Psalms 65:1

PSALM 65

THE EARTH AS EVIDENCE OF GOD'S LOVE FOR MAN

MAN DOES NOT LIVE ALONE

SUPERSCRIPTION: FOR THE CHIEF MUSICIAN.

A PSALM. A SONG OF DAVID.

The title which we have assigned to this psalm is inspired by a little book entitled, "Man Does not Live Alone," by A. Cresy Morrison (Fleming H. Revell Company), in which he enumerated many of the almost innumerable features of the earth itself which make it suitable for the home of God's human creation, many of which features appear to defy the very laws of nature, the entire result of which speaks eloquently of the providence of God.

One of those God-arranged features of our planet, without which life, as we know it, would be impossible is the expansion of water when it freezes, that quality being unique among all liquids. Others are the exact distance of the moon from our planet, the exact angle of the earth's tilted inclination upon its axis, etc. All such marvelous providential arrangements of the earth are dramatically stated in this psalm, "Thou hast so prepared the earth" (Psalms 65:9).

The assignment of the psalm to David in the superscription is denied by many scholars who admit at the same time that they have no idea who wrote it; and we continue to remain unimpressed with that kind of `information.'

The grounds upon which the Davidic authorship is denied include:

(a) the mention of the temple and its courts (Psalms 65:4). However, we have repeatedly noted that this terminology is scripturally applied to the "tabernacle" as well as to the temple. Besides that, as Leupold observed, "Spiritual fellowship is intended here rather than physical presence in some public sanctuary."[1]

(b) Another ground of denying David as the author is in the allegation that "the style" here is not that of David, to which the reply should be made that there are no "experts" on the alleged "style" of David's writings, whose testimony is any more dependable than the affirmations of the superscription.

(c) A third basis of denying Davidic authorship was stated by Delitzsch. "It is uncritical to assign to David all the Psalms ascribed to him in the superscriptions."[2] This statement is nothing more than an admission that it is very popular among critics to deny Davidic authorship of psalms ascribed to him, whenever it is possible to do so. This also, in our opinion, constitutes no valid grounds whatever for such denials.

In this light, "We are content to let the heading stand as it is."[3] No, of course, we cannot prove it, but what difference does that make? "On the basis of material in the Psalm itself, David's authorship can be neither proved nor disproved."[4]

There are three natural divisions of the psalm. (1) God is praised for his moral qualities (Psalms 65:1-5). (2) God is praised for his preparation of the earth as a dwelling place for mankind (Psalms 65:6-9). (3) God is praised for an abundant harvest (Psalms 65:10-13).

PRAISING GOD FOR WHAT HE DOES FOR HIS PEOPLE

Psalms 65:1-5

"Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion;

And unto thee shall the vow be performed.

O thou that hearest prayer,

Unto thee shall all flesh come.

Iniquities prevail against me:

As for our transgressions, thou wilt forgive them.

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causeth to approach unto thee,

That he may dwell in thy courts:

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house,

Thy holy temple.

By terrible things wilt thou answer us in righteousness,

O God of our salvation,

Thou that art the confidence of the ends of the earth,

And of them that are afar off upon the sea."

God is here praised:

(a) because He hears prayers (Psalms 65:2)

(b) because He forgives sins (Psalms 65:3)

(c) because He provides fellowship with Himself for His people "in His courts," that is, in His presence in heaven, (Psalms 65:4), and

(d), because He delivers His people from their enemies (Psalms 65:5).

"Praise waiteth for God ... vows shall be performed" (Psalms 65:1). It may seem strange that "praise" and "vows" should thus be mentioned together, but McCaw's explanation is excellent.

"The vows of Old Testament religion were not techniques of putting pressure on God or driving a bargain with him. They were a recognition that prayer for God's blessing must go hand in hand with consecration, and that thanksgiving can never be merely verbal, but must receive concrete expression in lives and goods. Thus, both `praise' and `vows' are abundantly due to a bountiful God."[5]

"O thou that hearest prayer" (Psalms 65:2). There is nothing more wonderful that can be known about God than this very fact that he answers our prayers. The Scriptures strongly emphasize the Christian's duty to pray. "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you": "Men ought always to pray and not to faint"; "Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he will give you"; "Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full"; "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." All of these commandments are the precious words of the New Testament.

"Unto thee shall all flesh come" (Psalms 65:2). Some would restrict this mention of "all flesh" to mean "all Israel," but it appears to us that, coupled with, "the ends of the earth" (Psalms 65:5) and the "uttermost parts" (Psalms 65:8), there is an echo here of the promise to Abraham that "all the families of the earth" were to be blessed in the Seed Singular of that patriarch, even in Jesus Christ.

Leupold cited these words, "As an obvious protest against an unwholesome exclusivism into which Israel of old might have been in danger of falling."[6] Indeed it was such an exclusivism that led to the Jewish hatred of Paul and his mission to the Gentiles, and which was also the key element in their violent rejection of Christianity.

"Iniquities ... thou wilt forgive them" (Psalms 65:3). These words also are a prophecy of a time yet future when the psalmist wrote; because the forgiveness of sins was given by Jeremiah as one of the distinctive elements of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-35).

"Iniquities prevail against me ... our transgressions" (Psalms 65:3). Note the "me" and "our" pronouns here, also that forgiveness was not given to the psalmist until it was simultaneously bestowed upon him and the nation. The truth behind this is that the actual expiation for sins did not occur in the Old Testament at all but at the Cross of Jesus Christ. Whatever "forgiveness" was available to God's saints under the Old Covenant, it was tentative and not final. "There was a remembrance made of sins year by year" (Hebrews 10:3). All sins, both those of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, were removed by the Atonement of Christ on Calvary, where he died, "for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2).

It was in the spirit of prophecy alone that the psalmist could have written these words.

"Blessed is the man whom thou choosest" (Psalms 65:4). The psalmist here was probably thinking of the choice of Israel to be the Chosen People and to bring in the Messiah for the salvation all men, but the words are unlimited in their application. "Not only, `blessed is the nation' (Psalms 33:12), but `blessed is the man,' the particular man, how mean soever, whom God chooses, and causes him to approach God. Such a man is the happiest of mortals; he shall dwell in the courts of God, for he has been assured of divine favor and has received the pledge and the earnest of everlasting bliss."[7]

"By terrible things in righteousness" (Psalms 65:5). This verse is a sequel to Psalms 65:2; and what is referred to is, "The terrible acts of God's righteous judgments upon the enemies of Israel."[8] In God's dealings with Israel, there were many occasions which fit this description. The destruction of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea and the death of Sennacherib's army of 185,000 men in a single night are two examples.

"Thou that art the confidence of all the ends of the earth" (Psalms 65:5). There is no way to avoid the application of these words to the entire human race. The God of Israel is indeed the God of all men, the only hope of salvation that our poor world has ever had, or ever shall have.

The inspired author of these words might have been trying in such words as these to awaken Israel to their God-given mission of enlightening all the world with the knowledge of the One God, a mission which, it seems, was never any big concern of the Chosen People, who stubbornly held to the conceit that they alone were the object of God's love and concern.

The words of Psalms 65:5 here flatly declare that the only hope and confidence of the remotest man on earth is only in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.