Slices
Prepare
Sing, or listen to, a favourite worship song.
Bible passage
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendour and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Explore
King Charles III’s coronation included twelve new pieces of music composed for the occasion.* In Psalm 96, the psalmist calls for a new song to mark the coming of the Lord’s reign (v 1). This psalm is closely related to the song which was sung when David brought the ark into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:23–33).
The previous psalm called on the people of Israel to sing for joy to the Lord (Psalm 95:1). Psalm 96 widens the vision, calling all the nations (vs 7–10) and creation itself (vs 11–13) to rejoice in the Lord. God’s people are not to keep the news of God’s glory to themselves; they are to share it with outsiders (v 3).
Other nations may have their gods, but they are mere idols, while Israel’s God is the Creator of all things (v 5). He is not only for Israel either, but invites all people to enter into his presence (vs 7–10).
In our readings this week we have seen how Jesus’ message of the kingdom of God challenged the preconceptions of his contemporaries, announcing the arrival of God’s reign. This psalm calls for celebration because the King is coming to bring in his kingdom of justice and righteousness. Judgement (v 13) is primarily about deciding fairly between people, not simply giving punishment.
*https://www.royal.uk/coronation-music-commissions
Respond
Pray for any Christians you know who are working to ‘Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples’ (v 3).
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Job 31,32; Psalms 86,87
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that God will guide the expansion plans of SU Canada (English-speaking) particularly the development of sports clubs. Pray for meaningful and fruitful partnerships with local churches in every province across Canada.
Because a strong start begins with smart preparation
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