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Psalms 66
The psalm opens with all the earth shouting and then narrows, by the end, to a single voice. It begins as a public summons to praise, recalling the sea turned to dry land and the river crossed on foot, the exodus retold as something "we" rejoiced in. Around verse 13 the plural worshipers give way to one person paying vows promised in distress. Watch the deliberate zoom from nations and history down to one answered prayer.
- 1
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
- 2
Sing to the glory of his name! Offer glory and praise!
- 3
Tell God, “How awesome are your deeds! Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you.
- 4
All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name.” Selah.
- 5
Come, and see God’s deeds— awesome work on behalf of the children of men.
- 6
He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the river on foot. There, we rejoiced in him.
- 7
He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nations. Don’t let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.
- 8
Praise our God, you peoples! Make the sound of his praise heard,
- 9
who preserves our life among the living, and doesn’t allow our feet to be moved.
- 10
For you, God, have tested us. You have refined us, as silver is refined.
- 11
You brought us into prison. You laid a burden on our backs.
- 12
You allowed men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and through water, but you brought us to the place of abundance.
- 13
I will come into your temple with burnt offerings. I will pay my vows to you,
- 14
which my lips promised, and my mouth spoke, when I was in distress.
- 15
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals, with the offering of rams, I will offer bulls with goats. Selah.
- 16
Come and hear, all you who fear God. I will declare what he has done for my soul.
- 17
I cried to him with my mouth. He was extolled with my tongue.
- 18
If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn’t have listened.
- 19
But most certainly, God has listened. He has heard the voice of my prayer.
- 20
Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his loving kindness from me.
Tested like silver
Verses 10-12 give the psalm its weight: God tested the people and "refined us, as silver is refined," bringing them into prison, laying burdens on their backs, even letting men ride over their heads. The hardship is named plainly, not glossed over.
Yet the same sequence ends "but you brought us to the place of abundance" (v. 12), and the closing testimony turns on honesty: had the singer cherished sin, God would not have listened (v. 18). Praise here is earned by passing through fire and water.
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