Psalm 96 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 96 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Verse 2Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Verse 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
Verse 4For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
Verse 5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Verse 6Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Verse 7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Verse 8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Verse 9Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
Verse 10Say among the nations, "The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity."
Verse 11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
Verse 12let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
Verse 13before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
Devotion
O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. (Psalm 96:1-3)
Our world is not the world of praise envisioned by the psalm. All nations do not acknowledge God or praise God's name. The psalmist's world was full of gods, each competing for allegiance. How can this psalm speak to us?
Maybe the difference is due to our refusal to do as the psalm suggests. As we sing the praises of God and proclaim God's glory to the nations, recounting God’s marvelous works, our praises may join these other curious representatives of creation, the heavens, the sea, the fields and the trees in the proclamation that "The Lord is king!" Perhaps the psalmist’s new song is like Isaac Watts' "Joy to the world the Savior reigns . . . while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains . . ."
Prayer
With the trees of the field, with all earth and heaven, with all your creation, I rejoice in the coming of your son. Amen.