by Becky
BACKGROUND AND REFLECTION
Psalm 98
This psalm, along with Psalms 93 and Psalms 95-99 are called the royal psalms because they focus on God as King.
Remember how the Israelites cried for a king? They wanted to be like all the nations around them. But from the very beginning God made it clear that He is King. And what a ruler He is!
Psalm 98 begins, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song!” This “new song” seems to be centered on God’s salvation and redemption rather than on God’s creation. The psalmist praises God in the present for what He has done in the past and continues to do, and for what He will do in the future. Just looking back at what we’ve read in BBC, think of all the times we’ve read of how God visibly saved (or rescued) His people: Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, the Hebrew people in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, fighting Jericho, leaving Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall and the temple. That’s just a partial list. I have a feeling that remembering God's salvation in all those events and more was in the heart of the psalmist. That’s enough to make anyone break into joyful song!
(I have to insert an interesting tidbit I learned while preparing to write this entry: Did you know that the hymn “Joy to the World” is based on this psalm? )
But that’s not all! Even nature itself (the sea, rivers, mountains – the whole world) is personified as singing in praise of God’s redemption. Verses 7 – 9 brought Romans 8: 18-25 into my mind.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one sitill hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
So all of creation praises God for His salvation. God is Rescuer and Ruler, not only of people, but of all nature!
Remember how the Israelites cried for a king? They wanted to be like all the nations around them. But from the very beginning God made it clear that He is King. And what a ruler He is!
Psalm 98 begins, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song!” This “new song” seems to be centered on God’s salvation and redemption rather than on God’s creation. The psalmist praises God in the present for what He has done in the past and continues to do, and for what He will do in the future. Just looking back at what we’ve read in BBC, think of all the times we’ve read of how God visibly saved (or rescued) His people: Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, the Hebrew people in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, fighting Jericho, leaving Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall and the temple. That’s just a partial list. I have a feeling that remembering God's salvation in all those events and more was in the heart of the psalmist. That’s enough to make anyone break into joyful song!
(I have to insert an interesting tidbit I learned while preparing to write this entry: Did you know that the hymn “Joy to the World” is based on this psalm? )
But that’s not all! Even nature itself (the sea, rivers, mountains – the whole world) is personified as singing in praise of God’s redemption. Verses 7 – 9 brought Romans 8: 18-25 into my mind.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one sitill hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
So all of creation praises God for His salvation. God is Rescuer and Ruler, not only of people, but of all nature!
Look at the last two verses of Psalm 98!
… He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness, He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.
This psalm praises God not only for what He has done, but for what He will do. We have seen more than the poet who wrote this psalm did, because we’ve seen God’s salvation and mercy and righteousness revealed in Jesus. When we think of the victory God has gained (v 1) and how “the LORD has made known His salvation and righteousness in the sight of the nations,” (v 2) we think of God coming in the flesh in the person of Jesus – who lived and died and rose again for ALL NATIONS – for all of us. But there’s still a future hope: God will come yet again to judge in righteousness and justice and uprightness.
Which leads us into Psalm 99….
One of these days I’m going to write the entry for the second psalm first! I get so caught up in the first psalm of the pair when I have two to write, that I give the next one short shrift.
Psalm 99 focuses again on God as King. This time His holiness is emphasized.
It seems to me that we neglect focusing on God’s attribute of holiness these days. Well, this psalm doesn’t!
Three times the refrain of God’s holiness is repeated! He is holy (v 3); He is holy (v 5); … the LORD our God is holy (v 9). God’s holiness is spoken of not in abstract, but as something active.
It’s worth noting that again the poet recounts God’s actions in the past: Moses, Aaron, Samuel all called upon the Lord, and God answered them. (v 6) How did He answer them? What was their response to His answer? I hope you’ll take the time to ponder this.
I love how over and over again in Scripture God reveals Himself in paradox. Look at verse 8:
You answered them, O LORD our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
APPLICATION
What does this psalm have to say about how God’s holiness is demonstrated? What warning can we take from the very real truth of God’s holiness? What comfort can we take from it?
Do you share the psalmist’s passion to see God publicly exalted in holiness? Do you know what it means to call on Him and to find that He answers (verses 6-8)? What is your response when He does?
And for Psalm 98: Are you singing to the Lord a new song today: a song to God for His salvation, revealed over and over again and ultimately revealed in the Lord Jesus? Spend some time thinking about how God’s salvation (rescue) has been revealed in the past. Meditate on the passage I quoted from Romans. Then sing that new song of praise!
PRAYER
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.
~ Revelation 15: 3-4 ~
2 comments:
Going to sing a new song to the Lord right now!!!!!
Inclusion or Exclusion
Some people have an Idea that God is inclusive for mans eternal destiny, that all religions and all people will be saved. That God will allow all of mankind to enter into heaven because everybody is good so God must be fair and include everyone! It is true God does love the whole world but God is exclusive about mans eternal destiny without the Savior. To keep this simple man has a problem called sin in which man refuses to believe that there are eternal consequences for having sin, which is a one way ticket to hell. God is holy and he will not allow anyone with sin to enter into heaven. God is hurt and angry about our sin, we have broken his laws. But God is just and good and he knows our need so he provided a solution to our problem. His solution to our problem is to have our sins removed by having our sins placed on someone else, a sacrifice for us; paying for the penalty of the sin we have in our lives. So that someone else would get the penalty of Gods wrath and separation on him that was meant for us. So God sent his son Jesus on a mission from heaven to earth as our sacrifice to die on the cross on our behalf after this happened three days later Jesus came back from the dead, alive. But that’s not all remember I wrote that God is exclusive about mans eternal destiny without the Savior? The only way that Gods promise can be applied to your life is for you to turn from your way of thinking and know that your sin offends and hurts God and call on the Lord Jesus who’s alive to save you. Your sins are then transferred to Jesus for what he did at the cross, dying and being abandon by God because of your sins, for you and because Jesus arose from the dead he is alive you can now enter into a relationship with God. Will you call out to Jesus to save you? It’s your choice to enter in exclusively with God’s grace for you. Where will you want to spend eternity after hearing Gods promise for you?
If the answer was yes that you do want Jesus as your sin bearer, Savior, and you do believe God raised Jesus from the dead you can pray with your voice.
“Dear Lord Jesus save me.”
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
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