Psalm 96 – The call to worship the Lord, the Righteous Judge

In Psalm 96, the whole earth, especially the people of God, is summoned to praise and worship the Lord. Three calls are issued: Verses 1-3 and 7-10 are two calls to the earth to submit to the reign of the Lord. Verses 11-13, is a call to creation to praise the Lord. And in between these calls in verses 4-6, the Psalmist took time to describe the King. Though the people of God refers particularly to the nation of Israel, now believers, whom the Lord Jesus had bought and paid with a great price, are also included in the company of the redeemed. Hence this is a call to us as well. We must daily declare His glory, His works and His salvation to the world. Why must we do so? It’s because the Lord, whom we must proclaim, is worthy of our praise. He is greater than all gods, which essentially are idols. But the Lord whom we worship, on the other hand, is the maker of heaven. He is majestic and full of splendor. Strength and beauty are greatly manifested in His sanctuary.  

Anticipating world-wide worship of this glorious God, the Psalmist exhorts all families of the earth to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord. Each family must come with a gift as an offering to the Lord. All must come to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. He is to be honored with great awe. No one should be flippant with Him. We must learn not to take His presence and anointing for granted. Verse 10 particularly calls on the redeemed to witness to the heathen in the world. We are to proclaim that this Lord is reigning. He is the foundation of the world and He had firmly established order and peace in the world. It is He who will righteously judge the people of the world.

The last three verses bid everyone to rejoice before the Lord. Everyone must do so because the Lord, the Redeemer, has been scheduled to come bringing His righteous judgment to earth. At His final coming, all the earth will be relieved from the bondage of the curse that had held it. This Psalm anticipates the ultimate praise at the consummation of the age. When the Messiah’s reign is established, great joy shall fill the earth. This Psalm calls us to proclaim the goodness of the Lord constantly. As we live each day, let us also anticipate and declare what will soon to be, when our Lord comes to establish His everlasting Kingdom.