Psalm 65
Israel Looking Forward to the Millennium
Israel Looking Forward to the Millennium
Psalm 65. This is another Psalm of David, and it seems to express the sentiments of Israel looking forward to the Millennium, when “that the creature itself also shall be set free from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). It really captures the confidence of the faithful remnant in what God, the God they have come to know through the experiences of the great tribulation.
PSALM 65
To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David: a Song.
1 Praise waiteth for thee in silence, O God, in Zion; and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
vv.1-2 God to be Praised in Zion by All Flesh. The remnant can look beyond all of their trials to the time when God will reign in Zion, where praise awaits Him. However, it is still anticipated; i.e. “in silence” at the moment. They view Zion as the center of God’s praise in the earth. Not just Israel, but “all flesh” will come up to Him in Jerusalem to offer praise. It is a striking way that God is referred to, as “thou that hearest prayer”, perhaps in contrast to the false gods of other nations.
3 Iniquities have prevailed against me: our transgressions, thou wilt forgive them.
4 Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to approach: he shall dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, of thy holy temple.
5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation, thou confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the distant regions of the sea. …
6 Who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with power;
7 Who stilleth the raging of the seas, the raging of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.
8 And they that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens; thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
9 Thou hast visited the earth, thou hast watered it; thou greatly enrichest it: the river of God is full of water; thou providest their corn, when thou hast so prepared it:
10 Thou dost satiate its furrows, thou smoothest its clods, thou makest it soft with showers; thou blessest the springing thereof.
11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy paths drop fatness:
12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness, and the hills are girded with gladness.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, yea, they sing.
vv.3-13 God as the Blesser of the Earth. The faithful in Israel anticipate what God will do for them and for the whole earth. The first thing is that He will forgive their transgressions. The second thing is that He will allow His people to approach Him and His millennial “holy temple”. The third thing is that He will defend Israel with terrible acts of righteousness. Perhaps this refers to the defence of Israel at the second attack of the Assyrian (God and Magog), when the Lord will “roar out of Zion” (Joel 3:16), and “tread the winepress” (Rev. 19:15). Notice that God is referred to as “the confidence of all the ends of the earth”. Again, God is proven to be the only One worthy of confidence. In vv.6-13 we have an expansion of God’s power which will be put forth in the Millennium for blessing on the earth. Whether it be the mountains, the seas, the masses of peoples, watering the earth, causing the crops to grow, etc. all of it is a result of God’s blessing on the earth. The “river of God is full of water”, refers to the river of life that will flow from the Millennial temple (Ezek. 47:1-12). We have a beautiful picture of the earth in the Millennium under the blessing of God; “The meadows are clothed with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, yea, they sing.”