Psalms 96-98

Thoughts

Psalm 96

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

Fun trivia: 1 Chronicles 16:23–33 contains a worship hymn. Psalm 96 is essentially that hymn adapted for later temple worship.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
 sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
 tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
 his marvelous works among all the peoples!

• Worship is global: “all the earth.”
• The “new song” fresh praise for new acts
• God’s people are to share His salvation to the nations.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
  he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
  but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

• God is worthy of fear (reverence).
• All other “gods” are worthless idols 
• God alone is Creator 

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
 ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
  bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
  tremble before him, all the earth!

• “Ascribe” = give God the honor that already belongs to Him.
• All nations are invited 

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.”

• Worship includes proclaiming God’s reign to the world.
• His judgment is perfectly fair (“equity”).

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

• All creation rejoices because God is coming to set things right.
• Nature personified: heavens, earth, sea, fields, forests.

Psalm 97

Psalm 97

The Lord Reigns

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
and burns up his adversaries all around.

• God’s rule reaches to the far “coastlands” 
• “Clouds and thick darkness” echo Sinai imagery (Exodus 19)
• Fire here symbolizes judgment 

His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.

• Lightning and trembling imagery 
• Mountains “melting like wax” show even the most immovable things collapse before Him.
• “All the peoples see his glory” not just Israel

All worshipers of images are put to shame,
who make their boast in worthless idols;
worship him, all you gods!
Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

• Idol-worshipers are exposed when the true God is revealed
• He is “far above all gods” 

O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the lives of his saints;
he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

• Love for God naturally produces hatred of evil 
• “Light is sown”
  • One Hebrew manuscript reads a different word:
    זָרַח (zarach) = “to shine, to dawn.”
  • All the ancient versions (Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum) also reflect “light dawns” rather than “light is sown.”

Psalm 98

Psalm 98

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

• “Right hand” and “holy arm” are victory metaphors
• Salvation is public “in the sight of the nations”

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

• Call to universal worship.
• Worship here is loud and celebratory.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
before the Lord, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

• Creation itself joins the praise: sea, rivers, hills.
• Reason for celebration: He comes to judge 
• Judgment is based on righteousness (צֶדֶק, tsedeq) and equity (מֵישָׁרִים, meysharim = fairness, uprightness).

Questions

Application

Psalm 96 shows us how important it is to not only worship privately but outwardly as well.  When God does something in our lives, the right response is a “new song” or fresh gratitude. Psalm 97 reminds us that God’s rule is rooted in righteousness and justice. This matters when life feels chaotic or unfair. Lastly, Psalm 98 calls the whole world, and even creation itself, into praise.