Psalm 65

1 What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you,
2 for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you.
3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.
4 What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.
5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.
6 You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength.
7 You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations.
8 Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.
9 You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!

According to most traditions the occasion of this psalm was the return of the ark of God to Jerusalem. Without doubt, the Ark is the most sacred relic in Hebrew history. It housed the stone commandments given to Moses on Sinai as well as a jar of Manna and Aaron's staff. It was the very dwelling place of God...until the Hebrews could build God a house of His own.

This is an interesting story that bears review.

The Israelites were defeated in battle by the Philistines, who captured the Ark. When the news reached the old priest Eli, he was so mortified that he fell dead. His daughter-in-law, bearing a son at the time named him Ichabod—explained as "Where is glory?" in reference to the loss of the Ark (1 Sam. 4:12-22).

The Philistines took the Ark to several places in their country, and at each place misfortune befell them (1 Sam. 5:1-6). After seven months the Philistines returned it to the Israelites, along with a gold offering. Ultimately the Ark was taken to Kirjath-jearim where it remained for twenty years. Under King Saul, the Ark basically became an afterthought.

God...an afterthought? Sound like some churches we may have visited?

At the beginning of his reign, King David determined to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. The decision was accompanied by great rejoicing. On the way, one of the drivers of the cart put out his hand to steady the Ark, and was smitten by God for touching it. David, in fear, carried the Ark aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, instead of carrying it on to Zion, and there it stayed three months (2 Samuel 6:1-11; 1 Chronicles 13:1-13).

When the Ark finally arrived in Jerusalem King David, basically wearing only his boxers, "danced before the Lord with all his might" — a total embarrassment to his wife so she rebuked him. (2 Sam. 6:12-16, 20-22; 1 Chron. 15). This act on her part prompted God to make her barren.

So you get it...this was a "huge" deal. Worthy of celebration.

Here is David's response...after he was done dancing, I guess; "What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all." What had been little more than an afterthought for the nation was now securely ensconced at the center of their national identity.

And the expectation? "What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple. You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas." David believed a sense of national joy would pervade the country when the citizens got a true sense of what it meant to be chosen by God. David also felt now that God's Ark was in it's proper place, God would once again be recognized as the hope of the entire world. It's a "national" psalm so we should probably aim any applications we draw from it toward the Church in general. And of course I wonder...In what state do we find our church today? Are we like Israel before the Ark was returned to Jerusalem? Defeated, derided and distracted? or are we like Israel after the Ark was returned? Elated...with as sense of obedience, forgiveness, salvation and hope?

The implication of this psalm is simple. The closer God is to the place where He belongs, the greater devotion and humility our Church will exhibit. God will once again be "the hope of everyone on earth."

I think our Church needs some prayer...

Live boldly out there today...