Psalm 96 - New Song

Psalm 96:1-13 NIV

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 

Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

 he is to be feared above all gods. 

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,

 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 his holiness;

 tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;

 he will judge the peoples with equity. 

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

 let the sea resound, and all that is in it. 

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

 let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. 

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,

 he comes to judge the earth. 

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.

I couldn't leave out one single verse of this spirited psalm of praise. Psalm 96 is a call to worship giving high praise to the Lord, the God of Israel and creator of all things. It begins by calling the people to join in singing a new song unto the Lord.

How many times have worshipers cringed when presented a new song to learn? Complaints are sometimes murmured as they leave the sanctuary. Would that we'd appreciate gaining a new vocabulary for praising the Lord.

Why sing a new song? Because God is great. His majesty transcends our limited minds and feeble will. The psalm calls for praise and declaration of God's salvation and glorious deeds. Above all others objects of praise, God alone is worthy. Forget the pin up models, sports heroes, entertainment icons, and movie stars. The Lord is the one who deserves our worship.

Give God the credit due Him. Worship God with offerings. Bring your gifts before Him. For the Lord is holy and reigning over us all. Join the praise of the forests and seas. Creation thrills before its creator. Why not we?

The psalm ends in a call for all creation to join in the worship of the Lord. Join in worship and look forward to the good governance of God to come when His kingdom reaches fullness. For God will judge with righteousness and lead with faithfulness. Bless His holy name and yearn for His leadership in your life and all the world.

So what do you think? Can you learn a new song to sing with joy to praise the Lord?