Psalm 96:1-13 • God’s Reign
By Philip Price
Introduction: A Joyful Procession
Psalm 96 contains King David’s song of thanksgiving celebrating the return of the Ark of the Covenant. The monumental event is described in First Chronicles 15 and 16. Jerusalem was exploding with excitement. An enthusiastic crowd gathered along the route as priests solemnly carried the sacred chest into the city. The Philistines had stolen the precious symbol of God’s presence (I Sam. 4). Now, David, wearing the finest linen robe, led the Holy parade into the tent he had prepared. He danced with joy as the sound of cymbals, trumpets, harps, lyres, and loud voices intensified as the Ark was restored to its proper place (I Chr. 15:27-28). Then, David presented offerings to the Lord and blessed the people. After he distributed food, he directed the Levites, led by Asaph, to minister before the Ark and sing to the Lord (I Chr. 16:1-7).
Much of the song shared in I Chronicles 16 is included in Psalm 96. The theme of the passage is God reigns over the earth. Consequently, He is the only one who deserves our worship. The psalm directs us to humbly sing, bow, and rejoice before our Holy King.
Sing: The King Reigns (Psalm 96:1-6)
This overtly joyful psalm begins with the exhortation Sing a new song (v.1a, CSB). As a young teenager, I remember a seasoned church musician — who led “singing schools” in rural Mississippi — tell me, “The most beautiful instrument in the world is the human voice.” Through songs, deep sadness or ecstatic joy can be expressed with our voices. When we sing, we involve our body, mind, and spirit. The songs we sing have an impact on our moods and can help us remember truths by giving us unforgettable melodies to associate with scripture.
Consistently, “God’s mercies are new every morning” (Lam. 3:23, CSB). A new song refers to a fresh expression of adoration. Profoundly, we are commanded to sing to the Lord (v.1). During congregational gatherings, whether we are playing an instrument or simply vocalizing along with other worshippers, our focus should be the Heavenly Father. He is our audience, and we must declare His glory (v.3). Glory is the divine presence of God. Boice explains “Kabod, the Hebrew word, refers to something that is impressive or weighty.”
While the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, God’s glory is immeasurable. No one is comparable to our glorious king and only He reigns over the earth. Our glorious King reigns in splendor and majesty, as well as strength and beauty (v. 6, CSB).
Bow: The King Rules (Psalm 96:7-9)
Just as servants bow in the presence of a monarch, our hearts must spiritually bow to honor our supreme ruler. We are to encourage all the families of the peoples to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength (v.7). Jesus commissioned all Christians to go and “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19, CSB). Presently, the global population is 8.2 billion people. Among the nations, 7,402 ethno-linguistic groups have been identified in which less than 2% of their population are evangelical Christians. Of these, 3,171 groups are believed to have never been exposed to the Gospel of Christ (peoplegroups.org). These stats reveal the importance of intentionally sharing the Gospel with all people who face a Christ-less eternity. Therefore, we must bring an offering (v.8) and worship him in the splendor of His holiness (v.9) so the world can learn of His offer of salvation.
Rejoice: The King Returns (Psalm 96:10-13)
Believers have a bright future. Psalm 96 concludes by celebrating the future fulfillment of Messianic hope (Gen.3:14-15). The New Testament records that Jesus is the promised Messiah and He will return to judge everyone (John 14:3, Acts 1:11, Rev. 1:7). We can rejoice because the Lord judges the peoples fairly (v.10). All creation rejoices that He is coming. We do not have to fear because he will judge in righteousness and in faithfulness (v.13).
Application
Psalm 96 began with an admonition to sing a new song to the King of the earth. This is not a prohibition of singing older hymns or a command to only intone contemporary medleys. Our praise should be new as it rises from a refreshed heart that cannot be restrained. As a result, our worship should be planned with skill and ordered in a way that allows for Holy Spirit inspired creativity. Derrick Kinder stated “Nothing, listless, boring, or stale befits God’s worship; not merely a song is required, but a new song.” God reigns.
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