Subject and Divisions. David sings of the glory of God in His Church; and in the fields of nature; here is a song both of grace and providence. It may be that he intended to commemorate a remarkable harvest, or to compose a harvest hymn for all ages. We shall view in the first four verses the way of approach to God, then from verses 5 to 8 we shall see the Lord in answer to prayer performing wonders for which He is praised, and then from verses 9 to 13, we shall sing the special harvest-song.
C.H. Spurgeon
Verse 1. “Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion …” The worshippers of old stood outside the sanctuary in silence while the High Priest entered into the Holiest with the blood of atonement. Once he emerged, then the people might have cause to praise their God, because He had granted pardon for their sins. When the church of Christ takes time to reflect and“wait” upon that blessed assurance of sins forgiven through the merits of Christ, then, how she praises her God aright in such circumstances.“Praise waits” for Him in His spiritual Sion, and unto Him the vow is performed. God has ordained and set His church upon the earth for no greater reason than this, that out of Sion His praise should be heard and observed.
Verse 2. “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” No doubt the prayers which the faithful put up to heaven from under their own roofs are very acceptable to God; but if a saint's single voice in prayer be so sweet to His ear, how much more the church“choir”- His saints' prayers in consort together. A father is glad to see any one of his children, and makes him welcome when he visits him, but much more when they come together; the greatest feast is when they all meet at his house. The public praises of the church are the emblem of heaven itself, where all the angels and saints make but one consort. There is a wonderful prevalency in the joint prayers of God's people. When Peter was in prison, the church meets and prays him out of his enemies' hands. There is a special promise to public prayer:“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
William Gurnall
Verse 3. “Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.” The holy prophets and penmen of scripture, have no grounds of hope for pardon of sin apart from those which are common to the meanest of God's people. David, in his confession, comes in by himself alone, aggravating his own sins most -“Iniquities prevail against me,” he says; but, in hope of pardon, he joins with the rest of God's people, saying,“As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.”
David Dickson
Verse 4. “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest …” The benedictions of the psalter advance in spirituality and indicate a growth. The first one blessed the godly reader of the Word. Psalm 1 verse 1. The second described the pardoned child. Psalm 32 verse 1. The third pronounced a blessing upon faith. Psalm 34 verse 8. The fourth commended the active and generous believer, abundant in deeds of charity. Psalm 41 verse 1. And this last, mounting to the fountain head of all benedictions, blesses the elect of God:“Blessed is the man who thou choosest.”
C.H. Spurgeon
Verse 8. “… thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.” Some understand it of the morning and evening sacrifice, which good people greatly rejoiced in, and in which God was constantly honoured. Thou makest them“to sing”, so the word is; for every morning and every evening songs of praise were sung by the Levites; it was that which the duty of every day required. And we are to look upon our daily worship alone, and with our families, to be both the most needful of our daily business, and the most delightful of our daily comforts. And if in these we keep up our communion with God, the outgoings both of the morning and of the evening are thereby made truly to rejoice.
Matthew Henry
Verses 9 to 13. “Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it …” Our “harvest-homes” are times of rejoicing, but I would that our tillers and reapers of the soil would as piously refer all to God as the psalmist did. “Thou waterest the earth, thou greatly enrichest it, thou preparest the corn, thou waterest the ridges, thou settlest the furrows, thou makest it soft with showers, thou blessest the springing thereof, thou crownest the year with thy goodness.” Not one word of man, or man's skill, or of man's labour; not one thought of self. How different from him whose grounds brought forth abundantly, and whose only thought was,“I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”
Barton Bouchier
This Page Title – Gleanings in the Psalms – Psalm 65 The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness". Internet Edition number 106 – placed on line January 2014 Wicket Gate contact address – Mr Cliff Westcombe cw@wicketgate.co.uk If you wish to be notified when each new edition goes on line please send an e-mail to the above address Magazine web address – www.wicketgate.co.uk |