Weekday Devotion: Psalm 96

Psalm 96:1-9
            Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth! 
 2    Sing to the Lord, bless his name; 
tell of his salvation from day to day. 
 3    Declare his glory among the nations, 
his marvelous works among all the peoples! 
 4    For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; 
he is to be feared above all gods. 
 5    For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, 
but the Lord made the heavens. 
 6    Splendor and majesty are before him; 
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 
 
7    Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 
 8    Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; 
bring an offering, and come into his courts! 
 9    Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; 
tremble before him, all the earth! 
 
All nations and people are called upon to serve God and worship him, to thank and praise Him for His glory and marvelous works. We are called to sing a new song, one written for the occasion. This is the occasion of the Lord’s salvation, that is the message of the Gospel. Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection are the occasion for this writing. He is the Lord that we sing to for all the things He has done.

We, along with all the earth, are to sing to the Lord because He has saved and redeemed the whole earth with His death and resurrection. Now the old has passed away and the new has come. These are the mighty works we proclaim among the nations. For the gods of the nations are worthless idols and empty, but Jesus is the Lord, who made the heavens. He is the only one worthy of worship. He rules now in his sanctuary, the church, through His Word and Sacraments. He has clothed us with righteousness in baptism and through the indwelling of His Spirit we have been given joy.

Therefore, let all the earth hear the call of the gospel, to come to Christ. To ascribe is to acknowledge the honor due to the Lord and what He has done for us and the whole earth. We bring our sacrifices of prayer and praise to Him as we gather with His congregation where His Word is preached and sacraments administered. There we receive those holy garments and join in the splendor of Christ in His temple, where He reigns forever.