Psalm 98
1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
Sing a new song to the LORD. Every song ever sung was new at some point. How many millions of songs of worship have been written in the span of human history? From those that have been published in hymnals, those that are recorded and shared on the internet around the world, and those that have only been shared between the LORD and the worshiper alone -- that’s a lot of songs. The contemplation on the extraordinary things that YHWH has done moves us to poetry, not just ordinary language that spews out of our mouths spontaneously, but carefully crafted lyrics that unite with a melody to create something of lasting truth and beauty. A song can be spontaneous for sure, but this one, and all of the psalms for that matter, are not. Each word was carefully chosen for its meaning, rhythm and sound, the writing an act of worship itself. The motivation for such devotion is the artist’s reflection on what God has done. “His right hand and holy arm have worked salvation for him.” These metaphors for the actions of kings and gods are common in the ancient world. The right hand was the favored hand (80% of the world is right-handed so the left hand is the weaker one). The outstretched arm is a common pose seen in the statues of ancient kings and gods. While the psalmist was likely thinking of military conquest and deliverance from Israel’s enemies, God’s salvation was ultimately worked out by way of the outstretched arms of Jesus. The kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom. Jesus won the ultimate victory by surrendering to the will of the Father, stretching out his hands to be nailed to a cross. I’ve noted elsewhere that this psalm parallels Isaiah 52-53 in many ways, suggesting common authorship or at least influence one way or the other. Because Isaiah 53 is connected with Jesus (Acts 8:32-35), it’s not a leap to suggest that this psalm points us to the work of YHWH on the cross in defeating sin and death, the gospel of salvation. So never stop writing new songs to express the extraordinary thing that God has done in Jesus the Messiah.
2 The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
These verses indicate the universal application of God’s salvation. YHWH has made it known. His righteousness/justice have been revealed in the sight of the nations. He remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to his people Israel, and the farthest lands have seen it. While there is certainly some hyperbole here, this may have been true in the days of the psalmist in some sense. If the reference is to victory on the battlefield, the news of such events was carried far and wide so that anyone who knew that Israel existed may have heard of the victory. One of the greatest comeback wins of all time was the defeat of the Assyrians in 701 BC at Jerusalem. Assyria was the biggest bully on the block, so when he got knocked down, everyone knew about it and would assume that Israel had a great God (or Assyria’s gods were angry at them for something they’d done or failed to do). The reality today is that the ends of the earth have not seen the salvation of God. The Hebrew word for “salvation” in this text is the root of the name yeshua (Joshua, or Jesus as it came into the Greek language). God’s salvation is not just an action. He is a person. God didn’t just rescue us from sin and death, he gave us Jesus, the embodiment of God himself, putting on skin and living among us. In Jesus we saw the glory of God, and in Jesus God’s righteousness and steadfast love were both equally revealed. The salvation of God has been accomplished but it is still not known to the ends of the earth. What are you doing to declare this salvation? Giving to support missionary efforts? Praying faithfully for unreached peoples and those who are being sent? Making efforts to share the gospel with those in your sphere of influence? Writing and sharing truth in every way you can? Or are you hiding the light of God’s salvation under a basket, enjoying its warmth and illumination yourself? Reflecting on the beauty of the gospel propels us to share what has been given to us far and wide.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
The psalmist summons all of creation to join the song of salvation. The first command is to “shout joyfully, raise a shout, blast it out with your mouths, and make some noise” Texts like this are used (misused?) to suggest that corporate worship should be at a high volume. I don’t know about that, but it does make me think of a football stadium. We have one near us that claims the record of the highest decibels recorded at a stadium (142.2 dB). The excitement that fans share for their teams is an example of the kind of excitement that is possible in the human soul. I’m not saying that we should try to set decibel records in our corporate worship, but we could certainly express more excitement. The main takeaway that guests have at our churches is usually not, “These people are really excited!” The second command is to “sing praises”. This is literally to psalm. Note the accompaniment by stringed instruments common for the day. This musical accompaniment seems to be inherent with the word psalm. In other words, use your artistic and creative skills to enhance the power of the lyric with musical accompaniment. Craft arrangements and instrumentation that support the emotional impact of the words of the new song of salvation. Finally, add to this the sound of trumpet blasts. Trumpets were used to call people to assembly. Their sound could be heard from a distance and so they were used for signalling, whether on the battlefield or for calling people to assemble. (Perhaps the countdown clock is the modern day equivalent!?). Once again we have the suggestion of a loud volume and a celebration. A trumpet blast stirs us. It calls us to assemble and to take action. It carries the message beyond the strength of the human voice. All of these acts of corporate worship -- shouting, singing with musical accompaniment and trumpeting are done before the King, YHWH. He is our audience. It’s tempting to think of the congregation as the audience that comes to listen to a talented worship team, but that is not accurate. We sing, play, and shout before the LORD. As a worship leader, this is essential to remember. Self-consciousness is the enemy of worship. Lose yourself in the crowd before the throne.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
The sound of music comes not only from the assembled worshipers, but from the earth as well. The seas are roaring, pounding the coasts relentlessly and fueling breezes over the land. The inhabited world lifts its voice as well in acknowledgment of the supremacy of YHWH and the glory of His salvation. The rivers are clapping their hands, a million smacks of tiny waves against rocks along the shore. And looking upward to the source of the rivers, the hills and mountains add their voice to the song. The reason creation seems to be so happy is that the creator is coming. YHWH is entering his creation to make things right, to judge the world with righteousness and equity. The writer probably had in mind a golden age of the kingdom of Israel, a godly king experiencing the blessing of YHWH as the people observed the laws of God and worshiped him in festive assembly. This is a utopian vision that was never fully realized, so the psalm is aspirational. This is a picture of the world as it ought to be. It’s significant to note that these lyrics were the inspiration for Isaac Watt’s hymn, Joy to the World. Watts wrote the song to point us to the second coming of Christ when He will judge the world with equity and the curse of sin will be undone. The earth has suffered from the thorn and thistle of sin, but God will undo all of this when he comes at the end of time. Joy to the World has become associated with Advent, the first coming of Christ, when this plan was first set in motion. Until this plan is fully realized it is our privilege to join the song of creation and use any and all means necessary to amplify this song of salvation.