Psalm 96

“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” Psalm 96:1-3 (NKJV)

Perhaps, the most requested song in live music settings is Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.”  Who hasn’t been at a concert and someone (jokingly) yelled out, “Free Bird!”?  It may surprise you that Free Bird wasn’t an instant hit.  A friend of mine attended a Skynyrd concert in 1972 when the band announced they were about to play a song to be released on their upcoming album.  When the 10-minute Free Bird ended, my friend said he and his friends just looked at each other, wondering whether they liked it.  “We came to the show to hear what we already knew,” he shared, “but the next year, when we saw Skynyrd, we got excited when the Free Bird intro started.”  

As a worship leader whose job is always to teach new songs to a congregation, I have observed that people typically do not welcome change.  But new songs do not become classics unless people open their hearts and give them a chance.  Today’s psalm begins with a call for all the nations to hear a new song: The God of Israel is the God of the WHOLE EARTH, and He loves Gentiles!

“For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” Psalm 96:4-5 (NKJV)

Not only does He love Gentiles, but He alone is worthy of praise!

“Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns; the world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.’”  Psalm 96:7-10 (NKJV)

Since He is the ONLY God, only He can bestow salvation and judge righteously!

“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.” Psalm 96:11-13 (NKJV)