I stared up into the blackness of night and thought how little it took to really satisfy a man.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Proving Trail)
“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
–Psalm 107:9 (NKJV)
———————————–
Psalm 98 begins with singing a song. Now to hear me sing would definitely be an experience. But there is a song given to us with the new birth. We no longer sing the songs that belong to the old nature, we have a new song in our heart, the songs of heaven. I also believe that when we finally arrive in heaven that we will again sing a new song. Derek Kidner writes about Psalm 91, “There are two levels to the scene; one, God’s day of power, at His coming; the other, its anticipation in every act of worship. The psalms we sing now are a rehearsal, and God’s presence among His worshipers is a prelude to His appearing to the world.”
1 — Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 — The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 — He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 — Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 — Sing to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 — With trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the LORD, the KIng.
7 — Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it;
8 — Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the LORD,
9 — For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity. (NKJV)
John Calvin wrote, “The first foundation of righteousness undoubtedly is the worship of God.” One reason there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner is born again is because of the “glorious triumph of His sovereign grace.” (Steven Lawson) There is the recognition of all the miracles that took place at the crucifixion, all the miracles that take place with the bestowment of grace–therefore, the majesty of God is revealed. “In the divine act of regeneration, the redeemed become worshippers of the one, true, living God.” (Lawson) Singing is one thing, but we must always remember that true worship involves an ongoing lifestyle–every moment of every day should be worship; it should be living for the glory of God.
Let me relay some thoughts from the late George O. Wood regarding life and this psalm.
“Before singing to the Lord a new song, perhaps you need to sing an old one. It’s appropriate and helpful to meditate upon your own history with God, from the womb to the present.
I have personally found great strength in present trials by rummaging through my past and finding specific instances or processes in which God met me. I remember times I did not think I could make it, but He brought me through. Those experiences of the Lord’s help are permanently etched into the pathways of my own personality.
It’s today we often have difficulty trusting Him. As Christians we have a wonderful yesterday and a secure tomorrow–but the here and now frequently finds us failing to connect God’s past and future help with our present need.”
God has done wonderful things in the past, for us, for our family, for our nation, and we see His wondrous works in the Bible. “The fact that God remembers His love and faithfulness assures us He is the one constant in our lives that cannot be taken from us.” (Wood)
No, this psalm is not “New Age,” but it does show that creation is under the control of the Creator. Right now the earth is moaning in sin, the ground was cursed, things changed at the fall in Eden. One day, it will be renewed and rejoice as well. Note, there is a word of prophecy in the last verse. One day the Lord will be back to judge the earth and the inhabitants thereof. I wonder, if the words penned by Isaac Watts, there was thought of the Creator and this psalm when it was written. It would do us good to get it into our soul and not sing it just as Christmas-time.
“Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.”
–Isaac Watts
“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
–Psalm 107:9 (NKJV)
———————————–
Psalm 98 begins with singing a song. Now to hear me sing would definitely be an experience. But there is a song given to us with the new birth. We no longer sing the songs that belong to the old nature, we have a new song in our heart, the songs of heaven. I also believe that when we finally arrive in heaven that we will again sing a new song. Derek Kidner writes about Psalm 91, “There are two levels to the scene; one, God’s day of power, at His coming; the other, its anticipation in every act of worship. The psalms we sing now are a rehearsal, and God’s presence among His worshipers is a prelude to His appearing to the world.”
1 — Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 — The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 — He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 — Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 — Sing to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 — With trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the LORD, the KIng.
7 — Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it;
8 — Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the LORD,
9 — For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity. (NKJV)
John Calvin wrote, “The first foundation of righteousness undoubtedly is the worship of God.” One reason there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner is born again is because of the “glorious triumph of His sovereign grace.” (Steven Lawson) There is the recognition of all the miracles that took place at the crucifixion, all the miracles that take place with the bestowment of grace–therefore, the majesty of God is revealed. “In the divine act of regeneration, the redeemed become worshippers of the one, true, living God.” (Lawson) Singing is one thing, but we must always remember that true worship involves an ongoing lifestyle–every moment of every day should be worship; it should be living for the glory of God.
Let me relay some thoughts from the late George O. Wood regarding life and this psalm.
“Before singing to the Lord a new song, perhaps you need to sing an old one. It’s appropriate and helpful to meditate upon your own history with God, from the womb to the present.
I have personally found great strength in present trials by rummaging through my past and finding specific instances or processes in which God met me. I remember times I did not think I could make it, but He brought me through. Those experiences of the Lord’s help are permanently etched into the pathways of my own personality.
It’s today we often have difficulty trusting Him. As Christians we have a wonderful yesterday and a secure tomorrow–but the here and now frequently finds us failing to connect God’s past and future help with our present need.”
God has done wonderful things in the past, for us, for our family, for our nation, and we see His wondrous works in the Bible. “The fact that God remembers His love and faithfulness assures us He is the one constant in our lives that cannot be taken from us.” (Wood)
No, this psalm is not “New Age,” but it does show that creation is under the control of the Creator. Right now the earth is moaning in sin, the ground was cursed, things changed at the fall in Eden. One day, it will be renewed and rejoice as well. Note, there is a word of prophecy in the last verse. One day the Lord will be back to judge the earth and the inhabitants thereof. I wonder, if the words penned by Isaac Watts, there was thought of the Creator and this psalm when it was written. It would do us good to get it into our soul and not sing it just as Christmas-time.
“Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.”
–Isaac Watts