The Answer To Their Prayers

With my background in traditional Anglican robed choirs in the Cathedral, I still appreciate the Psalms sung to Anglican Chant. In our parish, we don't chant the psalms, but I have a few CDs I can listen to meditate on the Psalms in this way.

Yesterday evening I was listening to the Choir of King's College, Cambridge singing 67 to a chant by Bairstow. Here are the words of the Psalm:

1May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
Selah

2that 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!

4Let 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!

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

It was particularly verses 3 and 5 which struck me. Hear it as the earnest prayer of the ancient nation of Israel, the people of God. Let all the peoples praise you! They were in covenant relationship with the one true living God, and their desire was to see all the nations come to join in the praise of their God.

If you're reading this and you're a Christian, there's a fair chance that you are a Gentile Christian, not part of the commonwealth of Israel according to the flesh. And if so, then you're the answer to their prayers. I'm the answer to their prayers.

The British, the Irish, the American, the French, the Colombian, the Chinese, the Indian, the Australian, the Canadian, the Brazilian, the Ugandan, the Nigerian, the do you get the idea? As people from these various peoples and tongues and nations come to believe in the God of Israel, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, then we are the answer to the earnest prayers of the ancient people of God. His saving power is indeed known among all the nations.

So let's praise God for His mercy to include us among His people. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!