Jesus Is Coming Again Series

Introduction

We are continuing our short series in the book of Psalms that I am calling “Jesus in the Psalms.”

Today I would like to look at Psalm 98.

Isaac Watts is known as the “Father of English Hymnody” and he is credited with writing more than 600 hymns, including “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Joy to the World!”

“Joy to the World!” is often classified as a Christmas carol but it is really Watts’ Christocentric interpretation of Psalm 98. It is a description of the Advent of Christ, particularly his Second Advent.

The inspired superscription of Psalm 98 simply states, “A Psalm.” That means that it is identified primarily as a song.

We don’t know the name of the author of Psalm 98. It is one of fifty anonymous Psalms.

The Psalm was written to praise the Lord for a great victory over Israel’s enemy.

Scholars believe that this was the victory that led to the return of the Jewish exiles from their Babylonian captivity (cf. Daniel 5 and Ezra 1). The Psalmist celebrates a recent victory that also points to the ultimate victory of the Lord.

Scripture

Let’s read Psalm 98:1-9:

A Psalm.

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him.

2 The LORD has made known his salvation;

he has revealed his righteousness 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 salvation 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 dwell in it!

8 Let the rivers clap their hands;

let the hills sing for joy together

9 before the LORD, for he comes

to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity.

Lesson

Psalm 98:1-9 teaches us to make a joyful noise to the Lord.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. The Lord Is Savior (98:1-3)

2. The Lord Is King (98:4-6)

3. The Lord Is Judge (98:7-9)

I. The Lord Is Savior (98:1-3)

First, let us make a joyful noise to the Lord because the Lord is Savior.

Psalm 98 begins with these words in verse 1, “A PSALM. Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”

God had rescued his people. He had saved them. He had done marvelous things for them.

So the people of God were called to sing “a new song.”

This was to be a song about the Lord who was the Savior of his people.

James Montgomery Boice notes, “So the call to sing a new song is actually a call to sing about some new thing God has himself done.”

What is this new thing that God has done himself?

The Psalmist continues in verse 2, “The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.”

The Psalmist wants all the nations surrounding Israel to know that the LORD is their powerful Savior. He has made himself known in the salvation of his people.

The reason that the Lord is the Savior of his people is revealed in verse 3, “He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

The Psalmist encourages his people with the truth that God is always faithful to his covenant. He rescued his people from their enemy.

And he will rescue his people once again.

How will he do it?

The Lord rescues his people as their Savior in the Advent of Christ. The First Advent of Christ took place two millennia ago.

And the Second Advent of Christ will take place in the not-too-distant future. That is when Jesus will return in person and set up his kingdom on earth.

Heather Thompson was living halfway across the world from her sister when she hit upon the perfect Christmas gift.

Heather’s family lived in Canada when her sister moved to Australia to study speech pathology. When she completed the degree, Heather hoped to attend the December graduation, but her schedule left her missing the ceremony by fewer than 48 hours.

Her sister was very disappointed but understood.