Praise God from All to One

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Psalm 66

Notice the last verse of Psalm 65 — “the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.”

Now notice the first 2 verses of Psalm 66 — “Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing to the glory of his name”

1. Two Trajectories — There are 2 great movements in this Psalm.  
   1. Praise in Psalm 66 moves from macro (large scale) to micro (small scale).
      1. Macro Praise — “Shout with joy to God, all the earth,” Verse 1 & “Praise our God, O peoples,” Verse 8
      2. Micro Praise — “I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you,” Verse 13
      3. Illustration — As this Psalm begins on the large scale and narrows to the small scale, the symphony of Franz Joseph Haydn.  Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor, entitled the “Farewell Symphony” — “The reason this piece is called the Farewell Symphony is that it begins with the entire orchestra on the platform, but then, as the piece develops, the various sections of the orchestra and its members get up one by one and leave the platform until at the very end only two violinists are left. When the piece was first performed in Vienna in 1772, as each instrumentalist finished his part he blew out a lantern that was at his place to illuminate the music. So, as the musicians left, the lights went out too.”
      4. Interpretation — The 66^th Psalm is similar because those singing the chorus of praise dwindle from the entire earth, to National Israel and finally to the Psalmist.  But, the difference between the symphony and this Psalm is the Psalm does not dwindle in its intensity but rather the passion of the praise builds and builds.  The Psalmist’s intense passion shines through rather than diminishes.
      5. Application — The greatest praise occurs on the personal level, not in a group   B. Praise alternates from being offered up to God and an invite for others to join in.
         1. Verses 1-4 — Praise is offered up to God from the entire earth.
         2. Verses 5-7 — An invite for everyone to come and see what God is doing.
         3. Verses 8-12 — Praise is offered to God by God’s Covenant People.
         4. Verses 13-15 — The Psalmist offer personal praise to God through Sacrifices.
         5. Verses 16-20 — The Entire Earth is invited to hear what God did for the Psalmist.  In this way, the Psalms message is circular in motion from earth to Israel, to the Psalmist and back to earth again!
2. Worldwide Praise to God — At this point, it is clear this Psalm looks to all the earth to praise God.  What is the problem with this? 
   1. The Exclusivity of Israel.  The Jewish people were supposed to be reaching the Gentiles with the truth of God.  But instead, they had become exclusive.  This was one of the reasons the prophet Amos prophesied God allowed the Northern Kingdom to be carried away as captives by the Assyrians.  Injustice towards the Gentiles.
   2. The Heart of God for the Gentiles.  Remember, the purpose for the nation of Israel was clearly revealed in the Covenant/Promise the Lord made with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 — “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
   3. Psalms 65-68 call upon all the world to praise and glorify God and not just Israel.
   4. A World of Sinners.  The problem here is that no one praises God of their own accord.  The reason is obviously because human beings are sinful by nature.
      1. Note Romans 1:20 & 21 — For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
      2. The Reality — The fact that humans have to be invited to “come and see what God has done” in verse 5 shows that while humans ought to come and give thanks to God and praise Him, they do not because they are sinful creatures.
      3. An Impressive God — Verse 6 records 2 great miracles performed by God for His people. 
         1. In Egypt.  There were many people in the ancient world who witnessed the miracles God performed for His people in that “He turned the sea into dry land” in Verse 6
         2. At Jericho.  “they passed through the river on foot”
         3. But there were many of those people who were not moved to actually turn from their idolatry and worship Israel’s God alone.
      4. Illustration — Hurricane Katrina made landfall off the coast of Louisiana on August 29, 2005. It hit land as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching speeds as high as 120 miles per hour. Because of the ensuing destruction and loss of life, the storm is often considered one of the worst in U.S. history. An estimated 1,200 people died as a direct result of the storm, which also cost an estimated $108 billion in property damage, making it the costliest storm on record.
      5. Application — After hurricane Katrina many would have said “maybe God is trying to tell us something” or, “maybe this is God’s judgment on America?”
         1. There is a big difference between being impressed by something God has done and worshipping, thanking, loving and praising Him.
         2. All these people had God on their mind and God was brought into their conversations but that does NOT mean they actually fell before Him in repentance and faith in Christ.
         3. It’s possible for someone to say “how awesome are your deeds”— Verse 3 and yet not be born again.

Conclusion:  “Acts of God” are sudden, unexpected events that can’t be controlled or protected against. Act of God insurance refers to any kind of insurance that protects against these events. When it comes to car insurance, act of God insurance sometimes refers to comprehensive coverage. For homeowners insurance, you’re protected against some acts of God—such as wind—with a standard policy, while others—like flooding—require a special endorsement.

We may be able to buy insurance that protects our material possessions from “Acts of God”, but no earthly insurance can save us from the wrath of God, only the blood of a sinless sacrifice can do that.

The Bible teaches Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and on crucifixion day, Jesus took our place and suffered God’s wrath on our behalf.  And all who call upon His name and ask forgiveness will be saved.