God's Global Mission

The Psalms were written and collected over the course of several centuries. The earliest psalms were composed at the beginning of corporate worship in Israel (Mays, 9).

Psalm 67 is one of many reminders in the Old Testament that even though the Lord had called the Jews to be His chosen people, He always intended to extend salvation to the Gentiles as well. In Genesis, the Lord promised Abram that He would bless him and make his name great so that He would be a blessing to others. God promised that eventually all people on earth would be blessed through him (Gen. 12:2–3). This promise was fulfilled through Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham (Matt. 1:1). Jesus commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19–20), and every Jew or Gentile who accepts God’s gift of salvation is a spiritual descendant of Abraham (Gal. 3:6–9).

In Psalm 67, the Israelites asked God to bless them so that all nations might recognize that salvation comes only from Him. This prayer will ultimately be answered on the day when, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God (Phil. 2:10–11).

This passage of Scripture is important for students because it demonstrates that People are God's Treasure. All six verses in this psalm speak of God’s relationship with the crowning achievement of His creation: people. God created humans in His image for His glory, and He commissions His people, despite their sinfulness, to declare His glory and salvation throughout the world.

Although the Lord referred to the Israelites as His treasured possession (Ex. 19:5–6), He offers salvation to people of every nation because He treasures every person whom He has created (John 3:16). God desires that no one should perish (2 Pet. 3:9). God blesses His people in order that they may bless others and carry out His commission—leading others into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

This passage also touches another Essential Truth: God Is.

Psalm 67:1–2 Verse 1 may sound familiar. The psalmist was echoing Aaron’s benediction from Numbers 6:24–26. Even though only the first two lines are quoted, the Israelites would have naturally remembered the benediction in its entirety. The Lord instructed Moses to pass on these words of blessing to Aaron and his sons, who were in turn charged to speak this priestly blessing over the congregation of Israel during worship. As they personalized these priestly words, the Israelites sought God’s protection, favor, and peace (Gaebelein, 440). In this psalm, the reprise of the priestly blessing launched a congregational prayer that expressed Israel’s desire that all creation would praise the Lord.

The word Selah appears at the end of the first verse and also at the end of verse 4. This word is found in the Psalms a total of 71 times as well as three times in Habakkuk. Although the meaning of the word is uncertain, scholars believe that it is a musical term that might have served as a cue for the director of music to pause the song at this point (Crenshaw, 5).

Israel’s motivation for asking God to be gracious to them, to bless them, and to make His face shine upon them stemmed from their belief that if other nations recognized that God’s favor was upon Israel, then they would desire to know God themselves. Israel recognized that God had called them to be a holy nation (Lev. 20:26) and a light for the Gentiles (Isa. 49:6). The Israelites wanted to be noticed by the other nations in the hope that they would abandon their false gods and turn to the one God who could lead them in the way of salvation (Isa. 45:22).

Israel’s plea for God’s grace reflected their awareness that they did not deserve God’s favor. If God’s face shined upon the Israelites, then they would know that He was pleased with them. The obvious contrast was that God would show His displeasure by hiding His face from His people (Ps. 13:1).

Psalm 67:3 The Israelites recognized that God was worthy of their praise, and they looked forward to the day when all nations would recognize the greatness of God (Ps. 145:3), accept His gift of salvation, and join Israel in worshiping Him. The Israelites praised God in anticipation of the day when all nations would be included His family.

Psalm 67:4 The realization by other nations that God is a benevolent ruler will result in an outbreak of joyful noise to the Lord and an eagerness to gladly worship Him (Ps. 100:1–2). Israel understood that God is a judge who desires to shepherd them rather than dominate them, and they prayed that other nations would eventually embrace His just rule. Unlike the pagan rulers of the day, God’s character is beyond reproach, so He can be trusted to rule the nations fairly. His righteous standards are unchanging—He will judge all nations with equity (Ps. 9:8). As a shepherd, the Lord guides the nations, leading them along the paths of righteousness (Ps. 23:3). This is a reminder that God is able not only to guide individuals, but also all the nations of the earth.

Psalm 67:5 Notice the parallel structure of the psalm. The prayer for the inclusion of the nations from verse 3 is repeated here (Gaebelein, 442). This repetition serves to emphasize the Israelites’ heartfelt desire to bring glory to God. When all nations recognize that God is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, their rightful judge, and the only way to salvation, then they will join Israel in praising Him.

Psalm 67:6–7 This intercessory psalm begins with a prayer for blessing and concludes in the same manner. Although this psalm does not specifically refer to the Messiah, it anticipates the day in which God reigns over Jews and Gentiles alike.

In verse 6, God’s blessing is manifested in an abundant harvest. A good harvest was universally viewed as a blessing from a deity; likewise, a failed crop was perceived as a curse. The Israelites recognized that God ultimately determined the success of the harvest (Ps. 65:9–13). The Lord instructed the Israelites that if they obeyed His commands, He would bless them with a bountiful harvest (Lev. 26:3–5). If the people, however, failed to obey the Lord, their crops would fail (Lev. 26:20). The harvest played a central role in the life of the nation, and the Israelites observed three annual celebrations associated with the harvest: Firstfruits (Lev. 23:9–14), Weeks (Lev. 23:15–22), and Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33–43).

But God’s blessing in verse 6 refers to more than a bumper crop of wheat and barley. When God blesses His people and the other nations of the earth are drawn to Him, a great spiritual harvest results. The Lord of the harvest blessed the Israelites in order to draw others to Himself, and today He blesses the Church for the same purpose (Luke 10:2). We are to be the light of the world, illuminating the way to God with our lives and prompting others to praise Him (Matt. 5:14–16).

As the Israelite congregation concluded their prayer, they expressed confidence that God would bless them as they sought to make His glory known to all nations. Thus when the other nations observed how God had blessed Israel, they too learned to fear Him, prompting worldwide praise of God (Ps. 33:8).

When we talk about a calling to missions today, we tend to think in terms of an individual’s call to take the gospel to a distant land. The Church, however, has a corporate call from God to be a light to the nations, making His glory and salvation known to the ends of the earth. Does your congregation have a shared burden for missions? Is your church family aware that God has blessed them in order that they might lead others to praise Him? Have you ever prayed and asked God to bless you personally so that you might be a light for others, leading the lost out of their spiritual darkness to God?

Students need to recognize that they too have been commissioned by God to make His glory and salvation known throughout the world. The missionary call is not just for adults; God blesses students and youth groups so that they can be His witnesses both locally and globally. Challenge your students to consider whether their lives bring glory to God. Are their lives marked by praise and thanksgiving to God for His many blessings? Remind them that nonbelievers are always watching them, observing their behavior and attitudes, and, subsequently, forming opinions about their God.