FOR THE DIRECTOR of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2O you who hear prayer,
to you all men will come.
3When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
4Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
5You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
6who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.
9You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
10You drench its furrows
and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
and bless its crops.
11You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12The grasslands of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
13The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Original Meaning
Psalm 65 continues the growing crescendo of praise begun in Psalm 56. In doing so it exhibits a number of themes and phrases in common with the preceding group of psalms. It begins with a promise to fulfill “our vows,” a phrase reminiscent of the concluding promise of 61:8 (“fulfill my vows day after day”) and reflected in 56:12 (“I am under vows to you”) and 66:13–14 (“I will . . . fulfill my vows to you—vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble”).1
The psalm also speaks of the universal recognition and acknowledgment of Israel’s God. “All men [kol baśar; lit., all flesh] will come” to God, seeking forgiveness (65:2–3) from the one who is the “hope of all the ends of the earth” (65:5—a phrase found also in 59:13; 61:2; 67:7; 72:8); “those living far away fear your wonders.”2 In addition, Psalm 65 shares with this broader group of psalms a concern with the temple of God (cf. 65:4) and its blessings.3 In particular, we encounter expressions of the psalmist’s desire and hope to “dwell” in God’s sanctuary and presence (cf. 57:1; 61:4; 63:7).
The psalm is a thanksgiving for forgiveness of sin (65:3), for God’s provision of security and stability in the midst of turmoil (65:7), and especially for his abundant provision of the necessities of life for humankind and beasts (65:9–13). It may have originated as a thanksgiving for abundant crops and perhaps even accompanied the offering of firstfruits.4 The structure exhibits three sections: praise for forgiveness of sin (65:1–4), praise for God’s stabilizing power (65:5–8), and praise for the blessings of the land (65:9–13).
THE HEADING OFFERS no new terms. It is referred to “the director of music” and (like the preceding Pss. 62–64) is described as a “psalm [mizmor] of David.”5 The term “song” (šir)6 is also appended at the end, perhaps as a way of binding the following two non-Davidic psalms (Pss. 66 and 67)—which also bear the two terms mizmor (“psalm”) and šir (“song”) in their headings—more firmly into the Davidic collection.7
Forgiveness of Sin (65:1–4)
THE PSALMIST DIRECTS praise to God, who is in Zion.8 Zion is most often associated with the hill in Jerusalem on which the temple stood and is, therefore, the place at which God in particular is thought to come down to dwell with his people. In 2:6, Zion is Yahweh’s “holy hill,” where the king is established as God’s “son.” Zion is thus the place where Israel’s religious and political hopes come together. In this particular psalm, however, the political elements are not evident, and it seems to be the temple and its redemptive action in forgiveness of sin that are foremost in the psalmist’s mind in these verses.
Our vows will be fulfilled.9 As noted above, this phrase reflects one of the common concerns of the larger group of Psalms 56–67. The vow that will be fulfilled is apparently one to “praise” God after deliverance from trouble (cf. 61:8; 66:13–14). That “trouble” most often is described as the attacks of the enemy. Here, however, distress is the result of sin (65:3a), and praise is a response to God’s forgiveness (65:3b). Since God is the one who hears prayer, “all flesh” (kol baśar; NIV “all men”) will come to him seeking forgiveness. The phrase “all flesh” reaches far beyond the confines of Israel to include all humanity, and even in many instances the animal world. This phrase first appears in the Flood account (Gen. 6–9) to describe the living creatures—human and animal—that Noah brought by pairs into the ark. Those that remained outside perished: “And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all human beings” (7:21, lit. trans.).
In the prophets, “all flesh” is a particularly inclusive term encompassing all humanity—Israelite and Gentile alike. While the animal world is not clearly stressed in these contexts, it is likewise not clear that they are excluded in such statements as Jeremiah’s wonderful proclamation: “See, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27, lit. trans.).
But it is in Isaiah 66:18–24 that our psalm finds its closest parallel and, perhaps, its foundational vision. At the conclusion of Isaiah, Yahweh proclaims his intention to reunite all humanity—fractured at Babel—so that “they will come and see my glory” (Isa. 66:18). The scattering of exiles throughout the nations is seen as a “sign” and a mission to the nations to “proclaim my glory among the nations” (66:19). As a result, representatives of “all the nations” will be brought to Yahweh’s “holy mountain in Jerusalem,” where they will become “priests and Levites” (66:20–21). Then “all flesh [lit.] will come and bow down before me” (66:23).
When we were overwhelmed . . . you atoned. The psalmist’s prayer seems to champion the cause of all humanity. Coming as it does in the context of “all flesh,” the plural reference in “we” seems to seek the restoration of all humanity rather than just Israel. This broader concern is also reflected in the later description of God as “our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas” (65:5, italics added)—another clear reference to far-flung humanity.
Acknowledging an overwhelming sense of guilt for sin (65:3a), the psalmist nevertheless affirms past experience of God’s forgiveness and restoration (65:3b–4). Not only are the supplicants forgiven, but they are even chosen to live in the presence of God. The reference in 65:4b to living in the “courts” of God might be taken as an indication of priestly status for the psalmist, but it is more likely a metaphor for experiencing the nearness of God that his association with the “holy temple” (65:4c–d) offers.10 Those who are forgiven are also chosen to come near to live in God’s courts and experience the blessing of that association when they “are filled with the good things of your house” (65:4c). God is a gracious and generous host, providing abundantly for the needs of his guests.
God’s Stabilizing Power (65:5–8)
NOT ONLY DOES God forgive sin, but he also provides a stabilizing influence on a world beset with turmoil. God hears the prayer of the sinner and responds “with awesome deeds of righteousness” (65:5a). The Savior God, the “hope of all the ends of the earth,” is acknowledged as the powerful creator of the mountains, who was able to provide effective boundaries to the chaotic waters at creation and will similarly provide limits to the power of the “nations” and “the turmoil” that results from their striving (65:7).
It is important to note here that the NIV’s “nations” obscures the redemptive thrust of this passage. “Nations” is the normal translation of goyim, a word that emphasizes the “otherness” of the non-Israelite nations, who are not part of Yahweh’s covenant relationship and who oppose him by their allegiance to other gods. The term that appears here, however, is leʾummim (“peoples”)—a less exclusive term that describes the ethnic groups that compose the larger geopolitical nation. By using the less exclusive term, the poet paves the way for the inclusion of the “peoples” of the world into the blessings of God.11
Where morning dawns and evening fades. The result of God’s continuing control of the universe and the human powers within it is that those who dwell at its furthest limits (an attempt to be all-inclusive rather than selective) are amazed by God’s wondrous power and righteousness (cf. 65:5, 8) and are inspired to shouts of joy. The divine acts are described (lit.) as “righteous acts that inspire fear” (65:5)12 and “wonders” or signs—intentional divine acts of communication to the inhabitants of the world. By his acts of concerned power, God confirms his protective care over the whole world and calls everyone—Israelite and Gentile alike—into a relationship of blessing and joy.
The Blessings of the Land (65:9–13)
THE FINAL SEGMENT of the psalm centers around the abundant blessings of the land enriched by God’s care (65:9). God so “cares for” or loves the land that he pours out his blessing on it. Everything is described in terms of excess. The streams are “filled with water”—an unusual circumstance in the arid conditions of Israel. The furrows and ridges are “drenched.” The grain is so abundant that the gathering carts “overflow” (65:11), and the normally parched steppelands yield copious grass to support the flocks of sheep and goats. As a result, the flocks increase and “cover” the meadows of the land (65:13) while the fertile valleys “are mantled” with grain.
All this excess is clearly attributed to the gracious care and effective power of God, who rules the earth from “where morning dawns and evening fades” (65:8) and to “all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas” (65:5). It is God who is at work in this miraculous season to top all seasons: “You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly” (65:9); “you drench its furrows . . . you soften it with showers and bless its crops” (65:10); “you crown the year with your bounty” (65:11). As a result, the land throws a party! The awesome deeds of God “call forth songs of joy” from the ends of the earth (65:8); and in these final verses the earth joins its voice in the singing, as the meadows and valleys, covered with flocks and grain like a warm cloak, “shout for joy and sing” (65:13).
The psalm in its original state seems to have been a national thanksgiving for a season of abundant crops and increasing herds. As such the place of the leʾummim—the non-Israelite nations—would have been primarily as spectators, driven to awe at the blessings poured out on Israel by their gracious God. The first four verses, however, reshape the meaning of the psalm in different and more inclusive directions. The abundant display of God’s care is now an evidence of his gracious mercy and forgiveness of sin. What might have been considered evidence of Israel’s special status as the people chosen for divine blessing has now become an example of God’s desire to draw “all flesh” (65:2) to himself to experience his salvation. In this light—and in the growing universal context of Psalms 56–68—God’s purposes are revealed to be far more than a single season of blessing for Israel. He desires nothing less than the restoration for all humanity of his original creation intention. That is reason for us to join in the party!
Bridging Contexts
BROUGHT NEAR TO live in your courts. Psalm 65 brings together a number of themes that are characteristic of the grouping of Psalms 56–72. Most of these themes circle around the temple (60:6; 63:2; 65:4; 66:13) and its role as the dwelling of God (61:4; 65:4), where vows are fulfilled (56:12; 65:1) and humans can find refuge (57:1; 59:9, 17; 61:3; 62:2, 6, 7, 8; 64:10).
Dwelling with God. The temple is the place where Yahweh causes his “name” to dwell (Deut. 12:5–7; Neh. 1:9) and where he is especially present with and in the midst of his people (Ps. 26:8). Because of its association with the protective and blessed presence of God, the loss of the temple by its destruction (and the continuing distance separating the Diaspora community even after its reconstruction) was a source of great pain to the exilic community (Pss. 74:1–11; 137). By contrast, the hope of visiting and seeing Jerusalem and the rebuilt temple was for an exiled pilgrim one of life’s highest joys (Pss. 84; 122; 126).
Perhaps one of the most beautiful images used in the psalms is the joyous hope of “dwelling” in the house of God. To experience the hospitality of Yahweh as host was the ultimate in luxury and honor (23:5–6; 36:8; 52:8; 65:4; 92:13–14) and provided a sense of security as well (23:4–6; 27:5; 31:20). It is unlikely that all these references suggest the actual possibility of pilgrims “dwelling in the house of God.” More likely the metaphor expresses the longing of the passionate worshiper for the nearness of God and the sustaining practices of worship associated with the temple.
Perhaps the longing cry of 84:10 best captures the urgency of this desire: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” The pilgrim, having experienced the glory of the temple, the restoration of its worship, and the nearness of God experienced in its precincts, now faces the long journey home, perhaps never to return. He or she is almost willing to take up the menial status of doorkeeper in order to remain forever in the center of God’s sustaining presence.
Taking refuge. God’s house is also viewed as a secure place of refuge for the beleaguered faithful. While the enemy lurks outside, the trusting guest enjoys the abundance of God’s table as well as his protection (Ps. 23). Yahweh hides the fleeing person deep in the inner recesses of the sanctuary (27:5), a possible reference to the use of the temple as a place of asylum (1 Kings 2:28–35).
The protective character of Yahweh’s temple and its promise of God’s presence with his people could lead to some dangerous distortions, however. By the time of the later monarchy, for example, the temple was seen as an absolute guarantee of divine protection. As long as it stood and the daily rituals and sacrifices performed, the temple and the nation would stand secure. Jeremiah, however, confronted the nation with the emptiness of this hope in his famous temple sermon (Jer. 7; 26), in which he deflated the deceptive belief that the temple without evidence of covenant loyalty and obedience could protect a perverse people from divine judgment.
If the temple fails to provide an enduring sense of security and hope (and this idea of the inviolability of the temple was surely dashed by the events of the Exile), where do a suffering people turn? Psalms 90 and 91 take the concept of dwelling in the house of Yahweh and renew its hopeful expectation by speaking instead of making Yahweh himself the place of dwelling: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations” (90:1); “if you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent” (91:9–10; cf. also 91:1–2).
This shift of focus from a building to the person of God, from a location to the ever-present Yahweh, paves the way for an understanding of God’s presence that breaks out of the national, political, and geographical limitations of ancient Israel. Yahweh is now the God of the whole earth (as the group of Pss. 56–72 increasingly attest) and can be present with those who fear him wherever and whoever they may be. The stage is set, so to speak, for the creator God of “all flesh” to seek the redemption of all humankind and the restoration of his original intention for the cosmos.
A subtle irony is expressed in the blessing of 65:4 on “those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!” Clearly the term “choose” has its roots in the theology of Israel’s election by Yahweh. In this context, however, immediately preceded by the hopeful proclamation, “O you who hear prayer, to you all men [kol baśar] will come” (65:2), Yahweh’s election is quietly expanded to include the whole of humanity who “come.” God is indeed “our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas” (65:5, italics added).
Contemporary Significance
SEEKING THE RESTORATION of all flesh. This psalm celebrates the restoration of God’s world and all who dwell within it. The creator God, who has the power to subdue and restrict the chaotic waters at creation (65:7a–b), is also more than capable of stilling the “turmoil” of the “peoples” (65:7c—leʾummim, not goyim), so that those living at the very edges of the world will fear God (65:8a–b) and will join in the chorus in praise of his wondrous works (65:8c). This psalm calls us to join in the restoration of “all flesh” to the purposes of God. How do we do that?
The contemporary mission movement developed out of a desire to fulfill this calling, especially as laid out in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19–20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,13 baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Christ’s commission is as inclusive as Psalm 65 in its intent to bring all peoples into the redemptive purposes of God. Missionaries attempt to reach “every people group” by communicating the words of God’s redemption “to the ends of the earth.”14 Since Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman (John 4), the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7), and the Roman centurion (Matt. 8), and since Philip instructed the Ethiopian eunuch and Paul and Barnabas began their mission to the Gentiles, the church has viewed going to the world as part of their purpose for being in the world.
But in the last fifty years or so, the world has been coming to us. As part of the thrust of contemporary urbanism, more and more persons of diverse ethnic and national origin have been congregating in world cities in order to access the resources available in developed societies like ours.15 The nations have flooded the developed world. The world has come to the city.
With all the problems it brings—diversity, cultural and religious pluralism, conflicting values and agendas, conflicts of identity—the influx of peoples represents a great opportunity to the church (and each of us individually) to understand how we can work to fulfill the vision of Psalm 65 in our own communities, cities, and nation. Here are just a few general suggestions of how we might begin to do just that.
(1) Gratitude for our own choosing. Praise and thanksgiving communicate a lot. Our own thanksgiving for the work of God in transforming our lives is one of the most attractive and contagious aspects of our churches. When we join the chorus of praise and thanksgiving, we are inviting others to stand alongside us and to experience the joy we share.
(2) Confession and forgiveness. Along with joyous praise, however, we need to include a healthy dose of confession of sin. Unless those who see us know why we are joyous, they may question whether what we experience is real, whether it can have any effect on the trouble and pain of their own lives. Unless we can communicate how those “overwhelming sins” have been forgiven, we may be offering nothing better than those who encourage masking reality with drugs, or booze, or wealth, or sex.
(3) The inclusive nature of God’s redemptive love. Despite the insistence of some church-growth specialists that churches grow better and faster when they are more ethnically, culturally, and financially similar, the call of Psalm 65 (and of the Great Commission, for that matter) is to bring “all flesh” to God’s redemptive love. However we have to do that, we must get the word across by our actions that God’s redemption is inclusive and not exclusive. God wants peoples near and far to fear his wondrous works, not by standing on the outside and looking in longingly but by standing shoulder to shoulder and joining in the chorus of praise: “O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth!”