Psalms 66 and 67.
These two psalms continue the song of praise begun in the 65th. Psalm 66 is addressed to all the earth in view of the Lord’s having come to set up His authority here; He will have put down all that oppose Him. He must reign, 1 Corinthians 15:25 tells us, until, He has put all enemies under His feet, though that will not be entirely accomplished at the beginning, but at the end of the millennium. What triumph for the Crucified One when His enemies, who once nailed Him to a cross and now despise Him, come cringing to Him (verse 3)!
Verse 6 refers to the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt at the Red Sea (Exodus 14).
Verses 8 to 12 make known that the afflictions of the remnant were intended by God to be not only a blessing to them, but to the Gentiles who would believe through their word.
“Thou has tried us” in verse 10 is “Thou hast refined us.” (See in this connection Isaiah 48:10; Zechariah 13:9 and Malachi 3:3).
Silver was the metal used for redemption, a type of a ransom for the soul, in Exodus 30:12-16. See its use in the tabernacle, God’s dwelling place in the wilderness with His people, in Exodus 36:20-31, to support the acacia wood boards which formed the sides, and to faith represents the believers brought together by power not their own to form the house of God. (See Ephesians 2:19-22).
Not in cold, lifeless formality does the renewed heart consider the prospect of going to the appointed place of meeting (verses 13-15); the voice of testimony is heard (verses 16-19), and the psalm closes with praise to God. Such should be the habit of the Christian as he passes on his way to glory with Christ.
In Psalm 67 the song of praise reaches its height, and all the inhabitants of the earth are again before the inspired writer for their blessing.
Truly blessed will be the inhabitants of this world when He reigns, for whom creation waits.
Psalm 68, also a “song,” is of different character to those which have preceded it, a sort of review or reflection upon what has happened, and so we may say that after the short psalm 67 before us, the subject changes, yet praise to our God continues, and will continue without end eternally, for all the mercy and grace He has shown to those who have, all unworthy in themselves, been led to put their trust in Him,—in the Son of His love.
ML 01/11/1931