Psalm 65:5-8

In the first section of Psalm 65 (verses 1-4), the poet praises or thanks Yahweh for answering the prayers of all human beings. Now, in the second section (verses 5-8), the psalmist praises or thanks Yahweh for his mighty acts in history:

"By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy."

1. There is a very intimate connection between what Yahweh does in creation and his mighty acts (his "awesome deeds") among human beings. The Bible often makes this connection. For example, the composer of Psalm 33 proclaims what Yahweh does in creation in verses 6-9, then proclaims what Yahweh does among the nations in verses 10-19. Similarly, the author of Psalm 46 extols Yahweh's sovereignty over creation in verses 1-5, then extols his sovereignty over the nations in verses 6-11. The waters of chaos and the rebellious peoples of earth are both subject to Yahweh's rule (verse 7; see especially Psalm 46:10).
2. While Yahweh surely works among and through and in spite of his chosen people (note verses 1, 3-5), his presence and power permeate all humankind (note verses 2, 5, 8). Yahweh is not a local God concerned only with a select group of people; he is the universal God, concerned with the well-being of all his creatures--see especially 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
3. The expression "[Yahweh's] awesome deeds" (verse 5) automatically makes the hearer think of Yahweh's deliverance of his people from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 15:11), by which he showed himself to be "the God of our salvation" (Exodus 15:2) and "king" of the universe (Exodus 15:18). Just as Yahweh provides for all the needs of his invited guests (verse 4), he is the "hope of all the ends of the earth" (verse 5).
4. By his mighty acts in creation and in history, Yahweh demonstrates his incomparable "strength" and "might" (verse 6). The most powerful parts of creation (the mountains--verse 6; the roaring waves of the sea--verse 7) and of humanity (the ends of the earth--verses 5, 8; the peoples--verse 7) are very weak compared with Yahweh's power (see Isaiah 40:28-31; Job 26:7-14; 38:4-38).
Let us praise Yahweh each day for his awesome deeds in creation around us and among the nations of the world.

John Willis