Psalm 98: Sing & make music before the Lord

A psalm.

[Preliminary Comments: Yet another untitled psalm that calls on us to praise and worship the Lord. The psalmist gives reasons for our praise [v.1-3] and exhorts us to use loud music to boost our praise [v.4-6] and then as previous psalms calls on all creation to join in. [v.7-9]. A little more content has been added to the calls of the previous two psalms.]

v.1-3 Sing a song of the Lord’s salvation

v.1 Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvellous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.

v.2 The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

v.3 He has remembered his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

v.4-6 A call to accompany it with loud music

v.4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;

v.5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,

v.6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn –
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

v.7-9 A call to the whole earth to join in

v.7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it.

v.8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
    let the mountains sing together for joy;

v.9 let them sing before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples with equity.

[Additional Comments: Yet another psalm that expresses its power when proclaimed out loud.

After perhaps going back and meditating on individual verses, now read it meaningfully out loud straight through

 1 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.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn –
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

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

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: