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.




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