Psalm 67 could be a modern worship song. It’s like the psalmist took some seriously inspiring words from Numbers 26:24-25, where it’s all about the Lord blessing and keeping you, making His face shine upon you and being all gracious and stuff. This psalm even has a chorus! Rock on!

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Psalms in Book 2 are like Book 1 in that they are mostly lament and distress although they now include a communal voice in addition to the singular voice of the first book.

The books of Psalms are roughly themed like this:

Book 1: Psalms 1 – 41: God is beside us.
Book 2: Psalms 42 – 72: God goes before us
Book 3: Psalms 73 – 89: God is all around us.
Book 4: Psalms 90 – 106: God is above us.
Book 5: Psalms 107 – 150: God is among us.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

67 May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
² that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.

³ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁴ Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

⁵ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁶ The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
⁷ God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Psalm 67 ESVUK

If you want to talk about the Old Testament, you can’t skip blessings. They may not be the star of the show, but they make a big impact. Take Psalm 67, for example. It’s a catchy little tune that’s all about blessing. It starts off by mentioning the Law , the priestly blessing we find in Leviticus. Talk about leveling up! Blessing is a big deal.

There’s this cool harvest song in the Bible, and it mentions that the earth has yielded its increase. That’s pretty awesome, right? It’s like God’s way of blessing everyone with food. And hey, did you know that supplying food relief to countries hit by war, flood, drought, or bad economics is also talked about in the Bible? It’s all about sharing our excess with those in need.

The Psalmist really goes all out when it comes to blessings. seriously, they make sure to include everyone. Leviticus? Well, that was just for the Israelites. But Psalm 67? it’s all about everyone, no exceptions. They use words like “all nations”, “the peoples”, “all the people”, and “the ends of the earth” a whopping ten times in just seven verses! Even including these inclusive terms in both lines of the chorus. Talk about being thorough, right? That’s a whole lot of inclusivity going on there.

God desires blessings for everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of belief. It is important for all of us to embody this spirit of blessing, rather than simply preaching, unless God has specifically called you to preach. I encourage you to reflect on the ways in which you have recently bestowed blessings upon others, regardless of their religious affiliation or whether they identify as atheists. Remember, blessing is a universal act that anyone can engage in, bringing positivity and goodwill to those around us.

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