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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
* 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
* 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
*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!