Psalms 66:1 - Meaning and Application

In these verses, the psalmist calls on all people to praise God, all lands, all the earth, and everyone in the world who can praise him (Psalm 66:1). This shows God’s glory, because he is worthy of praise from everyone. He is good to all, and he gives every nation reason to praise him.

It also shows our duty. All people are bound to praise God, because that is part of the order of creation. This call also points ahead to the conversion of the Gentiles, the non-Jewish nations, to faith in Christ. A time would come when all lands would praise God, and this offering of praise would be made everywhere.

The psalmist also shows his own glad desire for this work. He wants to praise God himself, and he longs for all nations to give God his due, not only Israel. He urges all lands to make a joyful noise to God. Holy joy should fill our praise. God does not accept empty noise in religion, like the hypocrites described in (Isaiah 58:4), but praise should still be heartfelt, earnest, and open. We should serve him with all our strength, and we should not be ashamed to be seen praising him.

He also calls them to sing gladly and to sing out so others are helped and God’s name is honored (Psalm 66:2). God’s name means all that he has made known about himself. What brings honor to God’s name should be the matter of our praise. In this way, we are to make his praise glorious as far as we can. Our highest honor is to praise God, and the creature’s greatest dignity is to be a name and praise for the Creator.

The psalmist has called on all lands to praise God (Psalm 66:1), and he also says they will do it (Psalm 66:4). All the earth will worship him. This reaches even the farthest places, because the everlasting gospel will be preached to every nation and people, and its message is this: worship him who made heaven and earth (Revelation 14:6-7). God’s word will not return empty. It will bring people in every part of the world to worship God and sing to him.

In gospel times, God will be worshiped with psalms and songs. They will sing to God, that is, to his name, to his revealed glory. In our praise, we cannot add anything to his essential glory, who he is in himself, but we can honor him for what he has made known to us.

To give us material for praise, we are told to come and see the works of God. His works praise him whether we do or not, and the reason we fail to praise him more is that we do not observe them carefully. So we should look at his works and notice his wisdom, power, and faithfulness in them (Psalm 66:5). Then we should speak of them, and speak of them to God: “How awesome are your works! Your deeds are full of awe” (Psalm 66:3).

God’s works are wonderful in themselves. When we think about them properly, they should fill us with wonder. God is terrible, that is, awe-inspiring, in his works, because his power is so great and shines so clearly in everything he does. There are no works like his. That is why he is said to be “fearful in praises” (Exodus 15:11). In all his dealings with people, he is awesome and should be approached with holy reverence. Much of true religion is a deep respect for God’s providence, his wise rule over all things.

His works are also frightening to his enemies, and they have often been forced into a false surrender (Psalm 66:3). Through the greatness of his power, before which no one can stand, his enemies submit to him. The word can also mean they lie to him, because they are made, very unwillingly, to make peace on almost any terms. But a submission forced by fear is usually not sincere. For that reason, force is no right way to spread religion, and the church has no reason to rejoice in people who later prove to be liars (Deuteronomy 33:29).

God’s works are also comforting and helpful to his people (Psalm 66:6). When Israel came out of Egypt, God turned the sea into dry land before them, which encouraged them to follow his guidance through the wilderness. When they were about to enter Canaan, he divided the Jordan before them, and they crossed on foot for their encouragement in war. Those feet, so clearly helped by heaven, might almost count as cavalry, not mere infantry, in the wars of the Lord. There the enemies trembled before them (Exodus 15:14-15; Joshua 5:1), and there we rejoiced in him. That means we trusted his power, because resting in God is often described as rejoicing in him, and we sang his praise (Psalm 106:12). “We rejoiced” means our ancestors did, and we in them. The joys of our fathers are our joys, and we should think of ourselves as sharing in them.

God’s works are also clear signs of his rule over all things (Psalm 66:7). He rules by his power forever, and his eyes watch the nations. He has a commanding eye. From heaven, he sees all people clearly, even the most distant and hidden nations. His eyes run through the earth, and nothing escapes his notice. He also has a commanding arm. His power rules forever, and it is never weakened or blocked.

So the psalmist warns, Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Those with rebellious hearts should not dare to act openly against God, as Adonijah did when he said, “I will be king.” Nor should rebels act as if they had any real chance of winning against him. They must be still, because God has said, “I will be exalted,” and no one can deny it.