The Scripture reading for this Sunday is Psalm 67.
A lot of Hebrew writing follows a very different structure than our English writing. In our writing, it’s normal to see a structure where the writing flows from beginning to end, concluding with the main point (or the climax of the piece) at or near the end. However, in Hebrew, there are a lot of writings where the main point is in the middle with parallel ideas surrounding the main point. This structure is called a chiasm and it is especially common in Hebrew poetry like the Psalms.
Psalm 67 follows this structure:
A May the Lord be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine on us – so that Your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
B May the peoples praise You, God; may all the peoples praise You.
C May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples (or establish justice among the peoples) with equity and guide the nations of the earth.
B’ May the peoples praise You, God; may all the peoples praise You.
A’ The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear Him.
Or, to describe the structure (from J. McCann, WorkingPreacher.org):
A Verses 1-2 – blessing and the nations
B Verse 3 – refrain
C Verse 4 – central invitation and focus on God’s just and equitable guidance
B’ Verse 5 - refrain
A’ Verses 6-7 – blessing and “all the ends of the earth”
So, what this means is that the focus on this text is at the middle of the passage where it talks about God’s justice and guidance of the nations. The parallel ideas in verses 1-2 and 6-7 about blessing and the nations, then, must be understood through verse 4, and the same for the refrain in verses 3 and 5. Therefore, this Psalm directs the attention of the worshippers away from themselves to God. It has a missional dimension.
Why does the worshipping community pray for God’s blessing? Why does the Lord, in fact, long to be gracious to and bless that community? Because by blessing them God makes Himself known on the earth. When God blesses the worshipping community, it will prompt others to praise the Lord. (Doug Bratt, CEP)
This Psalm echoes God’s covenant promise to Abraham where God tells Abraham that He will bless him and make him a blessing (Genesis 12:2-4). Abraham was blessed to be a blessing, the worshipping community is blessed to be a blessing, and we, too, are blessed by God to be a blessing.
As we share that blessing (God’s love for us through Jesus Christ, God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, …), others have the opportunity to see and know who God is. And it is our prayer that they would praise God.
As others see and know who God is, it is our prayer that they will know that God is Saviour. Then they will be glad and sing for joy and know that it is God who establishes justice and guides the nations.
Throughout this Psalm, the prayer for God’s blessing has this missional focus. Those praying Psalm 67 seek God’s blessing so that, in receiving them, all the nations (the ends of the earth) might know that God is sovereign over everything, that He is the true God, and worship Him.
May this, then, be our prayer as well.
"Bless us, God, not for our glory, not for our comfort, not for our pride ... bless us God so that Your name be praise, so that You receive glory, so that the nations see You and praise You. For You are good. You establish justice. You rule the nations. You are sovereign. God You have blessed us in Jesus Christ. You have blessed us by Your Spirit. You have blessed us by Your grace. May you continue to bless us so that all the peoples - even to the very ends of the earth (and all creation) - praise You!"