Psalm 65- To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow shall be performed. 2 O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come. 3 Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.
Atonement is personal and case by case basis between God and man. Yet, this is a psalm of national atonement for all Israel and the resultant rest that will come at the end of this age, as the result— the Year of Jubilee. “‘A Psalm and Song of David’—made by him, as it is thought, when the people were delivered from that three years’ famine for the slaughter of the Gibeonites, 2 Samuel 21:1, and that three days’ pestilence for David’s sin, in numbering the people, 2 Samuel 24:13-15.” (John Trapp) The Psalm was rehearsed by Jeremiah and Ezekiel “at the beginning of the return from captivity, to teach us that those things ought especially to be sung concerning that happy restoration which these prophets were wont to sing about.“ (Mathew Poole's Synopsis)
“”Praise is awaiting You,’— ‘is silent for You’ (Heb)— ‘O God in Zion— the final destiny of Jesus the antitype of the Ark of the Covenant. “Mercy is not yet come, we expect it; whilst thou art preparing the mercy, we are preparing the praise.” (Edward Leigh) “‘Lord, I quietly wait for a time to praise thee; my soul is not in an uproar because you stay. I am not murmuring, but rather stringing my harp and tuning my instrument with much patience and confidence, that I may be ready to strike up when the joyful news of my deliverance come." (William Gurnall)
“‘In Zion.’ Upon Zion there was erected an altar dedicated to God for the offering of sacrifices. Except when prophets were commanded by God to ignore the rule, burnt offering was only to be offered there. The worship of God upon the high places was contrary to the divine command: ‘Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see: but in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.’ Hence the tribes on the other side of Jordan, when they erected a memorial altar, disclaimed all intention of using it for the purpose of sacrifice, and said most plainly, ‘God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord today, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before his tabernacle.’... — In fulfilment of this ancient type, we also 'have an altar of which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle.' Into our spiritual worship, no observers of materialistic ritualism may intrude; they have no right to eat at our spiritual altar, and there is no other altar at which they can eat and live forever.” (C H Spurgeon)
“‘And unto You shall the vow be performed,’ that is, the sacrifice shall be offered up which was vowed. We shall not be accepted in our thanksgivings to God for the mercies we have received unless we make conscience of paying the vows which we made when we were in pursuit of the mercy; for better it is not to vow than to vow and not to pay.” (Mathew Henry)
“‘You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come’ on that ultimate nation Day of Atonement at the end of time. But even now: “Dark and dismal would this world be if God did not hear prayer; gloomy, inexpressibly gloomy, would be the prospects of man, if he had not the assurance that God is a prayer-hearing God—if he might not come to God at all times with the assurance that it is His very nature to hear prayer, and that His ear is ever open to the cries of the guilty, the suffering, the sad, the troubled, the dying.” (A. Barnes) Speaking of Jesus’ current ministry, Paul said,
"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
“‘Iniquities prevail against me.’ Not so much, perhaps, his own iniquities, as these of his nation. Compare the expression, ‘our transgressions,’ in the next clause. — ‘As for our trangressions, thou shalt purge them away;’ or, cover them.” (The Pulpit Commentary) “Our sins should be looked upon, not to chase us from God, but to humble us, and drive us to seek pardon and purgation from the Lord, whose free grace only can take sins away.” (David Dickson) “’You will provide atonement for them.’— on a case by case basis as individuals bring their burnt offerings to the altar with the right understanding and attitude. Upon these conditions, Yahweh reveals Himself upon the mercy-seat, “ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come unto Him by faith in Jesus Christ. Our sins prevail against us; we cannot pretend to balance them with any righteousness of our own: yet, as for our transgressions, of thine own free mercy, and for the sake of a righteousness of thine own providing, we shall not come into condemnation for them.” (Matthew Henry)
4 Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple. 5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas; 6 Who established the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power; 7 You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. 8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice. 9 You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. 10 You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. 11 You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. 12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side. 13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.
This speaks of the year of Jubilee when the earth rests, and yet is blessed with abundance. It is the consummation of all things, when Jesus comes again to Zion. “’Blessed is the Man You choose,’ etc.— The rising of ‘the Sun of Righteousness’ and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, that ‘River of God’, full of the waters of life and salvation, render the hearts of sinners, which before were hard, barren and worthless, fruitful in every good work; and change the face of nations far more than the sun and rain do the face of nature.” (Thomas Scott) “It will be the joy of the whole earth and His praises will sound forth from the glorious place of His rest. Then He who answereth prayer unto Him, who is the desire of all nations, all flesh will come. The nations will be gathered into the kingdom. Israel’s (the universal church’s) transgression will be purged away and they will be fitted to draw near and be satisfied with the blessings of His house, that future holy temple which will be filled with His glory (Eze 43:1-27). ‘The terrible things in righteousness’ with which the Lord has answered the pleadings of His suffering people, are His judgments, the vengeance of God. The results will be peace on earth. [Jesus is He] Who stilleth the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of nations. This shows that the curse which rests now upon creation will then be removed and even creation itself will shout for joy and sing.” (Arno Gaebelein)