Text: Psalm 98
Theme: His holy Arm
Greetings: The Lord is good and His Love endures forever!
Introduction: Psalm 98 is one of seven enthronement psalms that was used at a festival to celebrate God as King (Psalm 47; 93; 95; 96; 97; 98; 99). Psalm 98 is in Book Four of the Psalter (Psalms 93, 95-99). These enthronement psalms are not the royal psalms (Psalms 2; 18; 20; 21; 45; 72; 89; 101; 110; 132; 144) which are associated with the life of the king.
A desire for new is sounded through the ages, e.g., Psalm 96:1, 33:3, 40:3; 144:9; 149:1; and Isaiah 42:10. They needed to hear something fresh, new, and contemporary to be relevant to the youth.
Psalm 98 consists of three equal stanzas. The first (98:1-3) remembers the past acts of holy arm of Yahweh doing marvellous things. The third stanza (98:7-9), looks into the future acts of the holy arm of God to judge the earth with righteousness and equity. Between is a call for all the nations to recognise the holy arm of God and to shout for joy to the Lord (98:4-6).
1. Psalm 98:1-3. Remember the Past acts of Holy Arm of God
The glory of the Redeemer and the joy of the redeemed. He has done marvellous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him, and revealed his righteousness, remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Pope John XXIII called the church to the task of new songs, a continued updating of old traditions to meet the needs and tastes of a new generation (James Limburg, Professor Emeritus of OT quotes).
Matthew Henry says: Converts sing a new song, very different from what they had sung during their sinful life. The Psalm calls to joyful celebration by all, first by Israel, then by all nations, and by all creatures.
The Hebrew word Yeshuah is used in this section for three times and conveys the meanings of ‘rescue, ‘salvation’ and ‘victory.’ The names “Joshua” and “Jesus” are derived from the word “Yeshuah” referring to the above activities of the Lord.
Another great word Hesed is usd to indicate ‘love and faithfulness’. This refers to God’s unmerited favour upon his people. Psalm 136 repeats this word as a refrain for 26 times. This is the Agape. The “right hand” and the “holy arm” of God are able to deliver humanity, and all creation from the oppressions.
2. Psalm 98:4-6. Shout for the act of Holy Arm of the Lord
A call to the nations to burst into a jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn, shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
The people and all of creation are instructed to “make a joyful noise” incorporating musical instruments in the praise of God as sovereign, as protector and for his sustenance — the lyre, the trumpets, and the sound of a horn.
Psalm 98 is known as A Psalm for Christmas “Joy to the World” as well as a Psalm for Easter referring the salvation won by Christ. Instruments are added until the whole earth resounds with festal sounds and Easter praise. The crescendo of this section is that God, our deliverer, is King! The crescendo of Easter is that Christ is King!
Keil & Delitzsch explain that the call in Psalm 98:4 demands some joyful manifestation of the mouth and lips, which can be done in many ways. Psalm 98:5 the union of song and the music of stringed instruments, as of the Levites; and Psalm 98:6 the sound of wind instruments, as of the priests.
Spurgeon: A very sweet instrument of music, and capable of great expression. His worship should be plain. God, who accepts the unlettered ditty of a ploughman, does not reject the smooth verse of a Cowboy, or the sublime strains of a scholar. All repetitions not be vain repetitions, in sacred song there should be graceful repeats, help to fire the soul.
3. Psalm 98:7-9. Look for the future rule of the Holy Arm of God
Let the sea resound, let the world, Let the rivers, let the mountains, let them all sing before the Lord. He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and with equity.
The Psalmist calls inanimate creation to join humanity in praising the Lord, all the oceans and all the continents, all the rivers and all the mountains, the dominant features of the inhabited world.
Sin ruined good rhythm of the creation but the Easter restored the joy to the World. Romans 8:18-24 looks for that redemption in the future. At the end God WILL set all things right, all of the creation. So the roaring, clapping, singing together are the hands, the feet, the voices of judgment, righteousness, and equity in this world, the tebel.
People should be glad to know that the Lord reigns. This looks ahead to the end times: when the Lord will bring perfect and inescapable justice to the world. God will judge the world with righteous and equity. The words “righteous” and “equity” are rich with both ethical meaning with sheer simplicity.
Nancy deClaissé professor of OT states that “Righteous” is tsedek, the basic meaning in Hebrew is to do the right thing. In any situation the followers of Christ need to do what God would do. Right is right for everyone, in every situation, and everywhere. The right for ALL concerned, all situations concerned, and all spaces concerned.
“Equity” comes from the Hebrew word yashar, means upright, straight, to the point. Judging with “equity” means judging with a clear view of equality for all and a firm sense of right and wrong — not equality and right for those of privilege, but equality and right for all of the earth and the habitable spaces of the world.
Closing:
Easy Bible comments: ‘If you play a musical instrument, learn to play music for the LORD. Then, and pray that God will come soon to rule over the earth. He will do it much better than any government!’ Open Bible: The kingdom of Christ will be a blessing to the whole creation. It will be a glorious reign. Then shall heaven and earth rejoice, and the joy of the redeemed shall be full.
