65:1-5 All the praise the Lord receives from this earth is from Zion, being the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, and acceptable through him. Praise is silent unto thee, as wanting words to express the great goodness of God. He reveals himself upon a mercy-seat, ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come unto him by faith in Jesus Christ. Our sins prevail against us; we cannot pretend to balance them with any righteousness of our own: yet, as for our transgressions, of thine own free mercy, and for the sake of a righteousness of thine own providing, we shall not come into condemnation for them. Observe what it is to come into communion with God in order to blessedness. It is to converse with him as one we love and value; it is to apply ourselves closely to religion as to the business of our dwelling-place. Observe how we come into communion with God; only by God's free choice. There is abundance of goodness in God's house, and what is satisfying to the soul; there is enough for all, enough for each: it is always ready; and all without money and without price. By faith and prayer we may keep up communion with God, and bring in comfort from him, wherever we are. But it is only through that blessed One, who approaches the Father as our Advocate and Surety, that sinners may expect or can find this happiness.

Verse 4. - Blessed is the man whom thou choosest. The "choosing" intended is certainly not that of the seed of Aaron (Leviticus 8:1), or of the seed of Levi (Numbers 18:21-23), but that act by which God "chose" Israel out of all the nations of the earth to be "a special people unto himself" (Deuteronomy 7:6), and gave them a distinct position, and peculiar privileges. And causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. Among the peculiar privileges, one of the greatest was that of approaching God's presence in his holy temple, and entering his "courts" and worshipping there. This all Israelites were not only permitted, but commanded to do, at least three times in the year, while the dwellers in Jerusalem, privileged above the rest, had constant opportunities of attending, and using to the full the means of grace provided for them in the sanctuary. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. In "the goodness of God's house" the psalmist includes, not only the delights there experienced, but also all the blessings which God gives to those who devoutly worship him there - "from the forgiveness of sins to outward, temporal mercies" (Hengstenberg).

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest,.... In eternity; both to grace and glory; for such have true faith in Christ given them, called the faith of God's elect, and shall never perish: they are effectually called by the grace of God, and are justified by the righteousness of Christ, and shall be glorified; or in time, for there is a choice in time, as the fruit, effect, and evidence of the eternal choice, and is no other than effectual calling; see John 15:19, 1 Corinthians 1:26; and happy are those who are both chosen and called; both election and the effectual calling are to grace and glory, and spring from the good will and pleasure of God; and the Targum in the king of Spain's Bible is,

"blessed is the man in whom thou art well pleased;''

and causest to approach unto thee; the same Targum supplies,

"unto the fear of thee;''

or unto thy fear and worship. The persons whom God has chosen for himself are, in their state of nature, at a distance from him by reason of sin; and through the blood and sacrifice of Christ, by which atonement is made, they are brought nigh to him; and in the faith of Christ the Mediator, their hearts are engaged to approach unto God, and come with boldness to his throne, and ask grace and mercy of him; and through the grace of Christ they have nearness to him, and communion with him, Ephesians 2:18;

that he may dwell in thy courts; or "he shall dwell" (l); the man that is chosen of God, and brought nigh by Christ; he shall not only come into the house of God, and tread in his courts, but he shall dwell there, ever abide, and never go out;

we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house; even all that are like this man, chosen by the grace of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, brought into the house of God, and have a place and a name there, better than that of sons and daughters of men: by "the house" of God we are to understand the church of God; and by "the goodness" of it the provisions of grace in it, the word and ordinances, and the blessings of grace held forth in them, and especially Christ the bread of life, whose flesh is meat indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed; of which true believers may eat, and do to full satisfaction; and blessed are they that have such food, and appetites for it, and are filled with it. The Targum paraphrases it,

"the righteous shall say, we shall be satisfied with the goodness of shy house.''

It follows,

even of thy holy temple: which means the same as the house of God; namely, the church; see Ephesians 2:21. Some, as Aben Ezra observes, interpret it, "thou Holy One in thy temple"; as if it was an address to God, and a description of him as in his temple.

(l) "habitabit", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Musculus.

4. dwell in thy courts; … [and] satisfied with the goodness … temple—denote communion with God (Ps 15:1; 23:6; compare Ps 5:7). This is a blessing for all God's people, as denoted by the change of number.

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