Doxology

Psalms 67:1-7 

To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

1 God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us,

Selah

2 That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.

4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth.

Selah

5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.

6 Then the earth shall yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

This psalm is a doxology (δοξολογία), a hymn of praise, a saying of glory in song.  It begins with asking for God’s mercy, a place we all need to begin at just as the psalmist here does.  Then we ask for His grace to cover us, which is favor as His face looks to notice and care for us.  These opening supplications are to gain God’s attention that is already ours as we become aware of Him, and a response for mercy as we realize our sinful nature apart from His righteousness in which we live.  We need to pause here to consider these things before moving on to the next part of the song.  Then the prayer is as the Lord’s, to ask for His will to be done on earth.  That will is for His way to be known to fallen man, and His deliverance from sin’s penalty, His saving grace offered among all nations as He chooses.  Then all will praise God, a phrase repeated so we stop to consider just how essential it is to glorify our Lord in verbal praises offered in response to His great mercy and grace.  This means then that those called from every nation (Revelation 5:9-10) should be so glad and joyful that singing praise erupts spontaneously as we cannot hold it in.  We then realize it is He alone who rules as sovereign on earth and not just in heaven, that all leaders which God appoints in each nation are under His righteous judgment.  We answer to Him through them who govern us (Romans 13:1-2) whom He governs.  Dwell on that truth.  Finally, the refrain for all people to offer the sacrifices of praise to God is repeated in verse 5, reminding us that eventually all will bow before His rule (Romans 14:11-12, Philippians 2:10-11).  God blesses us with what we need and increases it in abundance as He sees fit in undeserved measure, just as the birds of the air.  Because of His goodness of grace towards His people, the world fears Him, for they see the power which they try to deny the source of, but cannot help but see it as God makes clear in Romans 1:19-20.  This is God’s glory revealed in the form of a song.