ZPCBlog

Psalm 98 is a call to worship by singing a new song and shouting for joy. This call is extended not only to all the people of the earth but to all of creation. The Psalm speaks of Gods salvation, righteousness, love, and faithfulness to all the ends of the earth! Praise God Hallelujah!  

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.  The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.  He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth have seen the salvation of our God.           Psalm 98:1-4

While some can sing loud and enthusiastically, no matter what your talent, our Father loves to hear our voices. We can all make a joyful noise unto the LORD (if not unto the person next to us). We are even provided examples of how nature does it!

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let the sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.           Psalm 98:7-9

The Psalmist gives us the picture of the waves of the sea sounding their praise, the rushing rivers their applause, the winds in the mountains songs of joy. In this time of advent, celebrating the birth of Christ, this Psalm points us to the second advent of Jesus. We can celebrate not only his birth, but his life, death, resurrection, and the future coming of Kingdom here on earth. Isaac Watts, inspired by this Psalm, wrote the hymn Joy to the World. He captures the loud enthusiasm of shouting for joy. The joy that the Lord has come and the Savior reigns.

Let us sing a new song and add our voices of celebration onto nature's sounding joy.