Psalm 98:1
(0) A psalm:
(1) Sing a new song to Adonai,
because he has done wonders.
His right hand, his holy arm
have won him victory.
2 Adonai has made known his victory;
revealed his vindication in full view of the nations,
3 remembered his grace and faithfulness
to the house of Isra’el.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
Break forth, sing for joy, sing praises!
5 Sing praises to Adonai with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious music!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the shofar,
shout for joy before the king, Adonai!
7 Let the sea roar, and everything in it;
the world, and those living in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the mountains sing together for joy
9 before Adonai, for he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly and the peoples fairly. (Complete Jewish Bible).
Listen to the feast of imperative verbs in this psalm. Sing! Shout with joy! Rejoice and sing! Lift your voice! Sing with joy! Why all the singing and shouting and rejoicing? Just because of who God is: victorious over the enemy, steadfastly loving and faithful, a righteous and fair judge who reigns to remember and communicate with the likes of us rebellious human beings! Since God's character is unchanging, we can sing and shout and praise God any time, even when we do not understand what God is up to. It reminds me of a church sign I once saw: Praise the Lord--anyway!
The world gives so many reasons to lament, Lord. Sometimes I don't feel like there is anything to sing and shout about. I am glad for these words of the psalmist that remind me you are worthy of joyful praise--any time. Amen.
Gayle Pope, '03
Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church, Quincy, Ill.
Psalm 98:1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (New Revised Standard Version)
***
Listen to the feast of imperative verbs in this psalm. Sing! Shout with joy! Rejoice and sing! Lift your voice! Sing with joy! Why all the singing and shouting and rejoicing? Just because of who God is: victorious over the enemy, steadfastly loving and faithful, a righteous and fair judge who reigns to remember and communicate with the likes of us rebellious human beings! Since God's character is unchanging, we can sing and shout and praise God any time, even when we do not understand what God is up to. It reminds me of a church sign I once saw: Praise the Lord--anyway!
The world gives so many reasons to lament, Lord. Sometimes I don't feel like there is anything to sing and shout about. I am glad for these words of the psalmist that remind me you are worthy of joyful praise--any time. Amen.
Gayle Pope, '03
Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church, Quincy, Ill.
Psalm 98:1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (New Revised Standard Version)
The Luther Seminary
No comments:
Post a Comment