Psalms 66

Psalms 66:1-20

The Discipline of God. To the chief musician a song-psalm. The sixth psalm of the series celebrates on the part of Israel the discipline of God, now effectual, in which the nations are to learn His holiness, themselves being brought to submission by the display of His terrible power. In the third part the voice of the King is heard proclaiming His thanksgiving vows as now to be performed; and in the fourth the result of His own trial, in which He (so different in this from all others) endured perfectly the test of perfect holiness.

1. The first section celebrates the power of God which has been put forth in terrible deeds on behalf of Israel. But, with Israel, it is the earth’s deliverance, and the nations are exhorted to shout aloud to God for what He has done, and urged to bear witness to what He has shown Himself to be, in psalms. His terrible works are to be at least for them the display of irresistible power under which the stoutest enemies must humble themselves. Thus all the earth shall worship, even though by and by it may be found that not all of this is true. The Psalms do not go beyond the millennium, and therefore do not give the uprising at the end, which brings in final judgment, as the book of Revelation shows; but they do intimate in several places, as already in Psalms 18:1-50, the mere external subjection of many among the millennial nations.

Israel alone is all holy (Isaiah 4:1-6), and their celebration of God collies in the last three verses. His terrible doings toward the children of men have been abundant mercy to themselves. His love to them has triumphed over all obstacles, and nature has owned the might of His presence with them, as the bed of the dried up sea has shown, and the “river”: whether this be Jordan, as of old, or that which is more commonly and emphatically called the River -the other boundary of their land as it shall be -Euphrates (Revelation 16:12). Power has been abundantly shown, then: He rules, and who shall dispossess Him? Omnipotence and omniscience are found together, with Him whose eyes without ceasing watch over the nations. Let not, then, the rebellious vainly ex alt themselves! 2. But again the voice of Israel is heard, and this time to tell the story of their own trials, ended, at last, for them so joyfully. “Bless our God,” they say, “ye peoples.” They, at least, can own Him that, with a full heart: His laws written upon their hearts, He has become their God in full reality, according to the terms of the new covenant. Thus they claim Him and speak of Him, declaring Him to the nations for their praise. He has, spite of all trials, brought them through, preserved their souls in life, -nay, more, perhaps, set them in what is really that. For “this is life eternal, to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” Such knowledge they now have, assuredly, and thus such life: although as doctrine the Old Testament could not formally develop it. This “setting their souls in life” is that of which naturally their hearts are full, and thus too their feet find steadfastness. But the way by which they had been brought had been one painful to themselves, while the holiness of God had made it necessary. As silver God had assayed and purified them. Their foes had been made, all unwittingly, to serve them thus. Affliction had been to them, if a severe, yet an effectual teacher; and, the end accomplished, only gains were now to be counted: “we went through fire and water; but Thou broughtest us out into abundance.” 3. But now the “we” changes for “I”; and we realize that it is another Speaker. “I will go into Thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay Thee my vows, which my lips uttered and my mouth spake in my strait.” It is not hard, surely, to recognize this Voice, which, immediately upon Israel’s tale being told, takes up their praise to utter it before God, as the fulfillment of His own “vows.” We know these vows, the King’s vows: King of Israel, while much more. And dull must be the eyes that do not see whose are these burnt-offerings. The sweet savor of a perfect life presented to God in an infinite trial, in which the holiness of God searched out all the inward parts of such an One as had not His like among men, but whom; He who commanded the “sword” to “awake” against Him, declared at the same time His “fellow” (Zechariah 13:7). Now we understand how Israel’s praise itself is discerned as the perfume of this blessed work, -the fulfillment of His “vows”: all the fullness of which is presently told out to us in familiar forms, as bullocks, rams, goats, specially connected with burnt-, trespass-, and sin-offerings. (Comp. Leviticus 1:1-17; Leviticus 4:1-35; Leviticus 5:1-19, notes.) This is, in fact, what all our praise is, -what we ourselves are: we are but the fulfillment of His vows; all is but the fruit of His work. To owe our redeemed selves to Him shall be the fullness of our joy forever. 4. But now we are to have His testimony -how different from Israel’s or that of the redeemed at any time! He would have all those who fear God to listen, for the matter is of the deepest possible concern for every one. If Christ is for men, what more important than to know that God is for Christ! The second verse seems to speak of the character of His service. God was His constant appeal and dependence; God was also the One exalted by Him. But, taking this place, the conditions of divine holiness had to be maintained, and in what circumstances, into which His zeal for God as well as His love to man had brought Him! If that fearful trial had brought out anything but sweet savor! Had there been aught of all that the Word stamps as being under the brand of “vanity” regarded in the heart! But the test was made, and the event has shown with what result. “In the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications unto Him that was able to save Him” -not “from,” but -“out of death, He was heard,” says the apostle, “for His piety” (Hebrews 5:7). All hung upon what He personally was, and being what He was, who for the glory of God had come so low, “He could not be holden of death”: “He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.” “Verily God hath heard Me: He hath attended to the voice of My prayer.” Well may we join with the praise of Him who, freighted with all our blessings, set His feet on the rock of resurrection! “Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, not His loving-kindness from Me!” Thus the psalm is linked together in its various parts, and each of them throws light upon the other, until what at first seems ordinary and unattractive even, is lighted up with beauty. The world, Israel, Christ, the future and the past, are linked together; and He is seen to be the bond and soul of history, as well as the one link with blessing and with God, the Mediator between God and Men, the Man Christ Jesus. Simple truths indeed, but they are light and life to us; and like the sun, which, for all its shining on the world so long, will be no less welcome when he shines tomorrow.