For the music director; a psalm of David, a song. 

 

David wrote this song for the music director of the Levites. The Levites would sing these songs at the festivals of Israel.

 

65:1 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion. Vows made to you are fulfilled. 

 

The harvest had arrived. Israel will have food for another year. Therefore, the God of Zion should be praised. Zion is Jerusalem. Israel promised to praise God if He delivered the harvest. Israel is now ready to fulfill their vow and praise God.

 

65:2 You hear prayers; all people approach you. 

 

God is praised, because He listens to prayers. He is praised, because He allows His people to approach Him.

 

65:3 Our record of sins overwhelms me, but you forgive our acts of rebellion. 

 

Israel continually rebelled against God, but God continually loved and forgave them.

 

65:4 How blessed is the one whom you choose, and allow to live in your palace courts. May we be satisfied with the good things of your house— your holy palace.

 

Those who are chosen by God are blessed. This is the doctrine of election and predestination. Some are chosen and others are left to make their own choice. Those who make their own choice will never choose God, because their sinful nature wants nothing to do with God. Those whom God chooses will live in palace courts during the Millennial Kingdom. Believers will co-reign with the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be running the Millennial Kingdom government on earth. They will not be elected to office, but they will be appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When sinful man elects a man into office, he chooses a terrible sinner like himself.

 

65:5 You answer our prayers by performing awesome acts of deliverance, O God, our savior. All the ends of the earth trust in you, as well as those living across the wide seas.

 

God answers the prayers of Israel by performing awesome acts of deliverance. God is the One who was saving Israel from the Gentile nations of the world. During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the people will trust in God. Even those Gentiles who live across the sea will trust in God. 

 

65:6 You created the mountains by your power, and demonstrated your strength.

 

God created the mountains by His power so that He could demonstrate His omnipotence to His created beings.

 

65:7 You calm the raging seas and their roaring waves, as well as the commotion made by the nations.

 

God is omnipotent, so He can calm the waves of the raging seas. When the Lord Jesus Christ calmed the waves on the Sea of Galilee, then He was proving to His disciples that He was the Creator God of this psalm.

 

God can also control the commotion made by the Gentiles. During the Great Tribulation, all of the Gentile nations will rebel against God. They will make war on His saints. However, God will be in control.

 

65:8 Even those living in the most remote areas are awestruck by your acts; you cause those living in the east and west to praise you. 

 

During the Great Tribulation, even the Gentiles who live in the most remote areas of the world will be awestruck by the acts of God. During the Millennial Kingdom, those Gentiles living in the east and west will all praise Jehovah. The Millennial Kingdom earth will be filled with believers.

 

65:9 You visit the earth and give it rain; you make it rich and fertile with overflowing streams full of water. You provide grain for them, for you prepare the earth to yield its crops. 

 

God is the one who is responsible for rain or drought.

 

65:10 You saturate its furrows, and soak its plowed ground. With rain showers you soften its soil, and make its crops grow. 

 

If a nation receives abundant rain, then they should thank God.

 

65:11 You crown the year with your good blessings, and you leave abundance in your wake. 

 

God blesses the Gentile nations with abundant rain, yet they still will not praise Him.

 

65:12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, and the hills are clothed with joy. 

 

God pours rain upon the pastures of the earth, but He is often rejected by its recipients.

 

13 The meadows are clothed with sheep, and the valleys are covered with grain. They shout joyfully, yes, they sing. 

 

God fills the earth with sheep and grain. The nations should shout joyfully, yet they do not.