Ps. 65.5-8 (the battle for creation)

With awesome deeds / which put things right / answer us
O God / of our salvation
the one / who is trusted / by all the ends of the earth
and the distant seas.
Who / by his power / sets the mountains
who / is girded / with might
who / stills / the raging seas
the raging / of the waves / and the turmoil / of the peoples
so that / those who dwell / at the ends of the earth / will fear your signs
and the outgoings / of the morning / and of the evening / will sing for joy. 


To summarize where we have been (and where we are going): the psalm’s goal is to move God into blessing the blessing of the land, to “visit it”. The immediately previous section detailed how “all flesh” is to come to Zion in order to have its sins removed (through sacrifice). In so doing, the Temple would cleanse the people and God would take to himself all of mankind in a type of priesthood. In short, all of mankind would become Adam again—a priest within the Eden of creation. The point is clear—that man’s rebellion against God is integrally related to the blessing of the land and that the Temple in Zion functions as a type of Eden and cleansing ‘liver’ to the whole world. It is in that context that we now find ourselves. Here, the focus shifts to God’s creative mastery (battle) over the forces of chaos. This section begins with ‘awesome deeds’ and ends with those dwelling “at the end of earth” “fearing your signs”. In between these “signs and wonders’ is the Warrior King. His “power sets the mountains”. He is “girded with might”. And he “stills the turmoil of the peoples”. All of these images of conquering power summarize the opening phrase that God, in his battle, “puts things to right”. They also, importantly, point to God’s act as Creator. “Setting the mountains” likely refers to the idea that the mountains, and their bases, form the ‘pillars of the earth’. This is crucial to grasp for this psalm: that God’s mighty works that pus things to right are also those works that are creative and life-giving. We have seen this over and over again in reflecting on the relationship between the Exodus and creation and how they, likely, informed each other. The more Israel reflected on the Exodus, the more they came to see the nature of creation and vice versa (they more they reflected on creation the more they came to see the nature of the Exodus). In this, however effortlessly creation is portrayed in Genesis, its ongoing creation is one of a continuous battle with chaos (and the chaotic rebellion of man and other powers). In these verses, this ‘chaos’ is given expression through the waters of chaos (“raging seas…raging waves”). This the force that needs to be ‘stilled’, the threat that need to be eliminated so as to permit life to persist. Importantly, however, these waters are immediately transformed into “the turmoil of the people”. Here, the chaos waters have come to be envisioned as roiling nations of rebellion. Chaos has, literally, “swept over” mankind, co-opting it into its anti-creation desire and rebellion. That said, the waters, at least here, at not destroyed, but “stilled”. Their threat is removed. The battle is won. And the aftermath is significant. Those who “dwell at the ends of the earth” is likely not a reference to those who simply live far away. In the bible, geography is theology. Those who “live at earth’s end” is likely a reference to those agents of chaos that dwell closest to the border of creation and chaos; they may, even, be demonic forces. This is why the “stilling” produces in them fear—they have witnessed the subjugation of their power to the God of Israel. And, once again, in this concluding section we have two parties, both of whom witness the victory of God, but each having very different approaches to that victory. For one, it induces ‘fear’. For the other, “the outgoings of the morning and the evenings”, it induces them to “sing for joy.” For these (the morning and evening), the victory of God is the victory of their God. How does all of this tie into the previous section and the ending? As with man’s sin/rebellion, God deals with those forces that attempt to thwart his creative purposes. In one, he establishes the Temple and the sacrificial system; here, he moves into battle. We might say this: God’s “visitation” (his blessing of the land) has, as its prior necessary foundation, these twin moments of sacrifice and battle. Both, however, are aimed at bringing “stillness” to the land, of preparing it, of moving into God’s “shalom” (peace). Eden, now, can be regained but it comes at the price of a sacrifice and a victory.