Ps. 66.1-4 (the proportion of praise)

Raise a joyful shout / to God / all the earth
Sing / of the glory / of his name
set forth gloriously / his praise
Say to God / “How awesome / are your deeds!”
So great / is your strength / that your foes / cower before you.
All the earth / should bow / before you – and sing / your praise
praise your name / in song! 

There is something abundant, excessive and exuberant about these opening lines. The ‘proportion of praise’ is like this. It manifests itself not in speaking, but in “shouting” (1), not merely in recognition, but in “setting forth gloriously” (2), not in neutral description, but in cries of “awesome are your deeds” and “so great is your strength” (3). Indeed, this overflowing of boundaries is one that moves over “all the earth” (1) and “all the earth should bow before you” (4). This is, in other words, an eruption. And, in light of yesterday’s “introduction”, it needs to be pointed out this eruption of praise finds it source in the Exodus. It is, in this way, resurrection praise. It is both total (“all the earth”) and abundant. In this we come to something important: if what we said yesterday was correct about the nature of “Isaac and the Exodus”, then what we find in this praise is participation within the original praise offered by Israel as they crossed the Reed Sea. Perhaps more importantly still, is the fact in this moment of such profound deliverance, Israel is both given a glimpse into creation itself and, at the same time, ushered into something new. We have emphasized how the Exodus affects how we view creation—such an awesome display of utter authority over the greatest of worldly (“Pharaoh”) and cosmic (“chaos waters”) powers infused their hearts with the realization that that is how creation itself began. In this way, “all the earth” is revealed in that moment. The ‘foundations of the earth’ are revealed. The greater the display of God’s authority the deeper is the perception of creation. I believe it is this conviction which led Israel, alone in the ancient world, to trace the lineage of all the world back to Adam rather than to their national hero. In the moment of Israel’s redemption it is also revealed to be a brother to the nations (nowhere is the sovereignty of God not only so greatly ‘perceived’ as so greatly experienced than in Israel). And, as the brother that has “Isaac-like”, passed through death, the whole world, in some way, can (or, “should”; vs. 4) participate within its resurrection praise. It is this spirit which infuses these lines, which calls for “all the earth” to sing to God. This is Israel with the keen sense of being the eldest brother of the nations, seeking to priest-like, have its siblings join them in praise. Finally, it must be noted that this psalm takes place in Zion (vs. 13). This only enhances these observations as Zion is not only the center of the earth, the renewed Garden of Eden, but it is also ‘from Zion’ (or, beneath her) that the river of life will flow that will wash over the entire earth and from which ‘instruction will go to the nations’ (and, where they will flock). In other psalms, she is the mother of all nations.