CONTEXT - This psalm is a liturgical psalm in which the priest spoke verses 1-2 and 4, while the people or Levites responded joyfully with acclamation, "Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you" (vv. 3 and 5). The occasion was the annual harvest festival or perhaps it may have been the annual celebration of God’s enthronement.

BLESSED TO BLESS - The universal perspective of this psalm recalls Abraham and Sarah going forth with the promise of blessing, that through them, "all the families of the earth" will be blessed (Gen. 12:3). But the blessing doesn’t stop there; throughout the Hebrew scriptures the promise of blessing reverberates (Ex. 9:16; Ps. 22:27-28; Isa. 2:2-4; 19:2-24; 49:5-7).

IMPLICATIONS OF THE PSALM - In our world, plagued by injustice and divided by extremes of poverty and wealth, it is crucial that we hear the message of Psalm 67: God rules the world and intends blessing for all the world’s people. This means that God wills justice for all (v. 4), including the equitable distribution of the earth’s ‘harvest’ (v. 6) . . . in short, Psalm 678 can assist us . . . as we engage the new challenge to recapture the ancient biblical vision of racial and ethnic pluralism as shaped by the Bible’s own universalism. [1]

The word, worship means "to declare what is worthy." Here the psalmist praises God’s justice and guidance and goodness and saving power. What do you declare is "worthy" by your worship? What are you saying about God-both to God and to others? In your conversations in the next twenty-four hours, consider how you might praise God in specific ways-through noticing something in nature, in a job situation, in a newborn baby. [2]

Begin with plagiarism! Trace the opening lines back to the Aaronic blessing on the people in Numbers 6:26. Recall the story of the blessing.

Move to a more original source of blessing-Abraham and Sarah-in Genesis 12; recall the story about how God picks them out as his first "missionaries" and through them promises to bless all the people of the earth.

Move to vision of God in Revelation 21 and 22 and how even when God creates a new heaven and new earth, God chooses to bless people.

Shift to the pew-how can we be a blessing this week? But be creative and avoid the usual "action points." Truly free people to bless as part of the larger vision and program of God! Draw from the NIB quote above that suggests that blessing and doing justice is inextricably related.

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[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible IV (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), page 941.
[2] Spiritual Formation Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), page 747.