Psalm LXVI
To the chief Musician. A Song or F.salm.
1 Make a jojfnl noise unto God, all ye lands:
2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
3 Say unto God, How terrible art thon in thy works!
Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves »nto thee.
4 All ihc earth shall worship thee,
And shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the
children of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: There did we rejoice in him.
7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heai-d,
9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suifcreth not our feet to be moved.
10 For thou, O God, has proved us: thou has tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and
through water:
But thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in
trouble.
15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fallings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done
for my soul.
17 1 cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear mc:
19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my
prayer.
20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy
from me.
Another “liDp l’’li (as lxv. 1), at once a solemn Psalm, and The titie. a lively Temple song. It is specially the song of Messiah and he pian. the Church of Israel — a kind of Ked Sea song, sung, however, in Canaan.
“Raise the shout of joy!
A II the earth to God!
Shew forth the glory of his name!
Give glory (to him) as hispj’aise.’^
Then, leading us to such scenes as were spoken of in Psalm lxv. 5 —
“Say unto God, How auful these loorks of thine.’” There is a Bethel-solemnity in these scenes, though they bring us to the very gate of heaven —
“All the earth shall worship Thee.
They sing! they sing thy name.’” .^elah.
] 96 PSALM LXVl. — MESSIAH AND HIS RANSOMED ISRAEL
This Selah-ipsiuse divides the Psalm into portions at suitable times, and intimates a change of scene or tone. Here, as usual, it gives time for solemn thought; and then an invitatation is given to men to “Come and see.” As John i. 26, 27, at Christ’s First Coming, and Rev. vi. 3, 5, 7, in events leading on to his Second —
“Come and see the works of God I
Awful in his dealings to the sons of men.” (Ver. 5.) And when we have cast our eye back to Red Sea and Jordan wonders, and have seen Him to be the same for ever, still subduing the nations, another “Selah” gives us time to pause and adore. But the harp is soon struck again (ver. 8),
“Bless our Ood, ye nations” (□”’D^, not as Psa. lxii. 8.)*
The Jews are now inviting the Gentiles; for the Jews are life from the dead to the world. They tell how their God refined them; how He “laid pressure on their loins,” the seat of strength; yet made their trials act as a furnace to take away the dross. Even ^liNt “frail men” were made strong against them; yet Israel passed through desert and flood; and, at length, reached
“The wealthy place’’ (ver. 12) — affluence — refreshing. (H’’^”)).
Each of their number, as well as their Leader, thus invites the Gentile nations; and they do it by example, and not by word only —
“/ toill go into thine house with offenngs;
I will perform my vows unto thee.
I will offer fat victims as hurnt-offerings,
Along with rams that have incense-savour. Selah. (Ver. 13, 14.) Another pause — like Wisdom’s in Prov. i. 23. And then once more, voice and instrument together sound forth a cheerful summons to draw near and listen to Messiah and the Church of Israel —
“Come, hear, and I will teU,
All ye that fear God,
What he has done for me.” (Ver. 16.)
He was (ver. ] 7) “Hearer of prayer” to me (Isa. lxv. 2); for * It may remind ns of Isa. xxiy. 13, “There shall he among the XyV, the nations, the shaking of an olive-tree,” — the Gentiles taking up what Israel lets fall.
PRAISING THE PllAYER-HEARING GOD. 197
no sooner did I call upon Him than he answered — turning my prayer into praise. Had I sought to “lying vanities,” or had tried crooked paths, I should have failed in finding this blessed result. But the God of Israel, the Holy One, was honoured.
“Verily Ood hath heard., He hath hearkened to the voice of my prayer.” (Ver. 19.)
But the way to this blessedness is by a holy path, verse 18- Messiah magnified the law; and in Him, we who come to God through his blood and righteousness do the same, and so shall sing the same song, and bless the same God.
“He has not turned away my prarjer!
He has not turned away his mercy from me.’”
A close equivalent to Rev. v, 8, where the golden vials, full of saints’ prayers, are held up by the saints, and owned by the Hearer of Prayer on that day. Far from turning away my prayer, lo! he has done exceeding abundantly beyond all I asked. Instead of turning away his mercy from me, lo! He has brought me to the Wealthy Place! Such is the Song of Messiah and his ransomed Israel praising the prayer-hearing God.