Psalm 96 - 5.7.25

Scripture; Psalm 96

Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    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 his[a] holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Observation

Psalm 96 is split into four sections, each highlighting a different command: sing, praise, worship, and rejoice.

Application

In the first section, the psalmist says “sing to the Lord all the earth.” At that time in history, only the Jews followed the one true God, but this psalm looks forward to a time when the whole world will know him. It tells us to sing a new song, a song of faith in the things coming and to declare his glory to all we come in contact with.

In verses 4-6, we are directed to praise him. I looked up the difference between praise and worship. “Praise is often about what God does, while worship is about who God is.” We are to praise him for his great works, for his creation, for his provision, for his healing – for all the things he has done for us. He deserves our praise.

Verses 7-10 tell us to ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. “When praising the Lord, the Jews lifted their hands and voices and looked up, but in their worship, they reverently bowed down.” (Warren Wiersbe Bible Study) We serve a powerful, mighty, all-knowing, loving father. He is worthy of our worship.

And lastly, rejoice! The king of the universe reigns. He is a God who keeps his promises, from now until he comes again!

Prayer

Today I will take time to sing of your great love for me. I will praise you for what you have done, for all the times you have answered my prayers. I will worship you because you are holy and righteous and good. And I will rejoice because you hold the world in your hand and you are in control.

Goodness of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f4MUUMWMV4

- Debbie Dunn