right use of sacrifices (cf. note on 40:6-8), focusing on the sacrifice of thanksgiving and vows (50:14). These were both kinds of peace offerings (Lev. 7:11-12, 16), which was the only kind of sacrifice in which the worshiper ate some of the sacrificial animal; its primary function was to eat a meal, in company with the sacrificer's family and the needy, with God as the host. (First Corinthians 10:16-18 shows that this is the basic meaning of the Christian Lord's Supper.) Membership in God's people is about being welcome in his presence (Ps. 50:14), depending on him (v. 15), and dealing justly with others (vv. 19-20, 23); thus it engages the heart.