Commentary - Psalm 86:8-10

Bird's-eye view

This brief section of Psalm 86 serves as a central pillar of praise, grounding David's personal pleas for deliverance (which surround this passage) in the objective, unshakeable reality of who God is. The movement is from comparative theology to missiology to a final declaration of monotheism. David first looks at the pantheon of pagan non-entities and declares God's absolute uniqueness. There is no one like Him. He then looks at God's actions in the world and declares them to be equally singular. This uniqueness is not a secret to be kept by Israel, but is destined for global recognition. David prophesies a great ingathering of all nations, who will come and worship Yahweh. The reason for this is grounded in the final verse: God's inherent greatness, His miraculous works, and the stark fact that He, and He alone, is God. This is a robust, gospel-hearted confidence, seeing that the God who saves the individual psalmist is the same God who will one day save the world.

In short, David is arguing from the character of God. Because God is utterly unique in His being and His works, it is therefore inevitable that all the nations He has made will one day acknowledge this reality. This is not wishful thinking; it is theological certainty. The greatness of God demands the worship of the globe. This is the seed of the Great Commission, planted deep in the soil of the Old Testament.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 86 is unique in the Psalter as it is the only one explicitly titled "A Prayer of David" in Book III. It is largely a composite psalm, meaning David weaves together phrases and themes found in other psalms and other portions of Scripture. This is not plagiarism; it is Spirit-inspired saturation in the Word. He is modeling for us how to pray Scripture back to God. The psalm is a lament, a cry for help from a man who is "poor and needy" and beset by "insolent men." Yet, in the midst of his personal crisis, David does not simply navel-gaze. He lifts his eyes to the character of God. The verses we are considering (8-10) form the theological high point of the psalm. They are the anchor that secures his faith. His personal deliverance is certain because the God to whom he prays is the God who is unrivaled in the cosmos and who has promised to bring all nations to Himself. This section transforms the psalm from a mere personal complaint into a declaration of God's global and ultimate triumph.

Key Issues

The Greatness That Demands the Globe

We live in a pluralistic age that is allergic to exclusive claims. The spirit of our time insists that all gods are basically the same, that all religions are different paths up the same mountain. David, speaking by the Holy Spirit, confronts this lie head-on. The foundation of true worship is the recognition that God is not simply the best in a category of "gods." He is in a category all by Himself. There is Yahweh, and then there is everything else.

This is not an abstract theological point. David connects God's uniqueness directly to the future of the world. Because there is no one like God, and because there are no works like His works, the day must come when this reality is universally acknowledged. All the nations whom God has made are His rightful possession. The creator has a claim on His creation. The prophecy here is not that some from every nation will come, but that the nations as nations will come to worship before Him. This is a postmillennial psalm. It anticipates the victory of the gospel in history, when the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. This confidence is not based on our evangelistic skill or the strength of the church, but on the sheer greatness of God. He is great, He does wondrous deeds, and He alone is God. The conclusion is inescapable: therefore, the nations will be His.

Verse by Verse Commentary

8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours.

David begins with a sweeping negative declaration. He looks at the entire religious landscape of the ancient world, with its pantheons of Baals, Ashtoreths, and Molechs, and dismisses them all in one stroke. The phrase among the gods is not an admission that these other deities have any real existence. The Bible is clear they are nothing, idols of wood and stone (Isa 44:9). David is speaking phenomenologically, from the perspective of the pagan worshiper. He is saying, "Take all the beings that men call 'gods,' all the powers they worship and fear, and not one of them can hold a candle to Yahweh." God is not the supreme being; He is the only being who is self-existent and eternal. All others are either created by Him or are demonic counterfeits.

And this uniqueness of being results in a uniqueness of action. "Nor are there any works like Yours." No other god has spoken a universe into existence. No other god has parted a Red Sea. No other god has toppled the walls of Jericho. And supremely, no other god has entered human history, lived a perfect life, died for the sins of His people, and risen again from the dead. God's resume is utterly unique. His works are the demonstration of His nature. He is one of a kind, and so are His deeds.

9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.

This verse is the necessary, logical consequence of the previous one. If God is truly who He says He is, then the current state of world affairs, with its rampant idolatry, cannot be the final word. David makes a breathtakingly bold prophecy. He says all nations. Not just Israel. Not just a smattering of Gentile converts. All nations whom God has made. He grounds their eventual worship in the doctrine of creation. Because God made them, they belong to Him. And one day, that rightful ownership will be acknowledged.

They "shall come and worship before You." This is the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matt 28:19). This is the vision of Revelation, where a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue stands before the throne (Rev 7:9). David sees, by faith, the triumph of the gospel in time and on earth. And what will they do? They will "glorify Your name." To glorify God's name is to publicly acknowledge His character for who He truly is. The nations will cast aside their idols and confess that Yahweh, the God of Israel, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the one true God.

10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

David now provides the bedrock reason for this global submission. It is not arbitrary. It is not because God is simply stronger and can force everyone into submission. It is because He is worthy. The word "for" connects this verse to the preceding one. Why will the nations come? For You are great. God's greatness is not just about size or power; it is about the sum total of all His perfections. His holiness, His love, His justice, His mercy, His wisdom, all are infinite.

And this greatness is not kept hidden. He puts it on display. He does "wondrous deeds." The word for wondrous here points to miracles, to supernatural acts that distinguish Him from all false gods. The supreme wondrous deed, of course, is the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is the event that secures the fulfillment of verse 9. The psalm ends this section with the bluntest statement of monotheism possible: "You alone are God." There are no others. There are no competitors. The throne of the universe is not vacant, and it is not a committee. There is one God, and all of history is moving toward the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess this central truth.

Application

First, this passage is a potent antidote to the anemic and timid spirit of modern evangelicalism. We are often tempted to apologize for the exclusive claims of Christ. We try to make the gospel palatable to a pluralistic world. David teaches us to do the opposite. Our confidence in missions and evangelism should be rooted in the absolute, rock-ribbed uniqueness of our God. We are not offering one religious option among many. We are announcing the reality of the one true God and calling all men everywhere to repent and bow to the one true King, the Lord Jesus.

Second, this passage gives us a sure hope for the future of the world. It is easy to become discouraged by the headlines. It seems as though paganism, secularism, and every form of rebellion are on the march. But Psalm 86:9 is a divine promise. "All nations...shall come and worship before You." This is not a question of 'if' but 'when.' This should fuel our prayers, our evangelism, and our cultural labors. We are not fighting a losing battle. We are on the winning side of history, because our God is great and does wondrous deeds. The story ends with the nations streaming to Zion to glorify the name of Jesus Christ.

Finally, we must apply this personally. Is this great God your God? You can marvel at His uniqueness, you can affirm His wondrous deeds, you can even believe that He alone is God. But have you, like David, come to Him as one who is "poor and needy" and cast yourself entirely upon His mercy? The God who will one day receive the worship of the nations invites you now to come and worship Him through His Son. The cross is God's most wondrous deed, where His justice and mercy meet. It is there that we see His greatness most clearly. It is there that we are saved. And it is from there that we go out, with confidence, to disciple the nations.