Today, Friday June 09
“You Will Provide Atonement for Them…”
Psalm 65:1-4
“Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come.
Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. 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.”
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; Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.
Psalm 65 is the first of four psalms (Psalms 65-68) that focus on praising the Lord for His manifold blessings in nature and for His gracious dealings with His people. David wrote the previous Psalms, Psalms 52-64, during and about the times that he was either fleeing from King Saul, or he was dealing with the rebellion of his son Absolom. They are Psalms where he is pleading and calling out to God for protection and deliverance. It is fitting that Psalm 65 follows them, as it is a special Psalm of praise and worship!
In verses 1-4, we see the grace of God, in providing atonement for our transgressions (v. 3) and choosing us to approach Him to worship in the holy sanctuary (v. 4). Jesus Christ is the only Savior and salvation for sinners.
The very first word of the Psalm is “Praise”. God created us to worship and praise Him! But our “iniquities”, our sins and transgressions surround us and prevent us from truly worshipping the Lord! (v. 3). But thank the Lord, God has provided an “atonement” for them.
David was looking forward one-thousand years when he wrote: “You will provide atonement for them”. David clearly saw the Messiah, Jesus Christ, suffering on the cross and shedding His blood that would be sprinkled on the “Mercy Seat” that sat on top of the “Ark of the Covenant” in the Most Holy Place! The Covenant, the Law, the Ten Commandments, which was inside the Ark proves that we are sinners who have broken the Law. The Law condemns us and demands the punishment of death for our sin.
But thank the Lord, the “Mercy Seat” provided atonement, a covering for our sin before a holy and righteous God because a sacrifice was provided, and blood was shed that was sprinkled on it. The blood of animals in the Old Testament could only by faith provide a temporary picture of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, Who would shed His blood and once and for all, provide an eternal atonement for the sin of the world. (Hebrews 7-10). How amazing that David writes about this here in Psalm 65!
“Praise is awaiting You…”. The opening phrase is translated literally, "To you praise is silence," which doesn't convey very much. The New American Standard Bible combines both: "There will be silence before Thee, and praise in Zion, O God." The Hebrew word for "silence" is very similar to the word for "fitting, proper," so some translate it, "Praise is fitting for you," that is, "It is fitting that your people praise you." But silence is also a part of worship, and we must learn to wait quietly before the Lord (62:1).
We need to humble ourselves in repentance and get quiet enough for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the wonderful atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross in our place, as the only perfect Substitute for our sin! Only then “will we be satisfied with the goodness of God in our worship and praise in His house, His holy temple” (v. 4).
In verse 5-8, we see the government of God as He rules over all the nations of the earth, and as He performs “awesome deeds in righteousness” (v. 5). God wants all the world to know about His wonderful salvation that He has provided through the death of His Son Jesus Christ! When we repent and believe in Him, we will rejoice from the rising of the sun until its setting, the same way God’s creation does all the day long! (v. 8).
May the Lord open our eyes and hearts to these wonderful truths in this chapter!
God bless!