For the music director; a song, a psalm.
An unknown psalmist wrote this song for the music director of the Levites. These songs would be sung at the Levitical feasts of Israel.
66:1 Shout out praise to God, all the earth!
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the earth will shout out praises to God.
66:2 Sing praises about the majesty of his reputation! Give him the honor he deserves!
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the nations of the world will praise God for His reputation. They will no longer reject Him. They will give Him the honor in which He deserves.
66:3 Say to God: “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power your enemies cower in fear before you.
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the nations will praise God for His awesome deeds. They will praise God for His omnipotent power. They will cower in fear when they stand before God.
It is important to note that the people of the nations of the Great Tribulation will be judged on how they treated Israel. During the Great Tribulation, the sheep Gentiles will feed, clothe, and shelter Israel. They will enter into the Millennial Kingdom as co-reigners with the Lord Jesus Christ. The goat Gentiles will betray the Jewish people over to the Antichrist. They will be sent to hell.
66:4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you! They sing praises to your name!” (Selah)
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the earth will worship God and sing praises to Him. All of the nations are not praising God at this time in history. Most of the nations have rejected God. They do not allow the Word of God to be taught in public schools. They give credit for the creation of the universe to the principles of evolution. They worship different gods through different cults and isms. During the Millennial Kingdom, all nations will sing praises to the name (or character) of God. The psalmist asked the congregation to meditate and think about this Biblical doctrine.
66:5 Come and witness God’s exploits! His acts on behalf of people are awesome!
During the Millennial Kingdom, the people of the earth will visually witness God’s miraculous deeds. There will be no more war. God will establish a government which actually benefits the people.
66:6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. Let us rejoice in him there!
The psalmist reminded the people of God’s great miracles of the past. During the Exodus, God turned the sea into dry land. People should rejoice about this miracle of the past.
66:7 He rules by his power forever; he watches the nations. Stubborn rebels should not exalt themselves. (Selah)
God is omnipotent. He rules by His power for eternity. He watches over the nations and plans their every move. It is unwise for stubborn rebels to exalt themselves above God. Any person who exalts his human opinion above the Word of God is a fool and a rebel.
66:8 Praise our God, you nations! Loudly proclaim his praise!
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the Gentiles will praise God and loudly proclaim His name. Governments and public educational systems will not censor or outlaw the Word of God.
66:9 He preserves our lives and does not allow our feet to slip.
God is the One who preserves the life of His children. He will discipline His children, but He will not allow their feet to slip.
66:10 For you, O God, tested us; you purified us like refined silver.
God tested Israel. This testing purified and refined them like silver.
66:11 You led us into a trap; you caused us to suffer.
God led Israel into a trap so that He could refine them like silver. God does the same with modern believers. This educational process is called sanctification.
12 You allowed men to ride over our heads; we passed through fire and water, but you brought us out into a wide open place.
God allowed other men to oppress and persecute Israel so that they could pass through fire and water and be strengthened. However, after this testing, God allowed Israel to enter into greener pastures.
66:13 I will enter your temple with burnt sacrifices; I will fulfill the vows I made to you, 66:14 which my lips uttered and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
Israel will show their gratitude to God by entering His temple with burnt sacrifices. These burnt sacrifices pointed to the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.
66:15 I will offer up to you fattened animals as burnt sacrifices, along with the smell of sacrificial rams. I will offer cattle and goats. (Selah)
All of these sacrifices pointed to the coming Messiah. The psalmist asked the congregation to meditate and think about this Biblical doctrine.
66:16 Come! Listen, all you who are loyal to God! I will declare what he has done for me.
The psalmist called all of the loyal believers to listen to his testimony of God.
66:17 I cried out to him for help and praised him with my tongue.
The psalmist cried out to God for help. After he received help, then he praised God.
66:18 If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
The psalmist confessed his sins, so God listened to his prayer. This is why 1 John 1:9 is so important for believers.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to cleanse us of all of our sins.” Those who continually confess sins are continually cleansed and continually used by God. They are brought back into God’s fellowship. Those believers who do not continually confess their sins are dirty vessels. God will not use dirty vessels. The believer is still saved for eternity, but God will not use a dirty vessel in His ministry. He will simply choose someone else to complete the task.
66:19 However, God heard; he listened to my prayer.
The sins of the psalmist were confessed, so God listened to his prayer.
66:20 God deserves praise, for he did not reject my prayer or abandon his love for me!
God deserves praise. He listens and answers to prayer. He loves the believer, even if the believer is living in sin. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit, but it does not separate one from God. Those who love God study and apply the Bible at the deepest level. Those who do not love God will not study or apply Scripture at a very deep level. They will seek to compromise with the satanic world system. This makes the Holy Spirit very sad. This causes the Holy Spirit to grieve, because the believer is not showing his love for God. The believer is showing that he loves his sin more than he loves God.