Psalms 96:1-13: a reflection

1Sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2Sing to the LORD! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day! 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. 4For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7Ascribe to the LORD, you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9Worship the LORD in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth. 10Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity. 11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness! 12Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy 13before the LORD; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.

The psalm bursts with the energy of praise: sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth. But it does not keep the song to itself. In the same breath it commands, declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. Worship here overflows into witness. The one who truly praises God cannot help but want the whole world to know him.

The psalm sweeps outward until all creation joins in. The families of nations are called to ascribe glory to the Lord; the heavens are told to be glad, the sea to roar, the fields to exult, the trees to sing for joy. And the reason for all this rejoicing is that the Lord is coming to judge the earth, to judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his truth. To this psalm, God's coming judgment is not a threat but a cause for the whole creation to celebrate, because at last everything will be set right.

Let this reshape both your worship and your hope. Your praise is meant to spill over into telling others of God's glory; keep it from becoming a private, self-contained thing. And when you think of God coming to judge, let the psalm teach you to long for it rather than dread it. For those who belong to him, his coming means the world made right, wrongs undone, truth vindicated. Sing the new song, declare his glory, and wait gladly for the righteous Judge.

Lord, you are great and greatly to be praised, and your praise is meant to overflow into witness. Let my worship spill over into telling others of your glory. And teach me to long for your coming, when you will judge the world with righteousness and set all things right. With the heavens and the seas and the singing trees, I rejoice that you are coming. Amen.