Psalm 67 - Overcomer - Races will Praise You, All of Them
I put this psalm to music shortly before my 67th birthday.
I think this psalm is the conclusion of the preceding psalm.
heading - "On Stringed Instruments" is from MT.
"of David" is from LXX.
In Num 6:24-25 the Lord first caused His face to shine to them and then gave them grace.
Here He gives grace first and then causes His face to shine through us. This is a big advancement, for God not just to shine to us, but through us. This is humanly impossible. God gives us grace to do it. ( Eph 3:8-11)
This blessing is for us, Israel, including the saved nations.
The Selah at the end of this verse is unusual because it occurs in the middle of a sentence. v2 continues this sentence giving the purpose for v1. The Selah tells us to emphasize v1. This verse is not just the means to achieve v2. It is a fantastic thing in itself, but it is not an end in itself, but only works if it is for the purpose given in v2.
The only way in which Israel can communicate this thought to the nations of the earth is by herself receiving God's blessing. - H. C. Leupold
v2 - The reason for the blessings in v1 is so that God's way and salvation be made known in all the nations.
This salvation made known to all nations must be the salvation through Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11; etc
This short psalm mentions the nations 8 times. Israel is referred to in this psalm as "us".
There are 3 words used for the gentile nations in this psalm:
leumim - mainly as people groups within nations and transcending nations 2x (see Ps 2:1 & note)
amim - mainly as races composed of individuals. 5x ( Gen 25:8)
v2 salvation known in all nations (goyim)
v3 races (amim) will praise You 2x
v4 people groups (leumim) rejoice and sing
for You will judge races (amim) uprightly
and people groups (leumim) on earth, You will lead them
v5 races (amim) will praise You 2x
Those prayed for are referred to by a variety of terms ("peoples, nations, nationalities") which, taken together, are surely designed to include all the groups that dwell upon the face of the earth.
One might say that this psalm is one of the clearest expressions of the thought that Israel is to be God's priest to the nations ( Exo 19:5-6). The nation Israel as a whole was not always clear as to its destiny nor mindful of it. But this is one of the psalms that expresses this noble destiny most directly and enters into the spirit of it. - H. C. Leupold
All nations need salvation, but many of them do not know it, desire it, or seek it; our prayer and labour should be, that the knowledge of salvation may become as universal as the light of the sun. Despite the gloomy notions of some, we cling to the belief that the kingdom of Christ will embrace the whole habitable globe, and that all flesh shall see the salvation of God: for this glorious consummation we agonize in prayer. - C. H. Spurgeon
v3 - exactly repeated in v5.
Members of every race will praise God as a result of vv1-2.
v4 - I am surprised that the reason the nations rejoice is because God will judge them uprightly. Maybe this is after intense suffering as in the previous psalm.
God will not only judge them, but lead them. This is the New Testament leading of the Spirit. Rom 8:14
The repetition of v3 in v5 makes this verse, which is practically the keynote, a refrain. - H. C. Leupold
v6 - The increase would be people getting saved and growing in the Lord from among the nations.
And God, even our own God, shall bless us. He will make earth's increase to be a real blessing. ... We never love God aright till we know him to be ours, and the more we love him the more we long to be fully assured that he is ours. ... Every believing Jew must feel a holy joy at the thought that the nations shall be blessed by Abraham's God; but every Gentile believer also rejoices that the whole world shall yet worship the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is our Father and our God. - Spurgeon
v7 - I don't think this is the millenium. I think it is God's salvation going out to all the earth.
The prayer of the first verse is the song of the last. We have the same phrase twice, and truly the Lord's blessing is manifold; he blesses and blesses and blesses again.- Spurgeon
- Steve Miller
copyright 11/22/2020 voiceInWilderness.info
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Tune Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow 8.8.8.8.
1 1 God will give grace to us and bless.
He'll cause His face to shine through us, < Selah>
2 Your way in the earth to make known,
in all nations Your salvation.
2 3 O God, races will praise You r name.
Races will praise You, all of them.
4 The peoples will re-joice and sing
for You'll judge races uprightly,
3 and the peoples on earth You'll lead,
them, Your salvation to give heed. < Selah>
5 O God, the races will praise You.
Races, all of them, will praise You.
4 6 The earth has giv-en her increase.
God, our God, will bless us with peace.
7 God will bless us, and they shall fear,
all ends of earth shall Him revere.
- Steve Miller
copyright 11/22/2020 voiceInWilderness.info
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel: saying unto them,
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee;
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
Ephesians 3:8 To me, less than the least of all saints, has this grace been given, to announce among the nations the glad tidings of the unsearchable riches of the Christ,
9 and to enlighten all with the knowledge of what is the administration of the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God, who has created all things,
10 in order that now to the principalities and authorities in the heavenlies might be made known through the church the all-various wisdom of God,
11 according to the purpose of the ages, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Exodus 19:5 And now, if ye will hearken to my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then shall ye be my own possession out of all the peoples -- for all the earth is mine --
6 and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God which carries with it salvation for all men has appeared,
Luke 2:29 Lord, now thou let Thy bondman go, according to Thy word, in peace;
30 for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
31 which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;
32 a light for revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.
Psalm 98:2 The LORD has made known His salvation: His righteousness has He openly showed in the sight of the nations.
Isaiah 52:10 The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Romans 8:14 for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Genesis 25:8 And Abraham expired and died in a good old age, old and full of days; and was gathered to his peoples.
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