Psalm 65 is a tremendous call to worship. It highlights the marvelous abundance of God toward people and the earth. It emphasizes both His spiritual and physical abundance.
Having been asked to read Psalm 65 as the call to worship this morning, I read through it several times. Then I read it in several different translations. It was with difficulty that I got past the first phrase of verse 1. It reads variously as follows: “There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God” (NASB), “Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion” (ESV), “Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion” (NIV), “Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion” (KV), “Praise is rightfully Yours, God, in Zion” (HCSB), “God, you will be praised in Jerusalem.” (NCV). To my reading, there are three interpretations of whatever is going on in Hebrew concerning praise of God: Praise of God 1) comes through silence, 2) is due Him, or 3) awaits or will be coming.
Seeing that these three translation routes are significantly different, I was somewhat confused. Then I found a commentary online (1) that shed light on the source of the confusion. The literal Hebrew translation of the phrase reads, “to you silence praise Oh God in Zion.” (2) Unlike English wherein adjectives precede nouns, Hebrew adjectives and articles follow nouns (3) So, in English, I understand the phrase to read “praise silence”. In my everyday way of thinking, that sounds like “calm before the storm”. In other words, waiting to praise, anticipating praise, praise that should momentarily happen (is due), and praising by silence (meditating, considering) do all make sense.
Verse one concludes with praise acted upon through performing vows made. Given what follows, it occurs to me that contemplative silence is praise intended and thought, vows performed is praise acted out, and the rest of psalm is praise pronounced.
Then David pours out praise. In verses 2-5a, he praises God for the following spiritual blessings to believers: 1) hearing prayer, 2) forgiving sin, 3) choosing His own, 4) bringing them near, 5) satisfying them (4), and 6) answering prayer by awesome works.
Verses 5b through 8 praise God for His sovereign control of earth and its peoples, a great blessing in what otherwise would be chaos. David uses some illuminating and endearing word pictures throughout the rest of the psalm. Consider the ones related to His sovereignty. How far do people trust God? Answer: to the “ends of the earth and the farthest sea”. That pretty much covers everywhere. God controls the roaring seas and waves is an apt word picture for the “tumult of the peoples”. What is the full extent of where people are who are in awe of His signs? Answer: “the dawn and sunset”. And these “shout for joy”, meaning the peoples are overjoyed at His wonders.
The description of God’s provisioning through the earth’s abundance in verses 9-13 is not hyperbole. Water, grain, pastures with their flocks “overflow”, “greatly enrich”, “full”, “abundantly”, “bounty”, “drip with fatness”, “drip”, “gird themselves”, “clothed”, “covered”, “rejoicing”, and “shout for joy, yes, they sing”. David had been a shepherd, but he knew of farming. I enjoy his word picture of the furrows watered abundantly, settling and softening its ridges, so that its growth is blessed (v. 10). For a plowed field hardened by sunlight and lack of rain this is a reality, but the word picture conveys a sense of how the plants (grains, vegetables, or grass) are watered without ever mentioning them.
We are not an agrarian society, so that our praise may go in other directions, and yet, no one may prosper if the agricultural pursuits do not prosper. They are primary to all other life pursuits. We can all understand how God blesses us through His benevolent provision of food. Certainly, His kind providence extends to all of our needs and many of our desires. Life is good, because God is good.
Being largely concrete and tactile when it comes to our desires and feelings, I pray that God would enable us to gain a deeper conceptual understanding and trust of His attributes, yes, of His person through His works on our behalf. His great name which represents all that He is and does is to be praised.
- I did and you should read the statement of faith for any commentary online before you start accepting any significant counsel from online sources. It was solid.
- https://www.bibleref.com/Psalms/65/Psalm-65-11.html
- https://www.hebrewpod101.com/blog/2020/08/07/hebrew-word-order/#4 Any comments that I make about translation in Hebrew or Greek do not come from study of those languages, but rather from references I seek out for understanding.
- 4) and 5) are accomplished through His temple, symbolizing God’s presence with His people and their worship of Him.
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CreatorWorship 
Moving Forward
Posted in Assurance, Civil Debate, Consequences, Cultural commentary, Faith, General, God Thoughts, Gospel, Implications, Sermon, Society, tagged bible, Blessed, Blessedness, Charlie Kirk, christianity, Faith, God, Jesus, Persecution, Results of Persecution, Sermon on the Mount on September 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »
I avoid political comment or commentary on this blog, but Charlie Kirk’s death is not primarily or most essentially a political assassination. His was a death (1) for his faith and the boldness with which he proclaimed the truth of God’s Word and power of Christ to save those who will turn from their wickedness to trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and in His resurrection. This past Sunday, my pastor preached on how the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 apply to this and other situations of persecution. You can hear the sermon at “The True Meaning of the Blessed Life”. Without fully reviewing or summarizing the sermon, I want to point out three ideas that he communicated about the text, Matthew 5:1-12.
Firstly, he pointed out that the word “blessed” that Jesus spoke to His Jewish hearers would be understood to mean a “spiritual well-being growing out of a close relationship with God resulting in a happiness and settled nature in the recipient.” This is not prosperity gospel; it is peace and joy in knowing God.
Secondly, verses 3-9 about what blessedness looks like will result in verses 10-12, persecution. I add that Paul said, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2) Therefore, Peter explains that since you do not do their sinful deeds, “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you.” (3) On the other hand, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.” (4). Persecution for doing what is right is to be expected.
Lastly, my pastor began listing some of the benefits of persecution even in the face of its horrors and difficulty. He seemed to have perhaps four or five items on his list, but he went on to list many more from which I made the following list:
Persecution brings
In all of these encouragements I have realized another most obvious result which Peter says most clearly, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” (4) The reason for the 16 things above in the life of individuals and the Church is the presence of God. I do not desire persecution to come, but God will bless us as believers when it does- all glory be to Him. May God give us zeal through the loss of this brother in Christ to raise up many more like him, bold to proclaim truth.
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