Cantate Domino ("O Sing Unto The Lord.")

This word of deliverance of the true Israel went out into all lands. God’s triumph is proclaimed in all four corners of the earth. This word of the victory needs to be joyously proclaimed in the sight of the heathen even today. They need to see the salvation of our God. What is new here is not to exult over the enemies of God in their defeat, but rather to invite them to join the chorus of praise due to the LORD our God. It is a call to the earth to abandon all other gods and to be reconciled to Jesus Christ. All the people of the earth are invited to clap their hands and shout. Let all the musical instruments render praise to God. Let the music of God swell the breeze who is the true author of freedom, the freedom which no man or government can bring. Let the entire universe join in procession. Even the waves of chaos will have to bow before Him and confess as will every knee shall bow. They shall join the hills in praise, or they shall be eternally separated from Him who is the source of all joy.

We must remember that the LORD is returning to judge the world in righteousness and will treat all the people with equity. Originally, Israel may have seen this as God’s extending His wrath and vindication of Israel before the nations that oppressed her. Here judging righteously would lead to the condemnation of them. Judging with equity means giving them what they truly deserve for their folly, while at the same time giving Israel good rewards for being his faithful people. But there is something different about this “new song.” If everyone was treated righteously and fairly, we would all equally stand under the eternal condemnation of God. We all fall and fail before a God who gives us what we deserve for our sinful rebellion against His majesty. But Jesus offers the world grace and reconciliation to all who believe and come to Him. The God who should have best received His rebellious son back should have received him as the lowest slave on the plantation. He should not have come in person but sent a servant to announce this to his lost son. He should not have run to meet him and shamed himself by embracing his son in the swine-soiled rags he was wearing. But he did! And not only tis, he held a great feast for him. The fatted calf, suitable for royalty is instead offered to this prodigal.

What praise should we offer when we realize that the one wearing the swiney clothing is us. We have been redeemed by the work of Jesus who suffered our rejection and the rejection of the Father in a sense and turned it into our acceptance and reconciliation. How much we should be motivated to sinf this song of triumph in the sight of unbelievers. Let them jin our chorus that they too might sing in liberating joy! We don’t go out and fight evil with carnal weapons like swords and spears, but we fight by proclaiming the LORD’s victory! We fight not to slay but to save. The joy of the LORD is the strength by which we fight this battle. In the earthly battles like the one this psalm originally celebrated, men probably fought and died. The news of their deaths would not be seen so joyous to their next of kin. But even if we fall in battle for the word of the Prince of Peace, like him we shall rise again and be united with Him in glory.

Lets us take time to consider these things and sing like we have never sung before. Amen.