Psalm 98, Sing to the LORD

Tod Kennedy

December, 2007

1.     Summary statement of Psalm 98

The LORD, God, has done many great deeds throughout history and his people ought to recognize those great acts and joyfully praise him for doing them; and all creation ought to rejoice because the Lord is coming back to earth and will judge creation righteously and justly.

2.     Prominent Application principles of Psalm 98

2.1.    We, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, have a great LORD and God. He rescues his people. He keeps his word. He is the main participant in human history. He is coming back to earth to judge—to punish sin and reward righteousness—and to rule his creation.  Because of this, we ought to joyfully praise him by song, word, and attitude.

2.2.    This praise in song is based in God’s revelation to Israel about himself and his promises and his actions. We have seen it before: God, revelation, glory. The response by song that glorifies God is rooted, founded, based in, and controlled by God’s doctrine revealed to Israel and mankind.

2.3.     Praise in song in the church needs to be based in God’s revelation. All music and praise associated with emotion should be rooted, founded, based in, and controlled by God’s doctrine revealed through his apostles in the New Testament writings.

3.     Psalm 98 Outline

3.1.     Sing to the LORD because he has done wonderful things (1-3).

3.2.     Shout joyfully to the LORD because the LORD is king (4-6).

3.3.     All creation should roar, clap, and sing for joy because the Lord is coming to judge righteously and fairly (7-9).

4.     Psalm 98, historical background unknown, but is true for many events

4.1.      When the Lord saved Israel from Egypt.

4.2.      When the Lord saved David from Saul, from the Philistines, and from others.

4.3.      When the Lord saved Israel from Babylon and returned Israel to her land.

4.4.      All other historical deliverances.

4.5.     This Psalm is similar to Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55.

4.6.     When the Lord is on our side and blesses us all the time and at specific blessings.

5.     Psalm 98, Verbs

5.1.     The commands are Hebrew imperatives in 1-6. They appeal to human volition and they express God’s volition.

5.2.     The let… are jussives in 7-8. Jussives express the desire or intent of the speaker, and therefore they present God’s desire for his creation.

5.3.     The specific actions of the Lord in 1-3 are perfects. Perfect verbs express a completed action as an action without emphasis on the time.

5.4.     In verse 9 the Lord’s two actions 1. Qal participle plus infinitive construct (completes the main verb—purpose here), and 2. Qal imperfect. They express a future action or a continuous action.

6.     Psalm 98, The Lord is…

6.1.     He is God (3).

6.2.     He is the King (6).

6.3.     He is the Judge (9).

6.4.     He is coming to earth (9).

7.     Psalm 98, Sing to the LORD because he has done wonderful things (1-3).

7.1.    Verse 1. Sing a new song (שִׁיר shir, 7892) to the Lord (1).

7.1.1.  New חָדָשׁ ( 2319, chadash. 57 X in OT) song is a song that is fresh song or one that is not boringly familiar or one that has never been sung before. It is used 9 times in the Bible (6 in Psalms, 1 in Isaiah, and 2 in Revelation). Each is a song of praise to the Lord.

7.2.     Verse 1. Wonderful things ( פָּלָא pala’ 3281 surpassing, extraordinary, marvelous, wonderful, wonders).

7.2.1.  Point is not that this kind of song has never been sung, but that it is fresh, not worn out, and is honest and joyous.

7.2.2.  Right hand indicates his authority. Holy arm indicates his righteous strength—his omnipotence.

7.2.3.  Gained victory is יָשַׁע yasha`3467. It is related to the word salvation in 2 and 3 (יְשׁוּעָה yashu`a 3444), and this to the name Jesus. His ruling righteous strength gave victory over Israel’s enemies, and by application now, to God’s people in the church—you and I (Romans 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Ephesians 6:10-20).

7.3.     Verse 2. Made known his salvation (יְשׁוּעָה yashu`a 3444). Physical deliverance of Israel in history: Joseph and his family, Exodus, wars of Canaan, wars of David, and return from Babylon are examples.

7.4.    Verse 2. He has revealed his righteousness (צְדָקָה tsedaqah) before the eyes of nations. God’s attribute of perfect righteousness. Note again that God reveals himself and his work to mankind.

7.4.1.  The nations around Israel were able to see and understand that the LORD was delivering Israel and that the LORD was righteous in all that he did.

7.5.     Verse 3. He has remembered (זָכַר, to remember, call to mind 2142) his lovingkindness (חֶסֶד chesed 2617, promised gracious love) and his faithfulness (אֱמוּנָה ‘emunah, faithfulness or truth) to the house of Israel (nation). Psalm 117 has chesed and emet. The Lord treats Israel based upon his character, here promised gracious love and his faithfulness to his word. Israel, and we, can trust him.

7.6.    Verse 3. All the ends of the earth—from east to west and north to south and everything in between—all creation has seen his salvation (יְשׁוּעָה yashu`a 3444). Physical deliverance of Israel in history.

7.6.1.  Our God means the author is an Israelite who trust Yahweh.

7.6.2.   The Lord did not and does not forget his covenants and promises that he made to Israel. He was loyal to Israel and true to his word throughout her history. In fact, he always is loyal and faithful to Israel.

7.6.3.  The LORD’S loyal love and faithfulness to Israel is an open book testimony to all creation!

7.6.4.  Everyone and everything have seen Israel’s God deliver his nation throughout history.

7.6.5.  All creation has seen the salvation or deliverance (יְשׁוּעָה yashu`a 3444, physical deliverance) of Israel in history.

7.6.6.  They all see God working through Israel. Some accept it and some reject it, but they see it. Every salvation by God is amazing to the world. The Gentile nations witnessed and experienced the Lord delivering Israel and the righteousness of Israel’s Lord

8.     Psalm 98, Shout joyfully to the LORD because the LORD is king (4-6).

8.1.      The entire earth ought to break out in joyful praise because of the Lord and his acts (4-6).

8.2.      Note the repetition of joyfully (4, 6) and praises (4, 5).

8.3.      Verse 4. Shout joyfully is רוּעַ ru`a, 7321. It is a shout of triumph or a war cry or to shout for joy.

8.4.      Verse 5. Sing praises is זָמַר zamar, 2167, to make music in praise of God.

8.5.     Verse 6. Shout joyfully is the same as verse 4. It is רוּעַ ru`a, 7321. It is a shout of triumph or a war cry or to shout for joy.

8.6.           Verse 6. Before the king, the LORD. What does this tell us? It teaches Israel and us that praise of God by enthusiastic song and instrumental music is praise to God who is king of Israel and king of the earth, and also LORD, Yahweh. It is not, as often done, simply emotion run wild or performance for performance sake.

8.7.       This praise is genuine, joyful, and triumphant.

8.8.           Note that musical instruments are used.

8.9.           We see again that this praise in song is based in God’s revelation to Israel about himself and his promises and his actions. We have seen it before: God, revelation, glory. The response by song that glorifies God is rooted, founded, based in, and controlled by God’s doctrine revealed to Israel and mankind.

9.      Psalm 98, All creation should roar, clap, and sing for joy because the Lord is coming to judge righteously (7-9).

9.1.           Verse 7, the sea and the world and people; verse 8, the rivers and the mountains ought to sing for joy, and verse 9, for a reason (7-9).

9.2.           Verses 7-8. All creation is included—inanimate and animate. All in some way recognize the great coming event which is the coming of Messiah to earth. We know that he came first to Bethlehem. This Psalm depends on the incarnation, but looks to the second coming of Messiah to earth to judge, rule, and bless.  Paul, in Romans 8:18-25, writes of this longing for Messiah to return and make right the consequences of the fall.

9.2.1.     We have figures of speech in these verses that express that all creation joyfully looks forward to the LORD coming back to earth.

9.3.           Verse 9. What is all creation happy about? Messiah is coming to judge (שָׁפַט shaphat, 8199, to judge is most common meaning) all the earth and its inhabitants.

9.3.1.     The standard of judgment is the Lord’s righteousness ( צֶדֶק tsedeq, 6664, here God’s perfect righteousness) and justice (מֵישָׁרִים meysharim, evenness, uprightness, equity. Here God’s justice) (9). He will judge righteously and fairly.

9.3.2.  This is a future event to the time of writing and to our time. It refers to the second coming of Christ—Messiah—to earth.

9.3.3.  Matthew 25:31-46 describes the initial judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 describes the final judgment. Second Peter 3:8-10 summarizes the judgments.

10. Psalm 98 has themes in common with Mary’s joyful song of praise in Luke 1:46-55 because she is privileged to be the human mother of Jesus.

10.1.   Psalm 98:1, Sing to the Lord and new song, and Luke 1:46-47, my soul exalts and my spirit has rejoiced.

10.2.   Psalm 98:1, for he has done wonderful things…, and Luke 1:49, for the mighty one has done great things.

10.3.   Psalm 98:1, his right hand and his holy arm…, and Luke 1:51, he has done mighty deeds with his arm….

10.4.   Psalm 98:2, he has made known his salvation, and Luke 1:50, his mercy is upon generation after generation….

10.5.   Psalm 98:3, he has remembered his lovingkindness and his faithfulness, and Luke 1:54-55, he has given help to Israel in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to Abraham….

11. So what? or principles of doctrine for application.

11.1.   We, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, have a great LORD and God. As in the Psalmist’s time, so it is true now. He rescues his people. He keeps his word. He is coming back to earth to judge—to punish sin and reward righteousness—and to rule his creation.  Because of this, we ought to joyfully praise him by song, word, and attitude.

11.2.   This praise in song is based in God’s revelation to Israel about himself and his promises and his actions: past, present, and future. We have seen it before: God, revelation, glory. The response by song that glorifies God is rooted, founded, based in, and controlled by God’s doctrine revealed to Israel and mankind.

11.3.   The doctrines upon which this Psalm is written include

11.3.1. God reveals himself and his plan—Revelation and Inspiration

11.3.2. God’s Nature and Attributes

11.3.3. God is creator and king—Divine Origin of all Creation, and God’s Kingship

11.3.4. God will come to earth to judge and rule—The second coming of Christ to earth, and the Millennial Kingdom

11.4.     Praise in song in the church also needs to be based in God’s revelation. Music and praise are associated with emotion should be rooted, founded, based in, and controlled by God’s doctrine revealed through his apostles in the New Testament writings. Is our music based upon Bible doctrines?

11.4.1. Paul said about music, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16).   “And for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Thy name.” 10 And again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him.” (Romans 15:9-11).

11.5.     General comments about music in the church.

11.5.1. Martin Luther said “I place music next to theology and give it the highest praise.”

11.5.2. The ministry of music prepares the congregation for the ministry of the Word.

11.5.3. Good music lifts the soul and human spirit (encourage, give confidence and hope, bring out thankfulness, and challenge to live right) and orders the soul and human spirit (remove or lessen confusion, put emotions in proper perspective with truth, and give peace).

11.5.4. Therefore any ministry of music—congregational or otherwise—should be based and rooted in God’s revelation, the Bible, and it should lift and order the soul and human spirit and direct people to the revealed God of the Bible.

11.5.5. The ministry of music should prepare the congregation for the ministry of the Word by directing the believer’s attention to God and to his revelation.

11.6.     There are three categories of songs found in the NT (Eph 5.19; Col 3.16). These categories include instrument and voice, joyfulness, thanksgiving, praise of God and his works, singing about God’s ways, and they are directed to the Lord, to people, and to self: Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs.

11.6.1. Psalms: thalmos, thallw, to sing Bible passages. Examples are "The Twenty-third Psalm"   Psalm 23, "Holy, Holy, Holy," Isaiah 6.3, "Ephesians."

11.6.2. Hymns: humnos, to sing doctrinal words to God. Examples are "How Great Thou Art," "Praise the Savior," "Revive Us Again."