Matthew Henry Commentary Psalms 65
Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalms 65
Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalms 65
"Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion; And unto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that hearest prayer, Unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: As for our transgressions, thou wilt forgive them. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee], That he may dwell in thy courts: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, Thy holy temple. By terrible things thou wilt answer us in righteousness, Oh God of our salvation, Thou that art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of them that are afar off upon the sea:" — Psalms 65:1-5 (ASV)
All the praise the Lord receives from this earth is from Zion, being the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, and acceptable through him. Praise is silent to you, as words are lacking to express the great goodness of God. He reveals himself upon a mercy-seat, ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come to him by faith in Jesus Christ. Our sins prevail against us; we cannot pretend to balance them with any righteousness of our own: yet, as for our transgressions, by your own free mercy, and for the sake of a righteousness of your own providing, we will not come into condemnation for them.
Observe what it is to come into communion with God to attain blessedness. It is to converse with him as one we love and value; it is to dedicate ourselves earnestly to religion as the central focus of our lives. Observe how we come into communion with God: only by God's free choice. There is an abundance of goodness in God's house, and what is satisfying to the soul. There is enough for all and enough for each. It is always ready, and all without money and without price.
By faith and prayer we may maintain communion with God and receive comfort from him, wherever we are. But it is only through that blessed One, who approaches the Father as our Advocate and Surety, that sinners may expect or can find this happiness.
"Who by his strength setteth fast the mountains, Being girded about with might; Who stilleth the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it, Thou greatly enrichest it; The river of God is full of water: Thou providest them grain, when thou hast so prepared the earth. Thou waterest its furrows abundantly; Thou settlest the ridges thereof: Thou makest it soft with showers; Thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; And thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness; And the hills are girded with joy. The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered over with grain; They shout for joy, they also sing. " — Psalms 65:6-13 (ASV)
That Almighty strength which establishes the mountains upholds the believer. That word which stills the stormy ocean, and speaks it into a calm, can silence our enemies. However contrary light and darkness are to each other, it is hard to say which is more welcome. Does the watchman wait for the morning? So does the labourer earnestly desire the shades of evening. Some understand this to refer to the morning and evening sacrifices.
We are to look upon daily worship, both alone and with our families, as the most necessary of our daily occupations, the most delightful of our daily comforts. How much the fruitfulness of this lower part of creation depends upon the influence of the upper is easy to observe; every good and perfect gift is from above. He who enriches the earth, which is filled with humanity's sins, by his abundant and varied bounty, can neither lack power nor will to feed the souls of his people.
Temporal mercies to us unworthy creatures foreshadow more important blessings. The rising of the Sun of Righteousness, and the pouring forth of the influences of the Holy Spirit, that river of God, full of the waters of life and salvation, render the hard, barren, worthless hearts of sinners fruitful in every good work, and change the face of nations more than the sun and rain change the face of nature. Wherever the Lord passes by his preached gospel, attended by his Holy Spirit, his paths drop fatness, and many people are taught to rejoice in and praise him.
These blessings will descend upon the pastures of the wilderness. All the earth will hear and embrace the gospel, and bring forth abundantly the fruits of righteousness which are, through Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Father. Manifold and marvellous, O Lord, are your works, whether of nature or of grace; surely in loving-kindness you have made them all.
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