PSALM 66. MEETING YOUR OBLIGATIONS. There are three verses in the very heart of this psalm which emphasis the reason for its existence. They are verses thirteen to fifteen. "I will go into Thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay Thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto Thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams. I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah!" I will pay my vows. When David declared, "I will go into Thy house with burnt offerings", our mind recalls that in the New Testament the Apostle exhorts the New Testament believer to lay his live on the altar for God. We are living sacrifices to God. The psalmist was singing about putting his life on the line for God. Now, promises made in times of trouble are to be kept when the trouble is over. Often we are full of joy and delight when our troubles are over, but what we promised to God in the troublesome time, we have an obligation to pay that vow unto the Lord. When the psalmist describes the details of the offerings he will make, it is obvious that he fully intends to give only the BEST to God. It is enough for us, removed from the times when that type of offering was made, to say, "I will give God MY Best." Once, when I lay ill in bed, one of our leading ministers came to see me. He brought with him a collection of magazines, putting them on my bedside table for me to read when I was well enough. When his visit was over, and he had gone, I glanced at the pile of papers. Imagine how I felt when picking up the top magazine my eyes were confronted with the banner headline - "Doomed! Doomed! Doomed!" I felt so low from that first reaction that I didn't bother to read it. With the magazines he had brought a large bunch of grapes, but had eaten the greater part of them as he cheerfully chatted with me. He had brought the best, but had partaken of it himself. So very often we expect the best from God, and when God undertakes for us we enjoy the results, and fail to present the best to God. David, when he was describing the offerings he intended to bring when his troubles were over was declaring that he would make sure he brought the best for God. He was determined to give God the best. This psalm is a fivefold song. First, it is a song of ECSTASY. "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!" Shout! Hurrah! Triumph!. Let us never belittle the things of God. We want to offer Him more than hot breath and loud noise. This joyful noise comes from the very heart. In the next verse he sings, "Sing forth the honour of His name. Make His praise glorious. Tell God 'how fearful are Thy doings!" We must bear in mind that God built up the Jewish Nation by great terrors. God delivered them under the leadership of Moses by tremendous acts of deliverance. God showed to the heathen the greatness of His power. I often wonder if we are really aware of how great our God is. Here David sings a song of ecstasy. Then the song of ecstasy becomes the song of EXODUS as David sings, "Come and see the works of God." The scripture is quite clear on one particular issue which concerns every believer, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous.", and with that statement comes the assurance, "but the Lord delivereth him our of them all." "Come and see His terrible doing to the children of Adam." God is the One and Only who can bring us out of all our afflictions. For evidence of this, David turns to the Exodus from Egypt, when God turned the sea into dry land, and His people went through the flood on foot dry shod, and they rejoiced in their God. It was the song of Exodus they sang. God rules by His power for ever. He is still on the throne. "Everybody, bless our God!", the psalmist continues moving into the stanza which is a song of EXISTENCE. "He holds our soul in life, and suffers us not to be moved." We are kept by the power of God. We are because He is. He has proved us - tried us - netted us - afflicted us - caused men to ride rough shod over us - taken us through the fire and water - BUT He has brought us into a wealthy place. Not a place wealthy with money, but wealthy with life. That word, translated 'Wealthy Place', which the Psalmist uses here, seldom occurs in the Scriptures. It literally means 'refreshment in a wide fruitful place'. What a wonderful description of a full and fruitful existence. It is just like Canaan after the wilderness. Then the song turns into a song of EXCULPATION. The word means, 'to free a person from a charge'. Not to excuse someone, but to justify. Not just to set free, but to set free from all blame. We are set free, redeemed, forgiven. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's Elect?, it is God that justifieth; rather it is Christ that died, and is risen again." (Romans8.33) There is no charge against God's chosen ones. "Come and hear, al ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul." David gave expression to everything that was within him, "I cried with my mouth". He knew that if he regarded iniquity in his heart the Lord would not hear him. But God did hear David's song and set him free. The guilt flee away. The burden of our sin is our guilt. David sang because his burden rolled away. The song of ecstasy, which became the song of exodus, which in turn became the song of existence, which itself became a song of exculpation, no becomes a song of EXULTATION. "Blessed be God!" God has not turned away from my prayer. He has heard me; He has attended to me. He has not turned away from my prayer, nor has He turned His mercy from me. "I will remember my obligations." In David's day the Meal Offering was placed upon the burnt offering. The burnt offering was to fulfil an obligation to God. The meal offering was to fulfil and obligation to man. The Peace offering affected all three - the Lord Himself - the Priest fulfilling his office - the offerer who partook of it. If you know the fullness of God, fulfil your obligations, to God, to others, and to yourself. Copyright (c) 1996, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/psalms: ps-066.txt .