Sunday, 14 June 2020 Psalm 96
“Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. … bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation… Declare His glory among the nations…” -Psalm 96:1-3
This Psalm has been aptly called by many as the “missionary hymn for all ages.” All the earth is called to worship the living GOD at a time when the Gentiles were not allowed into the inner sanctuary. It is a prophetic Psalm about the salvation of God to all the people on the earth.
The answer as to why the Psalmist is requesting for the proclamation of God’s salvation from day to day is given in the last verse. Psalm 96:13 “….. for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.” Verses 3-6 gives us the reason for ascribing honour and glory to His name.
The key verses above begin with a call to Worship and then to Witness. Witness is for this earth, but worship is for eternity. God is seeking true worshippers and effectual witnessing brings in true worshippers. John 4:23 says, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."
How do we become true worshippers? In John 1:12 it says “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Whoever accepts the salvation found in no one else except Christ Jesus, becomes a true worshipper for he/she is now born of God (spirit) and not of flesh and becomes the child of God. Look at what the Scripture says:
Acts 4:12: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
John 4:24: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Galatians 4:6: “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
Throughout the Psalm the writer is calling all the people of the earth to worship the true living God.
How do we witness? If all the earth is to worship the one and only true God, they need to hear of Him. The Holy Spirit calls us through this Psalm to proclaim the Good News of His salvation from day to day. God’s mercies are new every morning! We do not know on whom He will shower his compassion and mercy. That is why we are called to witness day to day. Romans 10:14-15 says, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” We are the ones sent as seen from Acts 13:47: ‘For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”’ Oswald J. Smith has said: No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once. There are yet many who need to hear the Good News!
PRAYER : “Dear GOD, here I am, available and willing. Please use me with all the gifts you have given me to become an effective witness. Grant that people will see Jesus in me at all times. In Jesus' name, amen.