Four psalms in a row, 65-68, are millennial psalms looking ahead to the time when praise and honor from Israel and the whole world will be given to the Lord without reserve. Israel has been away from God for centuries as a nation, but when they confess their guilt as a nation and truly accept the fact that our Lord Jesus was the One who was wounded for their transgressions, then they will be forgiven. When they acknowledge their redemption cost the Lord Jesus Christ His life, and they had rejected Him and “crucified the Lord of glory,” they will be brought into the place of favor they once had and were promised as far back as Abraham. “They will look on Him who they had pierced.”
It will undoubtedly be true then that praise that now waits will be freely given. There are lessons for us to learn from this psalm. There are special times for praising and thanksgiving. When prayers are answered, it is a reason for an open-hearted response to the Lord for His goodness to us. When sins are forgiven, the relief accompanying the confession of sin and the forsaking of it is so real that it is almost palatable. When divine favor has been shown to us, and we never expected such blessings, praise, and thanksgiving are spontaneous from a grateful heart.
God’s mighty acts of creation that bless all the world's people are cause for genuine praise. His actions are righteous and inspire awe in humans, no matter where they are on earth. From the storms that come and are so necessary to our survival on earth to the evidence of creation far beyond human comprehension, the people recognize the blessings that flow to us from the Creator. The seasons, springtime, summer, harvest, and winter, are all necessary for the bounty contained in God’s earth to be released to us. The heat of the sun and the rain from the sky cause food to come from beneath our feet. The tiny seed that multiplies hundreds of times because of God’s design in creation meets our needs. Our health and well-being all celebrate the existence of God.
Our happiness comes when we look at the hills and rivers in the valleys that all display the glory of God. It was God’s power that created the mountains and seas. God’s power will bring, in an even more excellent way in the future, His fullness from “the river of God.” God’s mighty acts of creation that bless all mankind are cause for praise. God’s benevolence will be celebrated universally in a day yet to come. God’s willingness to pardon sin and His saving grace are cause for praise. God’s mercy makes genuine forgiveness possible with spiritual blessings and order, justice, and hope, bringing peace to our souls. God’s bounty will ultimately provide for every person’s need when all creation joins the universal celebration of God’s goodness in the millennium.
It will be then that God will turn desolation into fullness and plenty. Then, every place on earth, including the deserts, will bring forth the hidden bounty and beauty that is contained but retained because of heat and lack of rain. All the people of the world will recognize the blessings that come from Him and celebrate not only His existence but also see the parts of nature that seem dead and dormant become full of life and fruitfulness. The coming and appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ will change even the dirt beneath our feet. Mankind in all nations who believe in Him will pray and be heard, not just the Jews.
We need to remember vows are to be kept. The vows in this psalm are promises to praise God when our prayers are answered. To have open access to God is a great honor that we should never take for granted. He is available to us today, everywhere, and at any time. His generosity provides all we need and an abundance besides all we have received. How grateful, thankful, and full of praise we should be. We can celebrate even now what the whole world will be celebrating in the millennium.