Psa 67:1 | KingComments | STEP | It has always been God’s intention that His people would bear witness of Him in the midst of the nations ( ; ). By doing so in obedience to Him, the people would also be abundantly blessed. As a result, Israel, as the offspring of Abraham in whom all nations are blessed, would be the channel through which God’s blessing would go to the nations ( ). Israel, however, did not fulfill that mission, but turned away from God and followed the idols of the nations. Yet God will fulfill His purposes with His people. His people will bear witness to the way He has gone with them. That testimony will have an effect; the nations will want to know their God in order to be blessed as well ( ; ). All the good that God gives to Israel will serve for the good of man and the earth. That is the subject of this psalm. It is the shortest prophetic psalm with a wonderful description of the condition of the nations during the realm of peace. It is the seventh in this series of prophetic psalms. For “for the choir director; with stringed instruments” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “a Psalm. A Song” see at Psalm 65:1. The beginning ( ) and end ( ) of this prayer recall the priestly blessing ( ). This priestly blessing is requested here by the whole people. God’s people here are, according to God’s original purpose, a priestly people ( ). It will be so in the realm of peace ( ). Their priestly service relates not only to God, but also to the nations. The blessing they seek for themselves will also go through them to the nations (cf. ). This fulfills the promise to Abraham: “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” ( ). There is no right to blessing. Therefore, any request for blessing can only be made in the awareness of grace. That is why this prayer begins by asking God to be gracious. God is the source of all grace. In His grace He wants to bless. We must be well aware that it is mere grace when God blesses us. God can bless on the basis of the new covenant. The new covenant involves a Mediator Who fulfilled all the conditions of the covenant. Therefore, for Israel, blessing is based on grace. Another has fulfilled the conditions and paid the price. God’s blessing makes life on earth not only possible, but also pleasant. He takes away the curse and judgment from His own and in return “causes His face to shine”. It indicates that He receives His own into His presence and cares for them there in love. He does so with joy. According to an old Jewish interpretation, “His face” is the Christ. Similarly, in the New Testament we find that the glory of God has shone in the face of Jesus Christ ( ). ‘His face to shine’ means that He is gracious. That is also the meaning in Numbers 6: “The LORD make His face shine on you, and [=, is equivalent to] be gracious to you” ( ). It means that someone is pleasing to Him. The opposite is: His face is dark = He is angry.

‏ Psalms 67:1

Introduction

It has always been God’s intention that His people would bear witness of Him in the midst of the nations (Deu 4:5-8; Isa 43:10-13). By doing so in obedience to Him, the people would also be abundantly blessed. As a result, Israel, as the offspring of Abraham in whom all nations are blessed, would be the channel through which God’s blessing would go to the nations (Gen 12:3). Israel, however, did not fulfill that mission, but turned away from God and followed the idols of the nations.

Yet God will fulfill His purposes with His people. His people will bear witness to the way He has gone with them. That testimony will have an effect; the nations will want to know their God in order to be blessed as well (Zec 8:23; Isa 2:3). All the good that God gives to Israel will serve for the good of man and the earth. That is the subject of this psalm.

It is the shortest prophetic psalm with a wonderful description of the condition of the nations during the realm of peace. It is the seventh in this series of prophetic psalms.

Prayer for God’s Blessing

For “for the choir director; with stringed instruments” (Psa 67:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “a Psalm. A Song” see at Psalm 65:1.

The beginning (Psa 67:1b) and end (Psa 67:6-7) of this prayer recall the priestly blessing (Num 6:24-26). This priestly blessing is requested here by the whole people. God’s people here are, according to God’s original purpose, a priestly people (Exo 19:5-6). It will be so in the realm of peace (Isa 61:6). Their priestly service relates not only to God, but also to the nations. The blessing they seek for themselves will also go through them to the nations (cf. Rom 11:12). This fulfills the promise to Abraham: “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3b).

There is no right to blessing. Therefore, any request for blessing can only be made in the awareness of grace. That is why this prayer begins by asking God to be gracious. God is the source of all grace. In His grace He wants to bless. We must be well aware that it is mere grace when God blesses us. God can bless on the basis of the new covenant. The new covenant involves a Mediator Who fulfilled all the conditions of the covenant. Therefore, for Israel, blessing is based on grace. Another has fulfilled the conditions and paid the price.

God’s blessing makes life on earth not only possible, but also pleasant. He takes away the curse and judgment from His own and in return “causes His face to shine”. It indicates that He receives His own into His presence and cares for them there in love. He does so with joy.

According to an old Jewish interpretation, “His face” is the Christ. Similarly, in the New Testament we find that the glory of God has shone in the face of Jesus Christ (2Cor 4:6). ‘His face to shine’ means that He is gracious. That is also the meaning in Numbers 6: “The LORD make His face shine on you, and [=, is equivalent to] be gracious to you” (Num 6:25). It means that someone is pleasing to Him. The opposite is: His face is dark = He is angry.