Give Praise to God for His Works & His Forgiveness of Sin Psalm 66

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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
October 3, 2021

Give Praise to God for His Works & His Forgiveness of Sin

Psalm 66

PLEASE NOTE – These are rough draft notes used for preaching and not a manuscript as is usually posted.

Introduction

Read Psalm 66

A simple outline for this Psalm

Shout Joyfully (1-4)

Come and See (5-7)

Bless Our God (8-15)

Come and Hear (16-20)

Author: Unknown. It is simply entitled, “For the choir director – A song – A Psalm It was meant to be used in worship of God – either at the Tabernacle or in the Temple.

The difference between a Song (ryv3 / shir) and Psalm (rWmz5m3 / mizmor). A song is sung. The term Psalm here refers to playing on musical instruments –

The Tone of Psalm: universal

Unknown specific situation  (David, Hezikiah???)

Exposition Notes

Shout Joyfully (1-4)

1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;

2 Sing the glory of His name;

Make His praise glorious.

3 Say to God, “How awesome are Thy works!”

Because of the greatness of Thy power

Thine Enemies will give feigned obedience to Thee.

4 “All the earth will worship Thee,

And will sing praises to Thee;

They will sing praises to Thy name.” [Selah.

* Shout joyfully. Not random noise, but praise. Common command throughout Psalms – shout / sing / proclaim to God with joy. Whether you can carry a tune or not – proclaim God’s glory, give Him praise

Praise – sincerely & deeply thankful in lauding a superior quality or great acts of the object being praised – here God

* Make praise glorious – weighty – honorable, impressive, grand, worthy of respect, Tame praise not sufficient – Do not hold back. Includes idea of pomp & ceremony of solemnity as well.* All the earth – God deserves more than just what people can give. Creation already does this – Psalm 19. People should do this voluntarily – but one day all will bow and confess – Phil. 2:9-11. Creation already does proclaim God’s glory – Psalm 19

* Vs 1,2 – Example of such praise: Song of Moses in Exodus 15 (note vs 20,21); David in bringing ark to Jerusalem – 2 Samuel 6:12-14* Instruction on praise: His Awesome works! – Awesome – “terrible” in KJV – referring here to the acts of God that would cause fear and / or reverence for Him. What works of God are awesome? – many, many. Anything in Creation. God’s interventions recorded in the Bible – and those personally experienced. A few will be specifically mentioned in this Psalm

* Vs 3.. Feigned obedience – refers to rebellious who obey out of fear – but will rebel again if they can get away with it. Common response of man to earthly and supernatural powers. Enemies bend to God’s power unwillingly – but they must bend (Phil 2:10 & Zech. 14:16f)

* All the earth will (future) worship Thee. (Zech 14:16f, etc). This will be the response during the Millennium – and eternity.

Selah – a pause for a musical interlude

Come and See (5-7)

5 Come and see the works of God,

Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.

6 He turned the sea into dry land;

They passed through the river on foot;

There let us rejoice in Him!

* Deeds mentioned: Crossing the Red Sea (Ex 12), Crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 3). They worshiped God – Exod. 15. Joshua 4 – the 12 memorial stones set up to prod remembrance & worship

7 He rules by His might forever;

His eyes keep watch on the nations;

Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. [Selah.

* The hearts of the kings of the Amorities melted when they heard about the crossing of the Jordan on dry land – Joshua 5:1

* Rules by His might forever (Zech 14; Rev 19-21;* Watches nations, humbles the rebellious: 2 Kings 18 & 19 (Sennacharib & Hezikiah). 1 Peter 5:5 – God is opposed to the proud.

* The plagues on Egypt destroying her power fits the description

Selah – a musical pause / interlude to highten the thought given

Bless Our God (8-15)

8 Bless our God, O peoples,

And sound His praise abroad,

9 Who keeps us in life,

And does not allow our feet to slip.

10 For Thou hast tried us, O God;

Thou hast refined us as silver is refined.

* All peoples called to praise God – and spread his praise everywhere. The Jewish nation was to be a nation of priests spreading the knowledge of God so that He would be praised – (Exodus 19:6). Their failure to do that is one of the reasons the church was formed – Romans 9 (grafted in) 1 Peter 2:9

* vs 9: a reason to sound God’s praises – He both gives us life – and He keeps us stable. Paul pointed this out to the Athenians – Acts 17:28. Jesus is both our creator and sustainor – Col. 1:16-17.

* The Psalmists often expressed their trust in God to preserve & protect them – Psalm 37:23-24; 62:2; 94:18; 121:3 – “He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber”

* Trials come and test our faith – they refine us (James 1; Rom 5). Silver refined by heating it so that the impurities will rise – dross – to be skimmed off leaving behind the pure metal.

Examples of refining in verses 11-12

11 Thou didst bring us into the net;

Thou didst lay an oppressive burden upon our loins.

12 Thou didst make men ride over our heads;

We went through fire and through water;

Yet Thou didst bring us out into a place of abundance.

This could fit many situations Israel experienced

Net = encompassed by enemies. Slaves in Eygpt. Judges recounts a cycle of oppression, repentance, deliverance. Foreign oppression rose when ungodly kings were on the throne in Judah / Israel. Would fit Hezekiah’s situation with Assyria..

Heavy burden – They would pay tribute to the oppressing nations

Men “ride over their heads” – military defeat. * Men ride over heads. Bondage, Oppression, Subjugation. Hebrew = to be superior to, to subdue to oneself and subject, and to sit upon and insult, just as the horseman rules with the rein, and spur, and whip.

Fire & water – both pitiless and encompassing – fire devours, water drowns. * Fire & Water. Water = Red Sea. Fire = Fiery serpents or fire on Korah (Num 16) (Fire & Water both needed for purification: Numbers 31:23)

Reference to Egyptian bondage? – for they were brought out of Egypt to the promised land – a land of abundance.

13 I shall come into Thy house with burnt offerings;

I shall pay Thee my vows,

14 Which my lips uttered

And my mouth spoke when I was in distress.

15 I shall offer to Thee burnt offerings of fat beasts,

With the smoke of rams;

I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats [Selah]

* Burnt Offering: Lev 1 – an offering of self-consecration. These are all acts of voluntary worship.

* Vs 13-15. I will pay the vows. “All men have trouble, but they act not in the same manner while under it; the profane take to swearing and the godly to praying. Both bad and good have been known to resort to vowing, but the one is a liar unto God, and the other a conscientious respecter of his word” – C.H. Spurgeon.

* Psalmist now become personal – Here is what God has done for me

Come and Hear (16-20)

16 Come and hear, all who 120 fear God,

And I will tell you what He has done for my soul.

17 I cried to Him with my mouth,

And He was extolled with my tongue.

* Cried = prayer. Extolled = praise

18 If I 121 regard wickedness in my heart,

The Lord will not hear;

* If I know about my sin and do nothing – God will not hear – i.e. He will not be paying attention to my half-hearted prayer.

God hates those who do iniquity – Psalm 5:5

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord – Prov. 15:8. The Lord is far from the wicked – Prov. 15:29. He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination – Prov. 28:9. Rebukes to Judah for this – Isaiah 1:15-17;

The man born blind understood – John 9:31

James 4:3 – a reason prayers go unanswered

An issue of the heart, not just outward actions – God searches the heart – Jeremiah 17:10

 

the solution – Isaiah 55:6-7 James 4:8-10

19 But certainly God has heard;

He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His lovingkindness from me.

* God did hear – not a boast of self-righteousness. A shout of praise.

God hears the prayer of the humble – Psalm 10:17

* God has not turned away my prayer or lovingkindness. (Cf Lam. 3:22,23)– Luke 16:20f – the rich man & Lazarus – and example of who God turns away from and who he listens to.

*Are you humble before God?

*Confess what you are aware of – conviction of conscience

*Search God’s word to learn what you should confess – learning God’s commands, precept and will – training the conscience. Not a matter of how you feel – but what is right before God. The righteous seek the light – John 3:20-21

*Seek God to make you aware of hidden faults too – Psalm 139:23-24 – Psalm 26:2

*Do you bless God for what He has done!