Psalms 96
An Invitation to Praise and Honour God; A Call to Glorify God.This section is a joyful call for everyone to praise and honor God. The psalmist uses strong and repeated words to encourage us to worship God with deep respect and love. He explains that praising God should come from a thankful heart, and that everyone, everywhere, is invited to join in this praise. The passage also describes how we should worship God and gives reasons why He deserves our praise.v. 1–2: The psalmist says, 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 (Psalm 96:1–2 a). We are told three times to sing to God, showing how important it is. This new song is for everyone, not just for Israel, but for all people everywhere. We should praise God for His salvation, especially the great salvation through Jesus. This praise should be constant, every day, because God’s goodness never ends. – v. 3: The psalmist urges, Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples . We should not keep God’s greatness to ourselves. Instead, we must tell everyone about His wonderful works, especially the salvation He gives. This is a prophecy that the good news about God will go to all nations, not just to the Jews. v. 4–5: He explains why: 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 (Psalm 96:4–5 b). God is greater than any other so-called gods or idols. He is the Creator of everything, while idols are nothing. Only the true God deserves our worship and respect. – v. 6: The psalmist says, Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary . God’s presence is full of glory and power. In His house, we see both His strength and His beauty. When we come to worship, we should be amazed by how wonderful and powerful God is. v. 7–9: He calls out, 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! (Psalm 96:7–9 c). Everyone is invited to give God the honor He deserves. We should bring ourselves and our gifts to Him, worship with holy hearts, and show deep respect. Worship is not just for one nation, but for all people everywhere. – – The Kingdom of Christ.This section gives instructions for sharing the good news about God’s kingdom with all people. It is a prophecy about the coming of Christ’s kingdom, which would replace the power of evil in the world. The psalmist explains what we should tell others about Jesus, His reign, and His justice. The passage also shows how the whole world can rejoice because of Christ’s rule.v. 10: The message to share is, Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!" . This means that Jesus, the King chosen by God, now rules over everything. His kingdom was set up after His resurrection, and it will last until God’s plan is finished. People everywhere should know that Christ is King, just as the apostles began to preach to the world (Acts 10:42 d).The psalmist says, The world is established; it shall never be moved (Psalm 96:10 e). Christ’s rule brings stability. The natural world is kept safe because of Him. His kingdom also gives order and security to people and even to nations. The church is especially safe, because Christ’s kingdom cannot be destroyed; it is built on a rock and will last forever.He adds, He will judge the peoples with equity (Psalm 96:10 f). Jesus rules fairly and justly. Every law and command in His kingdom is good and right, and He rules by truth. Jesus judges the world with righteousness—both now, through the gospel, and in the future, at the final judgment (Acts 17:31 g). He sees the hearts of people and leads them by His Spirit into what is right (John 18:37 h). v. 11–12: The psalmist calls for all creation to rejoice: 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 (Psalm 96:11–12 i). The coming of Christ’s kingdom is such good news that even nature is pictured as celebrating. The whole world, in some way, will benefit from the rule of Christ. This joy is for everyone who welcomes Him as King (Mark 11:9–10; Romans 8:20–21 j). – v. 13: Finally, the psalmist says, For he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness (Psalm 96:13 k). Christ is coming again as Judge. His judgment will be perfectly fair and true. This is a reason for everyone to be glad, because Jesus will make everything right when He returns (Revelation 1:7; Jude 14 l).
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