Psalms 67

May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Wesley: Merciful—as thou wast to Israel in the wilderness. Face shine—show us thy favour. Aaronic blessing adapted for the people.

Ask grace, blessing, shining face. The priestly formula becomes congregational prayer; seek favor that overflows beyond yourselves.

Calvin: God be merciful and bless us and cause His face to shine—the Church borrows Aaron's blessing. Favor is asked not for selfish ends alone.

Shine upon us is covenant mercy. Selah pauses over requested grace before the missionary purpose of v. 2.

That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations. Wesley: Way—thy counsel and gracious providence. Saving health—thy salvation. Blessing on us aims at knowledge among nations.

Shared mission—grace received is grace to be known. Pray for blessing so the earth's peoples learn God's way and saving power.

Calvin: that Thy way may be known upon earth and Thy saving health among all nations—Israel's blessing serves worldwide revelation.

Election of the blessed people aims at the nations' knowledge. Saving health is not hoarded.

Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you! Wesley: People—all nations. Double plea for universal praise.

Urge all peoples to praise. Repeat the cry until it becomes the earth's habit; evangelism loves this refrain.

Calvin: let the people praise Thee—all the people. The psalm will not rest with a partial choir.

For today: shared catholic doxology. All peoples are summoned because God's way is for all nations (v. 2).

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Wesley: Glad—in the experience of thy grace. Judge—govern. Equity and guidance make nations sing.

Gladness under just rule. Nations may rejoice in God's equitable judgment and guidance; pray for rulers and peoples to come under that joy.

Calvin: O let the nations be glad—He shall judge the people righteously and govern the nations. Joy rests on righteous government from God.

Equity is ground of song. Guide the nations is pastoral sovereignty over history.

Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you! Wesley repeats the chorus. Refrain drives the point home.

Sing it again. Persistence in missionary praise matches persistence in prayer for shining favor.

Calvin returns to the same petition—praise from all people is the psalm's heartbeat.

Repetition is theology. All peoples again; no nation left outside the summons.

The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us. Wesley: Increase—fruits of the earth. Harvest confirms "our own God" will bless.

Shared gratitude—yielded increase points to further blessing. Read providence in fields as pledge of "will bless."

Calvin: then shall the earth yield her increase; God, even our own God, will bless us—fruitfulness accompanies favor.

Material increase under spiritual blessing. "Our own God" claims covenant nearness.

God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him! Wesley: Fear—worship and serve him. Blessing on the Church ends in worldwide fear of God.

Shared finale—blessed people, fearing ends of the earth. Receive blessing so that distant lands learn holy fear; do not stop at "us."

Calvin: God shall bless us, and every end of the earth shall fear Him—blessing issued, reverence global.

Fear at the ends is the goal of blessing at the center. Doxological mission closes the song.