This psalm contains elements characteristic of the psalms of blessing and of the psalms ascribing kingship to the Lord.
I. The Way of God made Known (67:1-3)The blessing, reminiscent of the pastoral benediction in Numbers 6:24-26, and pertains to three aspects of blessing:
24"The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
1. Protection (Nu 6:24);
God's intention for his people is their good; he will preserve them to enjoy that good.
2. Favor (grace, v. 25);
When Moses was on the mountain, it was in the context of terror. But God had come down in grace; his revelation was of mercy. Hence we have the splendidly suitable tie of the light of his face and the grace of his presence.
3. Peace (v. 26).
Shalom is a word meaning well-being or total peace. As it does in English, it can refer to either peace between two entities (especially between man and God or between two countries), or to the well-being, welfare or safety of an individual or a group of individuals.
When the Psalmist alluded to the Priestly Blessing, he was reminding them of God’s total concern for them. But how is God’s way made known?
Study Questions:
1. According to verse 1, What drives God to continue blessing us?
2. What are the areas in your life that you think are “dry” spiritually? Why do you think so?
3. What is the reason for God’s blessings? (v.2)- Grace!
4. How are we responding to each blessing we receive? (v.4)
II. The Rule of God Implored (67:4)
For the mind of the Psalmist, the rule of God has to do with the religious and political state of the nation of Israel during his time. The nation of Israel was a theocracy. What is theocracy?
Study Questions:
1. In our situation as modern-day Christians: How and when can you say that God is ruling?
2. Do you think God is ruling at this point? Why or why not?
3. What do you think does this mean to Jews?
26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
1. Protection (Nu 6:24);
God's intention for his people is their good; he will preserve them to enjoy that good.
2. Favor (grace, v. 25);
When Moses was on the mountain, it was in the context of terror. But God had come down in grace; his revelation was of mercy. Hence we have the splendidly suitable tie of the light of his face and the grace of his presence.
3. Peace (v. 26).
Shalom is a word meaning well-being or total peace. As it does in English, it can refer to either peace between two entities (especially between man and God or between two countries), or to the well-being, welfare or safety of an individual or a group of individuals.
When the Psalmist alluded to the Priestly Blessing, he was reminding them of God’s total concern for them. But how is God’s way made known?
Study Questions:
1. According to verse 1, What drives God to continue blessing us?
2. What are the areas in your life that you think are “dry” spiritually? Why do you think so?
3. What is the reason for God’s blessings? (v.2)- Grace!
4. How are we responding to each blessing we receive? (v.4)
II. The Rule of God Implored (67:4)For the mind of the Psalmist, the rule of God has to do with the religious and political state of the nation of Israel during his time. The nation of Israel was a theocracy. What is theocracy?
Study Questions:
1. In our situation as modern-day Christians: How and when can you say that God is ruling?
2. Do you think God is ruling at this point? Why or why not?
3. What do you think does this mean to Jews?
And what do you think does this imply for Christian non-Jews?
III. The Nations of the world Included (67:5)
Study Questions: This Psalm was written hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born.
1. Has this prayer become a reality? How and when?
1. Has this prayer become a reality? How and when?
(Partly/Faintly, OT proselytes; Fullness: Jesus Christ)
2. Why is God concerned with other nations when in fact he chose Israel to be the nation in His heart?
IV. The Purpose of God's Blessing (67:6-7)
We go back to verse 2, The purpose of God's blessing is so that the nations may "know" his way. From observing God's blessing on his people, they should be able to deduce his royal sovereignty and acknowledge Israel's God as God. Thus they too may enjoy the fullness of his "salvation", which pertains to all the benefits of God: his kingship, rule, blessings, and promises.
2. Why is God concerned with other nations when in fact he chose Israel to be the nation in His heart?
IV. The Purpose of God's Blessing (67:6-7)
We go back to verse 2, The purpose of God's blessing is so that the nations may "know" his way. From observing God's blessing on his people, they should be able to deduce his royal sovereignty and acknowledge Israel's God as God. Thus they too may enjoy the fullness of his "salvation", which pertains to all the benefits of God: his kingship, rule, blessings, and promises.
One of the interesting things about the Holy Land is you've got the Jordan River going right down and on either end you have large bodies of water. The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life. But, you go to the other end of the Jordan River and you find the Dead Sea. A place that has so much salt content in it that large life, life that we would consider useful and part of our abundance, just doesn't even exist. It's dead in that regard.
They both receive the same water. They both receive the same abundance, but the key difference is, Lake Galilee receives, but it also has an outlet and the water flows through it. But in the Dead Sea there is no outlet and so the water just accumulates, year after year, century after century, getting more and more salty and less and less hospitable to life. I think that is a good image for us to ponder about our lives. Which are we like, Lake Galilee or are we like the Dead Sea?
They both receive the same water. They both receive the same abundance, but the key difference is, Lake Galilee receives, but it also has an outlet and the water flows through it. But in the Dead Sea there is no outlet and so the water just accumulates, year after year, century after century, getting more and more salty and less and less hospitable to life. I think that is a good image for us to ponder about our lives. Which are we like, Lake Galilee or are we like the Dead Sea?
God is pouring much abundance into our lives.
1. How much of it leaks out? How much of it is passed on? Because one of the things that we can't escape is that a basic rule of life is that we have life in us and as we receive abundantly and as we pass that abundance on in some measure to others.
2. So when God looks at your life, what does he see? Does he see something that's full of life, where his blessing to you pass on through and become blessings in the lives of others here and around the world? Or is there something stopping it up and making it become more and more inhospitable to the life of the spirit?
We are blessed to be a blessing. So as we focus on this time and we look at how missionary heart of God is, lets also recommit ourselves to being a missionary people, a channel of good things to the incredible variety of people that God has put around us. Because even as we share this life (blessings) with others, we receive it more abundantly in our own lives.
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