Psalms 66

Psalms 66:1

Psalm 66: Come, See, and Hear!66:1-4 In the first four verses, the psalmist calls on the whole earth to join in singing the praises of God. It should be a joyful song and one that celebrates the excellencies of His name. The praise should be glorious because the Subject is glorious. The very words of the song of universal worship are given. We might paraphrase them as follows: Lord, Your accomplishments are tremendous. Your power is so devastating that Your enemies cringe before You. At last the whole earth bows before You in worship. Everywhere people praise Your name in song. This song will no doubt be a favorite when the kingdom age arrives. 66:5-7 The recurrence of our and us in verses 5-12 leads us to believe that these are the evangelistic sentiments of the Jewish remnant in the last days as they invite the nations to ponder the astounding things that God has done for Israel. Two terrific displays of His might come to mind. He made a highway of dry land through the Red Sea. And when the Israelites came to the Jordan River forty years later, they were able to cross dry-shod. What rejoicing exploded in Israel then! The people exulted in their God whose mighty dominion never ends and whose eyes keep close watch on the nations. It’s foolish for anyone to rebel against a God like this. 66:8-12 The Gentiles should also bless God for the miraculous way in which He preserved the people of Israel. In a rapidly changing succession of figures Israel is pictured as: being refined like silver when it is subjected to intense heat by the smelter (v. 10). being imprisoned as if in a net (v. 11a). being forced to slave labor (v. 11b). being downtrodden by wretched men (v. 12a). being exposed to frightful dangers, as if going through fire and through water (v. 12b). Yet God did not allow them to be finally overthrown. Rather He brought them into rich fulfillmenta reference to Israel’s superabundant prosperity in the Millennium. As Williams puts it: In spite of the unceasing efforts of Satan and man to utterly destroy Israel, her twelve tribes will appear at Mt. Sion upon the Millennial morn, and so demonstrate the truth of the ninth verse. They will testify that the chastisements justly laid upon them (vv. 10-12) were designed in love and executed in wisdom. 66:13-15 In verses 13-20, the I and my indicate that the chorus has become a solo. Several sober commentators believe that the speaker is the Lord Jesus, Israel’s King and Great High Priest. He comes to God with burnt offerings of a life totally devoted to the will of His Father. He pays the vows of praise which He had promised when in trouble. This may refer to His own sufferings on the cross, or to the sufferings which He felt in the sufferings of His people, for “In all their affliction He was afflicted” (Isa_63:9). When we read here of burnt offerings, of the sacrifice of rams and of an offering of bulls and goats, we need not take them with exact literalness, except as the psalmist spoke of his own experience. In association with His people, the Messiah uses these as figures of the spiritual worship which He and the remnant will bring. However, this does not deny that a modified sacrificial system may be reinstituted in the Kingdom. 66:16-19 In verse 5, the invitation was “Come and see.” Here in verse 16 it is “Come and hear.” The works of God in history can be seen, but His dealing with the soul can only be heard. The Messiah invites all God-fearing people to hear His testimony of answered prayer. He had cried to Him in supplication and in exaltation. The reference is to the days of His flesh when He “offered up both supplications and entreaties to Him who was able to save Him out of death, with strong crying and tears” (Heb_5:7, JND). If He had regarded iniquity in His heart, the Lord would not have heard Him. But He was without sin, and so He was heard “because of His piety” (Heb_5:7, JND). 66:20 And this inspired the closing burst of praise: Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!