A Missionary Psalm

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Psalm 67

If we were to take a pole asking what is your favorite Psalm, certainly many would say Psalm 23.  Others may be partial to Psalm 119, and yet others may have a favorite passage or verse in one of the 150 Psalms.  However, there are some who hold Psalm 67 as a favorite due to the nature of its missionary emphasis.

1. God Blesses His People in Verses 1-2
   1. Dual Inclusio’s — An inclusion is a literary device the Hebrew poets use to lay particular emphasis to certain subject matter in their poetry.  An inclusion is when you have the same or similar ideas which begin and close out a passage.  
      1. The first inclusion is found in verses 3 & 5 — “May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you”
      2. The Second inclusion is found in verses 1& 7 — 
      3. Interpretation — These give us the 2 main emphases of this Psalm.  The blessings of God lead His people to Praise and God’s people praising God for His blessings in turn inspire the nations to praise God for His blessings.  
   2. The Blessing of Aaron or the “Aaronic Blessing”.  This is taken from Numbers 6:22-27 — The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
      1. What is the significance of the Aaronic Blessing? 
         1. A shining face turned towards someone is the opposite of a scowling face turned the other direction.  The shining face of God implies relationship, fellowship, friendship and warmth.  When we generally think of God’s blessings in terms of things like health, wealth, good employment and happy relationships.  All that is included to a lesser degree, but the main emphasis in the Aaronic Blessing is that of God Himself entering into deep personal relationship with His covenant people.  This is the main emphasis.
         2. Beware — of seeking earthly blessings of health and wealth.  Jesus said“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)
         3. The single greatest blessing of time and eternity is knowing the Lord and being favored by Him.
         4. This Aaronic Blessing is echoed in Psalms 4:6; 29:11; 31:16; and 80:3, 7, 19 and this Psalm here.
         5. The only difference is the original blessing of Aaron uses the phrase “Bless you” and Psalm 67 says “Bless us” which calls us to personally appropriate the blessing.
   3. Salvation to All Nations — The shining face of God upon His people is symbolic of a God’s gracious, merciful, personal fellowship with His Covenant people is further shown in the purpose of Verse 2 — that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
      1. The Purpose is for the Gentiles nations to know God like Israel knows God.  Gospel missions.  
2. God’s People Bless the Nations with God in Verses 3-5 — But, how are these nations to know the Lord?  There are 2 ways the nations come to know God:
   1. The Power of Salvation Through God’s People — The Nations are brought to saving faith by witnessing the blessings of a relationship with God and His power in saving His people.
      1. Application — Is this true about us?  Do we demonstrate with our lives the power of God’s saving grace and do we effect the lost with the gospel message?
      2. It has been asked:  If being a Christian were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
   2. The Power of the Word of God — How are the Nations to be blessed by God?  It will not happen through osmosis nor be some magical process.  But through the people of God knowing and promoting the Word of God!  God’s people must know the Bible themselves and instruct others to do the same!
      1. The Priesthood of Every Believer — The Bible plainly teaches every believer is a priest.  The role of the priest in Israel was 2-Fold: First, to mediate the sacrifices.  Second, to instruct the people from the Word of God.  Here are 3 passages which tell us the role of believer priests:
         1. Romans 15:15-16 — “But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
            1. Notice the phrase — “priestly service” is connected to the “gospel of God”.  Paul viewed himself as a priest by bringing others unto God through the sacrifice of Christ.
            2. Exodus 19:5-6 — ^“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
               1. This passage tells us the people of God are priests.  How are we priests — By living for God and telling others Who He is. 
            3. I Peter 2:9-10 — “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
               1. As believer priests it is our responsibility to “declare the praises of him who called [them] out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
3. Blessings Already but Not Yet in Verses 6-7
   1. The Purpose of Spiritual and Material Blessings — “The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!” In verses 6 and 7.  The purpose of the blessings which God gives us is for the furtherance of the knowledge of God going forward into all the earth!
   2. The relationship between Psalm 67 & Exodus 33:19-20.