May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for God rules the peoples with equity and guides the nations of the earth. (Psalm 67:4)
This builds on Psalm 67 (Gathering in God’s Family – Part 1)
An Old Testament Triumph
The book of 2 Kings records a historic account near 800 BC. The Syrians were hostile to the Hebrews and warred with them since the times of King David. There was a famine in Israel because of the siege war, but God intervened and drove away the Syrian army. Maybe He sent down lightning to scatter the enemies or routed them another way. The Syrians ran in fear and abandoned their camp, leaving tents, horses, donkeys, silver, gold, and clothes.
Four Israelite lepers stumbled into the abandoned enemy camp and couldn’t believe their eyes! At first, they had a party, eating, drinking, and carrying away riches. But soon, the lepers’ consciences troubled them and they said, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news for all Israel and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! We can’t remain silent. Come on, let’s go back and tell all the people.”1
Victory in Jesus
God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) won an even greater conquest through Christ our Savior. Dr. Paul Tripp says that Jesus gives His followers: wisdom instead of the foolishness of sin; power instead of weakness and inability; freedom from guilt; and victory, hope, and courage through His death and resurrection.2
Colossians 2:15 says that through Jesus’ Cross, He disarmed all supernatural forces of evil operating against us. Christ led them away as captive prisoners. He won the long war against Satan and his demons and fulfills Genesis 3:15. On His Cross, Jesus crushed the serpent’s head and restores His followers to life!
Back to Psalm 67
This Psalm contains prayers for the prosperity of the Lord’s Old Testament church and for the conversion of the Gentiles (non-Jews) and gathering them into God’s one people. Psalm 67 foresees joyous times. Jesus taught that all the Old Testament, including the Psalms, foretold Messiah’s suffering and glory. Christ said that repentance (turning away from our wrongs) for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.3 That’s been going on for 2,000 years.
Psalm is 67 is about celebration, evangelism, and missions, bringing others to Jesus. The Prophet Zechariah foretold: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”4
Everyone Needs Christ as King
Psalm 67:3-5 says:
3 May the peoples praise You, God. May all the peoples praise You.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise You, God. May all the peoples praise You.
Verses 3 and 5 are identical and point to verse 4 as the central idea of Psalm 67. Psalm 2 speaks of all the nations rebelling against God and His Son, shaking their fists at Him. And that’s what we see in national and world news every day. Sadly, honest Christians have to admit our own insurrection against the Lord sometimes, doing whatever seems right in our own eyes.5 So we pray: Jesus, we have strayed from You like lost sheep. Bring us back to You and to the safe way of Your commands.6
A moderately bad person knows they are not very good. A thoroughly bad person thinks they are fine and alright. We only see our wrongs when God awakens us, not when we are dead asleep in our sins.7
Verse 4 speaks of glad and joyous times for Jesus’ followers of all nations. And that happens as we live by Christ’s rule of equity and His guidance. Job 22:21 says: “Submit to God and be at peace with Him. In this way prosperity will come to you.”
How Can We Serve Christ?
There are many ways to evangelize and make disciples of Jesus. But I remembered the strategy of a woman named Kathy. She’s a successful stockbroker in Minneapolis who makes friends easily. Kathy goes to the pool at her apartment complex, settles on a chair, reads a book, and strikes up a conversation with whoever sits near her. In that setting, Kathy talks very easily about Jesus and her faith in Him.
Bringing newcomers to church is her regular practice. It’s just what she does, because she loves people. She’s so good at evangelizing that someone invited her to serve on the church outreach committee. But her pastor advised against it and said: “Why put someone who’s good at evangelism in meetings for hours? Let someone else serve on the board, while Kathy sits by the pool and invites people to Christ.” This is just one example. Maybe it will help us all to think of ways to work with the Lord in gathering in His forever family.
2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 says that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. Our old life is gone and a new life has begun! It is all a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And He gave us the task of reconciling people to Him. We can’t save them, only the Lord can. But we are to work hard to persuade others that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. We are Jesus’ ambassadors and God makes His appeal through us. We plead with people, “Come back to God! For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.8
That’s best news of all eternity, dear readers! How can we hog it to ourselves?
To be continued
Notes (various Bible translations): 1 2 Kings 7:3-20. 2 paultripp.com, “Everything You Need.” 3 Luke 24:26,47. 4 Zec 8:23. 5 Judges 17:6; 21:25. 6 Psalm 119:176. 7 Adapted from C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 88. 8 Paraphrase.