Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

4. The Wilderness Hillsides- “The wilderness becomes a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.”(12) The dormant seeds of the desert spring to life at the touch of the rain of God. Their rich colors explode with joy! 5. The Meadows and Valleys- “The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!” (13) Sheep and grain are two of the strongest representations of the harvest of human souls that God so deeply desires from the earth. The comparisons of this passage and Jesus’ encounter with the woman of Samaria are important. • Water- Jesus softened the ground of her heart with the water of the Holy Spirit! “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (Jn. 4:13,14) • Worship- He revealed to her that he was the Messiah solving her hunger for true worship: “…true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will wor- ship him that way.” (Jn. 4:23) • World Missions- He explained that the true work of God is harvesting the souls of people: “Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest.”(Jn. 4:35)

The great call of the Lord today is get ready for the spiritual Feast of Tabernacles where the wa- ters of the Holy Spirit and impassioned worship will help usher in his harvest.

PSALM 66: SHOUT JOYFUL PRAISES TO GOD, ALL THE EARTH! The Victorious Shout of Praise!

This is one of four psalms (65-68) that expand its focus from the nation of Israel to the entire world. It is not attributed to David but is considered written by a later Judean King such as Asa or Jehoshaphat commemorating a stunning deliverance in battle. Asa was once attacked by an army of a million Ethiopi- ans; the Bible narrative has many parallels with this song: “Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, ‘O lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone…do not let mere men prevail against you. So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the pres- ence of Asa and the army of Judah…” (2 Chron. 14:9-12)

The psalm begins with a summons for the whole earth to come and praise him then it focuses to the select Jewish nation and finally ends with the personal prayers of Israel’s leader. It is outlined as:

I THE PRAISE OF ALL THE EARTH- 1-4 II THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE- 5-12 III THE PRAISE OF THE KING-PRIEST- 15-20

INTRODUCTION:

“For the choir director: A psalm. A song.”

This is the second psalm in a string of 4, (65-68) with the dual title of ‘psalm’ and ‘song.’ The theme of the whole earth coming alive with praise reminded the choir director to make sure that this psalm/song was musically beautiful.

I THE PRAISE OF ALL THE EARTH - 1-4

“Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glo- rious he is.” (1,2)

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