What does Psalm 50:10 mean?

Merely following rituals does not make a person right with God. Obeying specific instructions is important, but more important is a proper attitude (Matthew 5:27–28). In this psalm, God comes to judge Israel (Psalm 50:1–6), even though they are consistently offering their required sacrifices (Psalm 50:7–8). The Lord rejects those offerings (Psalm 50:9).

Here, God notes that He does not ask for sacrifices to meet His personal needs. The animals being offered are already His. He created them and they are under His control (Psalm 50:11). Multiple stories in the Bible involve God's direct control of His creatures (Numbers 22:22–28; 1 Kings 17:5–6; Jonah 1:17). The physical act of the sacrifice, itself, is not the important part of that ritual. As the passage continues, we see that Israel has been hypocritical in their offerings (Psalm 50:16–21). They might offer animals according to God's instructions, but the rest of their lives demonstrate contempt for His will.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul quotes Psalm 24:1: "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" (1 Corinthians 10:26). When he preached on Mars Hill, he declared: "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:24–25). Although Christians present their offerings to the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:1–2; 2 Corinthians 9:6–15; Romans 12:1–2), they should realize that the Lord doesn't need their offerings, but they need the Lord. To assume providing God with a sacrifice—the mere action itself—serves His purposes is simply wrong.