Psalm 98
Israel Celebrating the Return of Christ
Israel Celebrating the Return of Christ
Psalm 98. In Psalm 97 we have the appearing of Christ, and in this Psalm we have the results of it. Israel is called on to sing a new song in celebration of the results of the return of Christ. The praise begins in the land of Israel (Psa. 98-99), but then broadens out to include all nations (Psa. 100)!
PSALM 98
A Psalm.
1 Sing ye unto Jehovah a new song: for he hath done wondrous things; his right hand and his holy arm hath wrought salvation for him.
2 Jehovah hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the nations.
3 He hath remembered his loving-kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
vv.1-3 Israel Called on to Sing to Jehovah. Like the song of Moses in Exodus 15, Israel is called on again to sing to Jehovah for His wondrous works. It is called here “a new song” (c.p. Psa. 96:12) because its theme is not Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, but the deliverance from their enemies in the great tribulation. Revelation 5:9 gives us the heavenly side of this same song! The song has a higher theme here than in Psa. 96, because it includes the redemption of Israel. All the praise goes to Jehovah; “his right hand and his holy arm hath wrought salvation for him”. Jehovah’s deliverance of Israel has been witnessed “in the sight of the nations”. Israel has been brought back into favor with God, and those old promises have been fulfilled.
4 Shout aloud unto Jehovah, all the earth; break forth and shout for joy, and sing psalms.
5 Sing psalms unto Jehovah with the harp: with the harp, and the voice of a song;
6 With trumpets and sound of cornet, make a joyful noise before the King, Jehovah.
7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein;
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the mountains sing for joy together,
9 Before Jehovah, for he cometh to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
vv.4-9 All the Earth Called on to Sing. The call goes out further, to the whole earth to “break forth and shout for joy, and sing psalms”. Jehovah is “king” over all the earth, and the earth is summoned to worship Him. The creation itself is seen as rejoicing at the coming of Jehovah to set up His kingdom, because “he cometh to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity”.