REJOICE! THE LORD IS KING!
Opening Prayer
Lord, Your entire creation recognizes You.
Read PSALM 98
Psalm 98
A psalm.
1 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 his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Lift up your heart, / lift up your voice! / Rejoice, again / I say, rejoice’ (Charles Wesley, 1707–88, ‘Rejoice, the Lord is King’)!
Think Further
All of creation worshipping the Creator is the only way it can possibly be. This psalm of three sections first recalls the mighty deliverance of God by His righteous right hand, making known His salvation to Egyptian and Israelite alike; remembering His covenant of mercy to Israel and all peoples witnessing His salvation (1–3). Second, the psalmist employs human faculties of shouting, singing, and rejoicing, with the use of instruments in the worship of the living God (4–6). Third, the psalmist includes activities and elements of nature by way of roaring seas, clapping rivers, and singing hills being joyful in the worship of the living God (vs 7, 8). God’s creation is indeed to be appreciated (See Ps 19:1) – but not to be worshipped. God is not in the trees, the wind, the mountains, the seas or the universe. He is the Creator of them all (Col 1:16).
There is an indication of the limitlessness of how you can express yourself in heartfelt worship to the God of your salvation. The worship of God is to be endless, boundless, without care or concern and with freedom. Out of the abundance of the heart speaks the mouth (Matt 12:34).
Worship is not merely a state of mind or the singing of songs; neither should worship be a reflexive response towards God for what He has done for you. Worship should be an act of the will that is intentional and intelligently directed to the living God simply for who He is. This includes the humble prostrating of your body. This is what it means to worship the Lord your God with all your heart (spirit), with all your strength (body), and with all your soul (mind) (Deut 13:3). Awestruck, the psalmist asserts that everything that has breath should, and must, praise the Lord (Ps 150:6).
Apply
‘Rejoice the Lord is King! / Your Lord and King adore! / Rejoice, give thanks and sing / and triumph evermore. / Lift up your heart, / lift up your voice! / Rejoice, again / I say, rejoice!’ (Charles Wesley)
Closing prayer
Lord, teach Your people how to enter into proper worship with our Creator so that we can please You even more.
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