February 6
Reading: Psalm 96
1 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.
Like the previous psalm, Psalm 96 is a call to worship. It mirrors part of the song that was commissioned by David and written by Asaph for the day that the Ark was brought into the Tabernacle. (1 Chronicles 16:23-33) Many think Psalm 96 was written in anticipation of the Temple being rebuilt in Jerusalem. It is an anticipation of approaching Yahweh in His holy Temple.
The song begins with a threefold command, “Sing to Yahweh.” (vss. 1-2) In the first three verses we are told what to sing to the Lord, who should be singing, and the purpose of our song. We are here commanded to sing “a new song.” This an important thought. Old songs can be good. New songs can be good. Do not let arrogance cause you to miss this.
We are given a reason for our singing in verses 4-6. The Lord is better than all the idols that we might be tempted to worship. After all, the Lord created everything. (vs. 5) Four attributes are listed in verse 6. Meditate upon what each of these means when applied to the Lord: splendor, majesty, strength, beauty.
The second major movement of the song begins with another threefold command, “Ascribe to Yahweh.” (vss. 7-8) The word simply means “give.” How can we “give the Lord glory and strength?” This song is urging us to recognize that these attributes are true of our Lord.
In verses 9-10 we are invited to worship the Lord because He reigns justly over all creation. People are quick to complain about injustice, but injustice is not the Lord’s design. It is the work of man. Moreover, the Lord will someday finally bring perfect justice.
The song closes with three verses calling all creation to celebrate the fact that Yahweh is indeed coming to bring perfect justice. This is an essential thought for every believer in the Lord. You and I need to live every day remembering that the Lord is coming. Every day is one day closer to His return.