Psalm 96 GW
Psalm 96 has great things to teach us.
The people of God are enjoined in this psalm to praise and to bless the Lord. We are to sing, we are to bless, we are to tell, we are to declare. We are heralds. We do not talk about ourselves (ie. You took the fall, and thought of me above all), or even about our responses to God (Lord I praise you because of who you are….). Those things do not matter here. What you think does not matter here. God is great and glorious, and he is to be praised. You are present, so get at it.
All the world is enjoined to sing to the Lord, thinking nothing of themselves, thinking everything of him. People in every corner of the globe are called to worship the God of the Bible. Are you an Allah-worshipping Afghan? Are you a Japanese animist? Are you a New York City atheist? Are you a state-worshipping Brit? Are you a government-educated secular western Canadian? Do you think science has all the answers? Whoever you are, leave behind your previous commitments and bow the knee to King Jesus, the Lord of all the earth. Sing to him a new song. Your gods, he says, are worthless idols. Leave them behind and worship the Lord who made heaven and earth.
God is a very public God. He does not do things in a corner, as it were. He calls all the nations to come before him, to worship him, to tremble before him. But he does have a sanctuary, a place where he meets with those who love him. And that place displays to his beloved ones his strength and beauty. People learn to trust him there, to rest in him. And they learn to love him there, to see how beautiful he is, to find delight in his ways and in his promises. They learn there that every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no shadow of turning.
“Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!” says God.
“Nah, I don’t believe in God. Ascribe all good things to Science!” says secular man.
“You are rather puny.” says God. “Are you sure you want to do that? You know I am the Judge in this world, right? That my standards prevail, and that your standards will crumble?”
“Bring an offering and come into his courts!” says God. “Say that he is mighty. Say that he is strong. Say that he reigns!” When you say these things, you speak the truth. You speak the way things really are.
All the cosmos rejoices in Yahweh. And, please understand, when you read, “Yahweh” in the earlier Scriptures, think of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the coming Judge, over whom the whole of creation rejoices.
Sing Psalm 96 as a tonic against man-centered music.
Sing Psalm 96 to orient yourself rightly to God.
Sing Psalm 96.
Here is a new song.
Worship in the Splendor of Holiness
96 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 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.
