Psa 67:3 | KingComments | STEP | The request for grace and blessing is not only to enjoy it ourselves, but in order that a testimony may proceed from it (cf. ) “on the earth”, “among all the nations” ( ; ). Through the grace and blessing God gives His people, people on earth will know God’s way. This is the way to receive that blessing as well, which means being brought into relationship with the God of Israel. This is only possible through repentance of sin and conversion to God and faith in Christ. He is the way to God ( ) and came forth from Israel as Man ( ). This is also the way by which the remnant receives that grace and blessing. When the nations will see God’s blessing on His people, when they see His salvation that He has given His people in Christ, they will also desire to possess that salvation. Thus they will come to desire to know the God of Israel as their God. If that God is also their God through repentance and regeneration and faith in the Messiah, they will have a part in all the blessings that God has given His people. They will be allowed, by their connection with God’s people, to know the God of that people as the source of grace and blessing. The result is that the peoples will praise God ( ). They will have the same incentive to praise God as His people Israel. Grace and blessing have also been given to them and the light of God’s face shines upon them as well. It is all grace alone, just as it is for God’s people ( ). Once again the psalmist says that the peoples will praise God, while now he adds an emphatic “all”, “all the peoples”. The point is that God receives the praise of all who share in the grace and blessing. The joy and rejoicing of the nations is not only caused by the grace granted, but also by the justice with which God will rule over the peoples ( ). God can show mercy when His righteousness is acknowledged. This is true for the sinner in all ages and also for the nations in the time that is coming when His people come to repentance and confession of their sins. This will happen after the rapture of the church, when He will pour out the Spirit of grace and of prayer over His people. Then they will come to repentance because they will see Him Whom they have pierced ( ). God will rule righteously and lead the nations of the earth. This is the essence of this psalm. This psalm is what is known as an ‘envelope psalm’: it begins in with blessing and ends in with blessing. Blessing is, as it were, the envelope in which the psalm is wrapped. Exactly in the middle of the psalm we find in the two sentences that form the core of this psalm, namely, that in the realm of peace God Himself will judge the peoples and guide the nations on the earth. That is the reason the nations will glorify God. God, through Israel, will teach the nations about this because of the experiences they went through in the great tribulation. He will guide them in the way of peace and prosperity. This applies to both individuals and nations. God guides them as Shepherd and as King. His guidance does not consist of merely pointing the way. He goes before them as Shepherd and leads them into the full blessing of the realm of peace. For the second time, the psalmist twice tells God that the peoples will praise Him and that they “all” will do so ( ). The first time ( ), the occasion for praising God is knowing God’s way and God’s salvation. This second time the reason is the righteousness of God in judgment. Everything that God reveals of Himself is cause for all who see it to praise Him.

‏ Psalms 67:3

The Nations Will Praise God

The request for grace and blessing is not only to enjoy it ourselves, but in order that a testimony may proceed from it (cf. Jn 7:38) “on the earth”, “among all the nations” (Psa 67:2; Gen 12:3b). Through the grace and blessing God gives His people, people on earth will know God’s way. This is the way to receive that blessing as well, which means being brought into relationship with the God of Israel. This is only possible through repentance of sin and conversion to God and faith in Christ. He is the way to God (1Pet 3:18) and came forth from Israel as Man (Rom 9:5). This is also the way by which the remnant receives that grace and blessing.

When the nations will see God’s blessing on His people, when they see His salvation that He has given His people in Christ, they will also desire to possess that salvation. Thus they will come to desire to know the God of Israel as their God. If that God is also their God through repentance and regeneration and faith in the Messiah, they will have a part in all the blessings that God has given His people. They will be allowed, by their connection with God’s people, to know the God of that people as the source of grace and blessing.

The result is that the peoples will praise God (Psa 67:3). They will have the same incentive to praise God as His people Israel. Grace and blessing have also been given to them and the light of God’s face shines upon them as well. It is all grace alone, just as it is for God’s people (Rom 11:32). Once again the psalmist says that the peoples will praise God, while now he adds an emphatic “all”, “all the peoples”. The point is that God receives the praise of all who share in the grace and blessing.

The joy and rejoicing of the nations is not only caused by the grace granted, but also by the justice with which God will rule over the peoples (Psa 67:4). God can show mercy when His righteousness is acknowledged. This is true for the sinner in all ages and also for the nations in the time that is coming when His people come to repentance and confession of their sins. This will happen after the rapture of the church, when He will pour out the Spirit of grace and of prayer over His people. Then they will come to repentance because they will see Him Whom they have pierced (Zec 12:10-14).

God will rule righteously and lead the nations of the earth. This is the essence of this psalm. This psalm is what is known as an ‘envelope psalm’: it begins in Psa 67:1b with blessing and ends in Psa 67:7 with blessing. Blessing is, as it were, the envelope in which the psalm is wrapped. Exactly in the middle of the psalm we find in Psa 67:4 the two sentences that form the core of this psalm, namely, that in the realm of peace God Himself will judge the peoples and guide the nations on the earth. That is the reason the nations will glorify God. God, through Israel, will teach the nations about this because of the experiences they went through in the great tribulation.

He will guide them in the way of peace and prosperity. This applies to both individuals and nations. God guides them as Shepherd and as King. His guidance does not consist of merely pointing the way. He goes before them as Shepherd and leads them into the full blessing of the realm of peace.

For the second time, the psalmist twice tells God that the peoples will praise Him and that they “all” will do so (Psa 67:5). The first time (Psa 67:3), the occasion for praising God is knowing God’s way and God’s salvation. This second time the reason is the righteousness of God in judgment. Everything that God reveals of Himself is cause for all who see it to praise Him.