Gold for the heart - Psalms 66-71

Psalm 66

0 To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm. 1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth: 2 Sing out the honor of his name: make his praise glorious. 3 Say to God, How awesome you are in your works! Through the greatness of your power your enemies will submit themselves to you.

God is so powerful that He spoke creation into existence.

Psalm 33:6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 9 For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

4 All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name. Rest. 5 Come and see the works of God: he is awesome in his doings toward the children of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: therefore let us rejoice in him.

God rules by His power forever; His eyes watch the nations

7 He rules by his power forever; his eyes behold the nations: do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Rest. 8 O bless our God, you people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

He holds our soul in life and refines us and then blesses abundantly

9 Who holds our soul in life, and does not allow our feet to be moved. 10 For you, O God, have tested us: you have refined us as silver is refined. 11 You brought us into the net; you laid affliction on our loins. 12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but you brought us out into a wealthy place.

Silver is heated so that the impurities float to the top to be removed. God allows affliction in the lives of those who have impurities so that they can be shown and removed.

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.

13 I will go into your house with burnt offerings: I will pay you my vows, 14 that my lips have uttered, and my mouth has spoken, when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer to you burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Rest.

Every sacrifice was a display of God’s great love poured out for us at the cross.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

The Lord will not hear us if we regard iniquity in our hearts

16 Come and hear, all you that fear God, and I will declare what he has done for my soul. 17 I cried to him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 19 But truly God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed is God who has not turned away my prayer, or his love from me.

1John 1:9I f we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 67

0 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. 1 God be merciful to us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine with us; Rest. 2 That your way may be known on earth, your saving health among all nations.

Psalm 57:10 For your mercy is great unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds.

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;

He will judge the people righteously

3 Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for you will judge the people righteously, and lead the nations on earth. Rest.

Righteous means right.
God is always right. He has never made a mistake.
God will judge the people according to His eternal truth that He has always made available to man one way or another.
God is sovereign over earth now:

Acts 17:26 He sets the boundaries of nations

Daniel 5:21 He appoints their rulers

Exodus 20 He has given the earth His perfect law

Job 36:15 He allows oppression to open man’s ears to listen to Him-- Judges 5:8

Judges 5:8 He allows war when nations turn to idols so perhaps they will call out to Him for help.

Psalm 96:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it: then all the trees of the wood will rejoice 13 before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Exodus 15:18 The LORD will reign forever and ever.

He blesses us as we praise Him

5 Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you. 6 Then the earth will yield her increase; and God, even our own God, will bless us. 7 God will bless us; and all the ends of the earth will fear/revere him.

Psalm 68

0 To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. 1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them that hate him flee from his face. 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. 4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rides on the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

Extol’ means to praise with great enthusiasm and admiration. ‘
'Jah’ means the existing One, absolute existence rather than continual existence.
God’s name Jehovah means intense, eternal self-existence.
God exists unsustained by anything or anyone. He sustains everything else.
Men ride horses, camels, and elephants; God rides the heavens.

God is a father to the fatherless and defends widows

5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge/advocate/defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. 6 God settles the single in a family/home: he brings out those that are bound with chains: but the rebellious live in a dry land. 7 O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, rest, 8 the earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 You, O God, shook out a plentiful rain, by which you confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.

Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

He has prepared His goodness for the poor

10 Your congregation has dwelt in it: You, O God, have prepared of your goodness for the poor. 11 The Lord gave the word: great was the army of those that published it. 12 Kings of armies ran away, they fled: and she that waited at home divided the plunder. 13 Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, yet you will be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

‘wings’ soar: ‘dove’ peace: ‘silver’ is redemption.
God’s word is an unsearchable blessing to us.
Our hearts and the world would be in total darkness without it.

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

14 When the Almighty scattered kings for her, she was white as snow in Salmon (cleansed white as snow). 15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; a high hill as the hill of Bashan. 16 Why do you leap, you high hills? This is the hill that God desires to dwell in; yes, the LORD will dwell in it forever. 17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even many thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

2Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I ask you, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

18 You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive: you have received gifts in the man/for men; yes, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

This Psalm was written before God sent Jesus.
Like many other scriptures, it speaks of the time when God would send His Son to rescue man on earth from his miserable condition.
Jesus lived on earth in human flesh for 33 years.
Then, without a spacecraft, lifted off planet earth, rose through the universe to the very throne of God and sat down there beside the heavenly Father, thus showing His omnipotence.
God had a legal complaint against all of us in the court of heaven for our many crimes against His holiness.
Paid in full was stamped across the list and we are no longer under indictment in the court of heaven when we believe in Jesus’ death in our place.
The Holy Spirit was sent to earth after Jesus was seated beside the Father on His throne.
He sent His Holy Spirit back to us with many gifts.

He daily loads us with benefits

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Rest. 20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death. 21 But God will wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy of the one that walks on in his guilt.

In this verse God explains that His enemies are those who won’t turn to Him.

He gathers His people

22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea: 23 That your foot may be dipped in the blood of your enemies, and the tongue of your dogs in the same. 24 They have seen your procession, O God; even the processions of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

Our king is the eternal King of Kings.

Revelation 17:14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with tambourines. 26 Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. 27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali. 28 Your God has commanded your strength: strengthen, O God, what you have worked for us.

Isaiah 26:12 LORD, you will ordain peace for us: for you also have worked all our works in us.

29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring presents to you. 30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, until every one submits himself with pieces of silver: he scatters you people that delight in war. 31 Princes will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will soon stretch out her hands to God. 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises to the Lord; Rest: 33 To him that rides on the heavens of heavens, which were of old; behold, he sends out his voice, and that a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds/heavens. 35 O God, you are terrible/awesome out of your holy places: the God of Israel is he that gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.

Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 9 For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Psalm 69

0 To the chief Musician on the trumpet, A Psalm of David. 1 Save me, O God; for the waters have come into my soul. 2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. 3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: my eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4 Those that hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head: they that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I did not take away.

God knows our foolishness and He sees our sins

5 O God, you know my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from you. 6 Do not let those that wait on you, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: do not let those that seek you be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. 7 Because for your sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face. 8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, and a foreigner to my mother’s children. 9 For the zeal of your house has eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached you have fallen on me.

Lord of hosts means controller of all the angels of the universe.
David was criticized for doing what was right.
Christ bore our grief, shame, reproach, and full punishment for our sins.
God is right and man is wrong yet men criticize God every day.
Man’s choices have brought on all the suffering on earth yet God is blamed.

Isaiah 53:4 Surely he has borne our grief’s, and carried our sorrows: yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. 11 I made sackcloth my garment; and I became a proverb to them. 12 They that sit in the gate (rulers) speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of your love hear me, in the truth of your salvation. 14 Deliver me out of the mire, and do not let me sink: let me be delivered from those that hate me, and out of the deep waters. 15 Do not let the floodwater overflow me, or let the deep swallow me up, and do not let the pit shut her mouth on me. 16 Hear me, O LORD, for your love is good: turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies. 17 Do not hide your face from your servant; for I am in trouble: hear me quickly. 18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of my enemies.

Psalm 57:10For your mercy is great unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds.

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

19 You have known my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor: my adversaries are all before you. 20 Reproach has broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for someone to take pity, but there was no one; and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They gave me gall for my food; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

This is a prophecy of Christ, fulfilled during the crucifixion.

Matthew 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mixed with gall: and when he had tasted of it, he would not drink.

22 Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they not see; and make their loins continually to shake. 24 Pour out your indignation on them, and let your wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their palaces be desolate; and let no one dwell in their tents. 26 For they persecute him whom you have stricken; and they talk to the grief of those whom you have wounded. 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity: and do not let them come into your righteousness. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Exodus 15:26 If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight… I will put none of these diseases on you, which I have brought on the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you.

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Revelation 20:15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

God is more pleased with songs of praise than burnt offerings

29 But I am poor and sorrowful: let your salvation, O God, set me on high. 30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This also will please the LORD better than an ox or bull that has horns and hoofs. 32 The humble will see this, and be glad: and your heart will live that seek God. 33 For the LORD hears the poor, and does not despise his prisoners. 34 Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moves in it. 35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and possess it. 36 The seed of his servants will inherit it: and they that love his name will dwell there.

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcomes I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

Psalm 70

The LORD is our help and deliverer

0 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. 1 Hurry, O God, to deliver me; hurry to help me, O LORD. 2 Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek after my soul: let them be turned backward and put to confusion that desire to hurt me.

Radical Islam seeks to kill Christians and Jews.
There are also unseen forces that desire to destroy us.
They will be ashamed and confounded and put to confusion.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man will do to me.

3 Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. 4 Let all those that seek you rejoice and be glad in you: and let such as love your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

5 But I am poor and needy: hurry to help me, O God: you are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

The title LORD means intense, eternal self-existence.
God is the only being in the universe that exists unsustained by anyone or anything else. He sustains everything.
The eternally, self-existent One is our deliverer.

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns your with loving kindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 71

1 In you, O LORD, I put my trust: let me never be put to shame. 2 Deliver me in your righteousness, and cause me to escape: bow down your ear to me, and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, where I may continually come: you have given commandment to save me; for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 5 For you are my hope, O Lord GOD: you are my trust from my youth.

God is the only one who is 100% trustworthy 100% of the time.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

God holds us up from the womb

6 By you I have been held up from the womb: you are he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise will continually be of you. 7 I am as a wonder to many; but you are my strong refuge.

No one can touch you when you hide in God.

Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around about them that fear him, and delivers them.

Psalm 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from now on even forever.

8 Let my mouth be filled with your praise and with your honor all the day. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, 11 saying, God has forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is no one to deliver him. 12 O God, do not be far from me: O my God, hurry to help me.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your way of life be without covetousness; and be content with what things you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, or forsake you.

13 Let them be ashamed and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek to hurt me. 14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you more and more. 15 My mouth will show forth your righteousness and your deliverance all the day; for I do not know the sum of them. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours only. 17 O God, you have taught me from my youth: and I still declare your wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me until I have showed your strength/arm unto this generation, and your power to every one that is to come.

God is so powerful that to create all things He just had to speak.

Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 9 For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

His righteousness is very high

19 Your righteousness also, O God, is very high, who have done great things: O God, who is like you! 20 You who have showed me great and sore troubles will quicken me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 You will increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. 22 I will praise you with the harp, even your truth, O my God: to you I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will greatly rejoice when I sing to you; and my soul, which you have redeemed. 24 My tongue also will talk of your righteousness all the daylong: for they are confounded, for they are brought to shame that seek to hurt me.

1Peter 1:18…you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your empty way of life received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot...

SUMMARY: Psalms 66-71

God rules by His power
His eyes watch the nations
He holds our soul in life, refines us, and blesses us abundantly
He will not hear us if we regard iniquity in our hearts
He will judge the nations rightly
He blesses us as we praise Him
The LORD is a father to the fatherless and defends widows
He has prepared His goodness for the poor
He daily loads us with benefits
He gathers His people
The LORD knows our foolishness and sees our sin
He is more pleased with songs of praise than burnt offerings
He is our help and deliverer
He holds us up from the womb
His righteousness is very high