Bible Commentaries
Psalms 96

Verses 1-13

Psalms 96:1-13

O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, and bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, and his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be reverenced above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the LORD, O ye families of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: reverence him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth ( Psalms 96:1-13 ).

Glorious psalm, Psalms 96:1-13 , encouraging us to the praising of the Lord. Singing the praises unto Him. Declaring the glories of God and the wonders of His work. Because of the greatness of God, He is to be greatly praised. He is above all of the gods of the nations, the other gods that people follow after. So give unto Him the glory due His name. Worship Him. And then the anticipation of His coming, "For the Lord cometh."

We are looking now to that day when the Lord is going to come and He's going to come to judge the earth. As you get into the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, the disciples said, "Lord, what will be the sign of Your coming? And the end of the age? And Jesus began to tell them the things to watch for. And then as we get into chapter 25, as He is referring to His coming, "Then shall the kingdom of heaven," or, "Then shall He when He comes again gather together the nations of the earth to judge them: and He shall separate them as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goat" ( Matthew 25:32 ). And so the Lord's day of judgment that is coming, referred to here and also at the end of Psalms 98:1-9 .

In fact, Psalms 96:1-13 and Psalms 98:1-9 are parallel ideas in these psalms. "