Psalm 96

Again, what a blessing to be in the Psalms.  This great Hymn not only leads us to praise; it teaches us what our lives are all about.  Let us begin with the immediate context.  Israel was called to witness to God’s greatness and glory, a message that was to go to all the nations.  That is the essence of this song.

·         96:1-3: The redeemed are called to sing a new song, a song that proclaims the good news of salvation and the glory of the name of the Lord! This proclamation is to go to all the earth, among the nations and all peoples.

·         96:4-6: This song would simply be the expression of the way it is.  The Lord alone is great for the Lord alone made the heavens.  He is real!  All the gods of the people are idols (Heb. eliyl, meaning nothing, good for nothing, vain, worthless).  But God made the heavens.  Honor, majesty, strength and beauty fit Him perfectly.

·         96:7-9: Thus the families of the peoples are called to come join in the worship of the Lord, to tremble before Him, to give Him the glory due His name.

·         96:10-13: The one thing the nations need to know is it is the Lord who reigns and He is therefore the One before whom they will stand when He judges the people righteously.  The rest of creation will rejoice to see that day!

What a great testimony!  And in a sense it is not that complicated.  Just call attention to Him, giving Him the glory for the good things of life.  As a matter of fact, this approach to witnessing was practiced by the Apostle Paul and is thus commended it to us in our context.  I am talking about Acts 17 in his sermon on Mars Hill.  But it’s not necessarily a sermon; he is bearing testimony, giving God the glory. 

·         17:22-23: Gentiles (the nations, the families of the peoples) tend to be religious.  But they have not found the true God.  Yet!

·         17:24-28:  The true God made everything and gave life to all.  He is, as the Psalmist said, a God of honor, majesty, strength and beauty.  He has made us and enriched our lives so that we might seek Him.

·         17:29: They ought not to think God is like their useless images.

·         17:30: Rather they should repent, turn away from that ignorance and turn to the true God.

·         17:30: Because the day is coming when they will stand before the judge, the Man who was God come in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see how the Apostle declared God’s glory to the nations.  That is how our testimony should begin: by word and deed that indicates we are living for the glory of God!  Declare His glory among the nations.  Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised.  Like Israel we, the redeemed Church, are God’s witnesses to the nations. 

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Additional Thoughts on Psalm 96, In Light of the Names of God

We recently concluded a study of the names of God in the OT.  We have studied this Psalm in the past, but today we want to meditate on it paying attention to those names and titles we learned.  I do want to say, before we start, that I do not believe we have to substitute the Hebrew names as we read.  In other words, to learn from God’s word, I do not need to know Hebrew, or Greek, for that matter.  On the other hand, we always are aware that every word of God’s Word is inspired, and used precisely.  So, it is good if, as we read, that we pay attention.

·         96:1-3: What a wonderful call to praise.  It is a call to praise the LORD, YAHWEH, the God of Israel, and to bless His name!  The saints experience HIS salvation and are to proclaim that from day to day.  They are to declare HIS glory among the nations and HIS wonders.  Why such great praise?

·         96:4-6: Because YAHWEH is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all elohim.  What, we should ask, is wrong with these “gods?”  They are called elohim, mighty ones.  The problem is that they are ‘eliyl, idols.  The word means “of nought, good for nothing, worthless.”  The only sense in which they are ”mighty ones” is according to the might attributed to them by the people who made them.  Isaiah used this term in Isa. 2:8: Their land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.  On the other hand, YAHWEH made the heavens!  Thus honor, majesty, strength and beauty can all be attributed to Him.  Truly He is greatly to be praised!

·         96:7-9: Therefore, we are to ascribe to YAHWEH the glory that is properly associated with His name.  We should not come into His presence without an offering.  Our offering, as those who are in Christ, is the offering of the risen Christ who gave Himself for us.  We cannot come into God’s presence apart from Christ (Jn. 14:6).  And when we come into His presence, it should be to worship Him in the beauty of holiness.  This word for “beauty” is used only five times in the OT.  Four times it is in this phrase: literally “adorned with holiness/ those set apart for Him.”  We do not enter with the dirt and filth that is common to this world; but we come, having put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14), and as those who walk in the light.  Amen!

·         96:10-12: What was Israel to tell the nations?  First, YAHWEH reigns!  Second, since He is the Creator, the world will not be moved.  Third, He will judge the people of earth with righteousness.  And then, we should call them to join the rest of creation in joyful submission to Him. 

Paul spoke similar words to the Athenians on Mars Hill in Acts 17:22-31.  Read it and see, that this Psalm is for us.  Jesus is the Creator, the righteous Judge, the resurrected LORD!