Make A Joyful Noise To The Lord Series

Scripture

During this Season of Advent we have been looking at “Christ’s Advent in the Psalms.”

Tonight I want to examine briefly Psalm 98. This Psalm pulsates with joy and expectation at the coming of the Lord. This Psalm is a call to make a joyful noise to the Lord.

Let us 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. (Psalm 98:1-9)

Introduction

Isaac Watts is known as the “Father of English Hymnody” and he is credited with writing more than 500 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.

Regarding Psalm 98, we don’t know the name of the author. 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.

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 song about the Lord who was the Savior of his people.

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 and set up his kingdom on earth.

So, let me ask you: are you able to make a joyful noise to the Lord because the Lord is your Savior?

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

Second, let us see make a joyful noise to the Lord because the Lord is King.

The Psalmist writes in verse 4, “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” If anyone has a song to sing, it is the people of God. We have been rescued from sin and Satan and hell. We have been rescued from the wrath of God. And we are expecting our coming King to come and complete our redemption.