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Psalms 98

9 verses

TL;DR

Psalm 98 calls for universal praise of God for His marvelous salvation and righteous judgment, urging joyous celebration with music and nature's roar.

Summary

The psalm opens with an invitation to sing a new song to the Lord, highlighting His marvelous deeds and victorious hand. It declares that the Lord’s salvation and righteousness have been revealed to all peoples, especially to the house of Israel. The psalm then exhorts the whole earth to make joyful noise—through harps, trumpets, and the sound of cornet—and even nature itself to roar in praise. It emphasizes that the Lord will come to judge the world with righteousness and equity. The imagery of seas, hills, floods, and the fullness of creation underscores the universality of God's dominion and the call for all to participate in worship. The psalm concludes with a proclamation of God's impending judgment, reinforcing the theme of justice and the need for righteous conduct.

Outline
  1. Invitation to new song and acknowledgment of God's marvelous works
  2. Universal proclamation of salvation and call for joyous, musical worship
  3. Vision of God’s righteous judgment and the call for all creation to rejoice
Themes
Universal worship and celebrationGod’s salvation and righteous judgmentJoyful, musical expression of faith
Keywords
singnew songsalvationrighteousnessmercytruthjoyful noiseharptrumpetscornetworldearthjudgmentequity
People
God (the LORD)House of Israel
Places
EarthSeaHillsWorld
Things
New songSalvationRighteousnessMercyTruthJoyful noiseHarpTrumpetsCornetSea roarFloodsJudgmentEquity
Key Verses
  • Psalms 98:1: Introduces the theme of a new song and celebrates God's marvelous deeds.
  • Psalms 98:4: Calls the entire earth to make joyful noise, expanding worship beyond Israel.
  • Psalms 98:9: Emphasizes God's forthcoming righteous judgment, underscoring justice.
Questions
  • What does the psalm suggest about the relationship between God's salvation and the entire world?
  • How does the imagery of nature (sea, floods, hills) function in calling humanity to worship?
  • In what ways does the psalm connect joyful praise with divine judgment?
  • What implications does the call for universal worship have for contemporary Christian practice?
Sentiment

positive
Celebratory, triumphant tone emphasizing God's greatness and invitation to praise.