Psalm 67— To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. 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.
A Song- “closely linked with the preceding one, telling us of the fullest blessings in store for Israel and the whole earth, when the new day has dawned and the King reigns. If this little Psalm in its prophetic message were understood it would end forever all postmillennial misconceptions as to the conversion of the world [or even of all Jews].” (Arno Gaebelein) This comes after the Nazarite vow in Numbers, chapter 6. “We read, 2 Samuel 6:17-18 that when David had brought the ark to Jerusalem, he ‘offered, burnt-offerings and peace-offerings,’ as promised in the foregoing psalm, Psalms 66:13. ‘And as soon as he had offered them, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord:’ i.e. as Bishop Patrick supposes, he pronounced this psalm, wherein he manifestly imitates that form of blessing which the priests were appointed to use on solemn occasions, Numbers 6:24; Numbers 6:27. See Psalms 4:6.” (Thomas Coke)
Seek holiness as typified by the law of the Nazarite-- a voluntary vow. Paul took the vow (Acts 18:18) and paid the expenses of others who had taken one (Acts 21:26). As God leads, we are to seek piety from Him and He will grant it. “Here a new ordinance appears. It seems a special flower set by God's hand within the garden of the Jewish code. Therefore let special fragrance now be sought by faith, for surely special fragrance may be found.” (Henry Law) “It can hardly be denied that there is a desperate need in the church today for such leadership, for men utterly given over to God for His purposes— not men of fanatical zeal (which can very often be fleshly and even devilish), but men of controlled fire, men who can truly say, 'One thing I do' (Philippians 3:13), men of whom it can be said that the love of Christ constrains them, giving their lives depth, drive, and direction in the service of God.” (Dr. Thomas Constable)
But there was only One true Nazarite who was always about His Father’s business. Jesus is our great High priest who has passed through the heavens and who was tempted in all things as were are and yet without sin. “For Him the vow was from birth. For us it is most often temporary— for a season. Yet its purpose is to give our faith walk deeper roots for the entire journey, that we may finish the race set before us. Israel failed and we are failing. “In place of being satisfied with their portion in the God of their Fathers, they lusted after other things. (Cf. Psalms 105:1-45 and Psalms 106:1-48) In place of the order, the purity, and the separation to God with which our book opens, we have disorder, defilement, and giving themselves to idolatry.” (C. H. Mackintosh) “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
“God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us,’ that both Jews and Gentiles may know God's covenant made with them [in Christ].“ (Geneva Study Bible) “This is a fit refrain to the benediction of the High Priest in the name of the Lord, as recorded in Numbers 6:24-25 . ‘The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.’ Thus shall you bless the children of Israel.” (C. H. Spurgeon) —
“’That Your way may be known on earth,— that is, that all the world may be sensible of the truth of the Jewish religion; and expect no blessing, but from the supreme God of the Jews.” (Thomas Coke) And thus they would look unto the One Messiah, who declared, “I am the Way; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6) — Your salvation among all nations. “This country must be blessed in order that it may bless the world; our Churches must be blessed, in order that they may bless the country; we ministers must be blessed, in order that we may be a blessing to the Churches.” (J. A. James)
“‘Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!’ Thanks will be rendered for the blessings of His wise and holy government (compare Isaiah 2:3, Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 11:4).” (Jameison-Faussett-Brown)— For You shall judge the people righteously,’ at the end of time, “keeping thy Church in safety amidst the greatest ruins of the world and cotlisions of empires. — “The prophet had foretold that the nation and kingdom, which would not serve Christ, should perish; Isaiah 60:12. But the same prophet had it in commission to tell the church, that so blessed should be the advent of Christ's kingdom, and such the prosperity of the church, that strangers should stand and feed their flocks, and the sons of the alien should be their plowmen and their vine-dressers. So that in the contemplation of those auspicious events, the nations should be glad, and sing for joy, the Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice. Isaiah 61:5.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary)—
“’and [You shall] govern [the redeemed of] the nations on earth.’ Thou shall hereafter govern them by righteous and good laws, who were before under the government of the prince of this world, and had nothing to guide them but some few laws and tendencies of nature, or some precepts of an old tradition, which are now almost obliterated.” (Joseph Benson) But Thou shalt gently lead them, [in obedience of the the faith] as a shepherd doth his flock or a father his child. Lord, hasten it.” (John Trapp) Selah
“God's assembly is to be blessed and kept of Him, continually; it is ever to bask in the sunlight of His gracious countenance; its peace is to flow as a river; Jehovah's name is to be called upon it; He is ever there to bless… But [after the judgment and then destruction of obstinate sinners] blessed be God, there is a moment approaching in the which the magnificent benediction of Numbers 6:1-27 shall have its full application; when Israel's twelve tribes shall be ranged round that imperishable standard, ‘Jehovah-shammah’ (Ezekiel 48:35); when they shall be purified from all their defilements, and consecrated unto God in the power of true Nazariteship. These things are set forth in the fullest and clearest manner, throughout the pages of the prophets. All these inspired witnesses, without so much as one dissentient voice, bear testimony to the glorious future in store for Israel; they all point forward to that time when the heavy clouds which have gathered and still hang upon the nation's horizon shall be chased away before the bright beams of ‘the Sun of righteousness;’ when Israel shall enjoy a cloudless day of bliss and glory, beneath the vines and fig-trees of that very land which God gave as an everlasting possession unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (C. H. Mackintosh)
“‘Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.’ The call on the people is again repeated, to rejoice, like the repeated hallelujahs of Heaven. He that hath once sung to the praise of Christ's redeeming love, will everlastingly sing to it, and make it his every-day song.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary) We are to praise before the ultimate blessing comes. “‘Then shall the earth yield her increase.’ The blessings of a fruitful harvest are mentioned as types of greater and spiritual blessings, under which all nations shall fear and love God.” (Jameison-Faussett-Brown)
But temporal blessing shall also be in abundance. “The grapes are to hang in heavier clusters; the oil is to flow tit richer streams; the corn is to yield a more golden harvest; the pastures are to be covered with more numerous flocks; man’s temporal life is to be happier, nobler, more beautiful, when the whole race is brought back to the love and worship of the Creator… There is a golden age for men in this world, in which the dreams of reformers, philanthropists and fools shall be more than fulfilled.” (R. W. Dale, D. D.)— “’God, our own God, shall bless us,’ All shall go well with us.. The gospel is a cornucopia; and they that receive it shall have all that heart can wish or need require.” (John Trapp)