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Psalm 65
This is an exceptional poem about nature, but we find this is really a poem about the God of nature. We find woven into this great song, truth concerning the grace of God to humanity, God’s mighty works and that God Himself is the source of all the good which creation affords.
Upon closer inspection, we find the 65th Psalm is a “Harvest Hymn” to be sung when crops were gathered in. In our churches, we also have Harvest Hymns:
Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, Raise the song of harvest home.
All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown;
First the blade, and then the ear, Then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
But, as good as our Harvest Hymns are, they pale in comparison to the grandeur, freshness and joy this ancient composition possesses.
This Psalm was probably composed for the Jews’ annual harvest festival, the Feast of Tabernacles. This was a very glad time for the Hebrew people, as the crops from that season’s harvests were brought in and the people would celebrate God’s bountiful goodness to them. They would offer the first-fruits of the harvest to God. There is an interesting feature of Psalm 65, notice verse 3:
When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.
This is the 1st of 3 Psalms which uses this word “atone.” This is significant because the Day of Atonement immediately preceded the Feast of Tabernacles on the Jewish calendar. This suggests the many blessings of nature which God gives to His people are predicated on the atoning work of God and Christ.
- God of Grace in Verses 1-4
- God of All Peoples—Notice verse 2,” to you shall all flesh come.” God hears our prayers and He is the One Whom all nations will come to!
- God welcomes all ethnic groups and skin colors to come to Him! (Abrahamic Covenant)
- Jesus and the Samaritan Woman in John 4.
- God is merciful to sinners!
- God of the Atonement — How is God gracious to sinners? Through the atonement!
- God provides a sacrifice by which an innocent victim bears the punishment for those who are guilty. Isaiah 59:1-2: Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
- Sin caused God to hide His face from us but the atonement allows for God to deal graciously with us again. Restores our fellowship with God.
- God Alone Atones for Sin. Notice “you atone for our transgressions” emphasizes the work of God. The priests, the sacrifice, the blood itself all speak to greater realities. God alone atones for our sins.
- All of the blessings come after this great verse on atonement.
- Notice the many blessings which are the outworking of the atonement in Psalm 65:
- Restored Fellowship in Verse 4
- The Goodness and Holiness of God in Verse 4
- Awesome Answers to Prayer in Verse 5
- Hope in Verse 5
- Peace in Verse 5b and 6
- The Meeting of our Needs in Verses 9-13
- The Abundant Life in Verse 11
- Joy in Verse 12
- The Life of Praise in Verse 13
- God of All Peoples—Notice verse 2,” to you shall all flesh come.” God hears our prayers and He is the One Whom all nations will come to!
- God of Might in Verses 5-8—
- God of Might
- Illustration — In January 1994, a strong earthquake struck southern California. Roadways were destroyed, buildings collapsed, fires erupted… one apartment building where scores of people were trapped and of a man who worked strenuously for hours to free them. He saved the lives of dozens of people, but there was one man he was unable to save, and in the stress of the day this strong, helpful man wept uncontrollably. He wanted to save all the people, but he could not do it.
- Application—This is not what God is like. Not only is He gracious, He is mighty to save!
- 3 Ways God Displays His Power:
- Raising the Mountains
- Calming the Seas
- Quieting the Nations
- The same God who is mighty to save us, is the same God who causes the harvest to be brought to fruition: We plough the fields and scatter The good seed on the land. But it is fed and watered By God’s almighty hand; He sends the snow in winter, The warmth to swell the grain, The breezes and the sunshine And soft refreshing rain. — Matthias Claudius
- God of Might
- God of Plenty in Verses 9-13 — The previous 2 sections of the Psalm prepare us for this final portion, the God Who is gracious and mighty is also the God of Plenty!
- Conclusion — the final line of this Psalm is majestic! — “they shout and sing together for joy” All nature and creation declare God’s goodness, glory and splendor! And, if the inanimate creation sings to God then how much more should those of us who are God’s image bearers sing to Him!
