Psalm 67
This is one of the most evangelical Psalms I’ve read so far. Short and powerful, the message of who God is is expanded to all the earth, to the whole world, to all nations, to people everywhere. If you ever wondered about what God was thinking and doing in the Old Testament compared to the New Testament, you can be assured that He was always interested in reaching the whole world.
May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.
Psalm 67:2
Just so we are all clear, this has never not been the task. It has always been the goal of God’s people to make God's power known to all people everywhere throughout the whole earth. It has never been okay to just ignore the others, to be only focused on those in the circle of God’s current family. Jesus showed us this is for everyone. Jesus took it to Samaria. Paul took this message to the ends of the earth. And it has always been God’s plan to have missionaries, ambassadors, representatives and infiltrators who display His glory and power to everyone and convince everyone everywhere to follow God.
For the choir director: A song. A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us.
Interlude
2 May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.
3 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.
4 Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.
Interlude
5 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.
6 Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us.
7 Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him.
Psalm 67:1-7 NLT
I can’t read Psalm 67 without thinking of the blessing given by God to His people in Numbers
24 'May the LORD bless you and protect you. 25 May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. 26 May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.'
Number 6:24-26
And David understands that God gave the task of blessing to Abraham for the whole world. And you and I and all who know God for all time have had this same global task.
And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
Genesis 22:18
Every tribe, every tongue, every nation
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, Revelation 5:9 ESV
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, Revelation 7:9 ESV
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:14 ESV
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: "The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever."
Revelation 11:15 NLT
It is not a big leap, it is not a huge expansion, it is not something tacked on. It is the goal of God for you and for all peoples for all times to be a missionary to all the nations. Why would God not want to advertise His greatness and glory to every living thing?
So what is the message about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the nations from David in Psalm 67?
God’s presence is gracious. v.1 (the King Christ Jesus is gracious)
David asks for mercy, blessing and favor in v.1 because he knows that God is full of grace, and though by definition it is not owed or earned, it can be freely requested.
The smiling face of God in v.1 speaks of His nearness, His warmth and His goodness which is found in His presence.
God saves. v.2 (the King Christ Jesus saves)
People need saving.
People all over the earth need saving.
God saves.
That God saves is something worth making known all over the earth to all peoples.
God works in and through communities, peoples and nations corporately. v.3-5 (the King Christ Jesus rules)
Look at the language. It is a group. God recognises our groupings, our similarities and He wants to reach us in our identity.
God is not about obliterating our identity.
Notice there is both unity and diversity without conflict. Nationalism and globalism occupy the same space. Governments of the world and a one world government under God are both possible. And none of this is a new idea. God has planned it so from the beginning. And we are to be part of it. This Psalm invites us all as we are where we are to invite all the others to the same conclusion.
God works through the unity of the nations to produce a fruitful earth. v.6 (the King Christ Jesus provides)
Since before sin entered the world, it was dominion, order and fruitfulness that were the tasks given to mankind to work out for God on earth.
The blessing of God comes through people, through people working together to produce a fruitful blessing giving earth.
God’s works are breathtaking and incomprehensible. (the King Christ Jesus is fearful)
The end of all things according to Psalm 67 is people fearing God.
I want to suggest an adjustment to your idea of the fear of God.
See fear as respect
See fear as awe
See fear as breathtaking, gobsmacking, OMG producing
See fear as humbling, mind blowing, infinitely expanding and incomprehensible.
Conclusion:
The gospel of the evangelists, that is to say the good news of the good news spreaders, has always been the gracious rule of a fearful God who loves to provide and save all people. Make it known to everyone, everywhere.
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| Handwritten Psalms 67 |
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