Psalm 96

Declare the Glory of God

Psalm 96 is a call given to all people to praise God, and to worship Him as a great & glorious God.

 

We are instructed in verses 8 & 9 to give to the Lord the glory due His name and to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.    The call here is for more than holy array  - the worship most worthy is the beauty of holiness - the manifestation of God's holy character in the lives of worshipers.  Take a minute to reflect on that thought as you examine your life . . . is there evidence of God's holy character reflected in your thoughts?  attitudes?  actions?

 

 

This verse above was written by David in a song first recorded in the book of I Chronicles.  It is repeated here in Psalm 96.  My Bible notes that the heavens and the earth are called to glorify God.  His coming kingdom will be  a blessing to nature as well as to human nature.  As at creation the "morning stars sang together" (Job 38:7), so at the consummation all nature will render praise to God.  This is because He shall "judge the world with righteousness" and set all things right.

Proclaim the good news of His salvation
from day to day
~ Ps. 96:2


We are reminded in verse 2 to proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day - to declare His glory and His wonders among all peoples.

Matthew Henry notes that "salvation by Christ is here spoken of as work of wonder."  May we all take to heart the instruction in verse 2 and declare & share God's work in our lives. 

Verse 4 is another reminder that God is to be feared - how do we 'fear' Him?   Billy Graham offers this definition: 

To fear God is to treat Him with reverence & respect, acknowledging that He is far greater than we are and He alone is worthy of our loyalty and obedience.  It also means that we realize we are accountable to God, and that some day we will stand before Him to be judged for all we have done.  Don't ever lose your reverence & respect for God - but don't ever lose sight of His love for you either.  He has provided a way for us to be forgiven and saved from His judgment - by salvation through His son Jesus Christ.

  WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• The Lord is great and greatly to be praised
• The Lord is to be feared
• The Lord is due glory, strength, and my worship
• The Lord is coming to judge the earth with righteousness & truth

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord for the good news of His salvation . . . in my life!
• I praise the Lord that He is the one true God
• I praise God for His honor, majesty, strength, beauty, righteousness & truth

PRAYER: another beautiful prayer of praise by Ruth Myers:
     I magnify You, O Lord, I exalt Your name for You are great and greatly to be praised.  I praise You for the glorious splendor of Your majesty and the power of Your awe-inspiring acts.  Your power is unlimited  . . . absolute . . . beyond imagining. You are able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or dream of.  There is nothing too hard for You.  Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?
     O Lord Most High, You rule over the heavens and the earth, for You made all things by Your great power, and You keep them existing and working by Your mighty word.  You are exalted high above every star and galaxy in the entire cosmos . . . yet You are also the "God of all mankind," the great personally-present, personally-involved God who loves, rescues, and takes care of all who trust You.  You exercise Your gracious authority over all nations - and over each individual in all the world.  There is none like You, the true God, the living God, the everlasting King.  ~ Amen