He Is Coming – Psalm 96

“O, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His Name.” Psalm 96:1

True worship overflows from a heart that enjoys the greatness, glory, and salvation of God.

We honor God with songs. Three times in a row the Psalmist exhorts us to sing to the Lord. Joy to sing to the Lord is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s work in one’s life.

I’m so glad that there are tens of thousands of songs to the Lord that have excellent lyrics and very enjoyable music accompaniment. When I was a teenager, I was unaware and unexposed to contemporary Christian music, so I often listened to hymns that were written hundreds of years ago. In Psalm 96:1, God’s Word says to “sing to the Lord a new song.”

Before I learned of contemporary Christian music, my music collection consisted of rock music. Rock stars did not sing to God. They sang songs to women who made them feel good, to cars and clothes that impressed them and to the thrills of destructive behavior. The Holy Spirit inspired me to purge godless music from my collection, and replace it with music to the Lord.

A “new song” to the Lord arises from communion with God. His mercies are new every morning. His Spirit inspires writers and composers to publish new and relatable tributes to God. A new song celebrates the blessings we have in Jesus Christ.

When we sing love songs to the Lord, we need not worry that He will break our heart as earthly lovers are apt to do. In Deuteronomy 7:9, Moses wrote, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” In Psalm 91:14, the Psalmist wrote, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he has known My Name.” The Lord is faithful to those who love Him.

“Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” Psalm 96:2-3

Worshippers of God look beyond their nation’s borders. We want to “show forth His salvation from day to day.” We want to “declare His glory among the heathen.” The Good News about God is not something to hide or be silent about. It is to be proclaimed. Thanks to Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and the subsequent work of the Holy Spirit, good news that was once largely confined to Israel is now proclaimed to all nations. We honor God by singing His praises and by proclaiming His good news to other people.

“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 96:4-6

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised because He is not the invention of someone’s imagination. He is not an image made of stone, wood or precious metal. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He exists in a beautiful and holy place that is undefiled by hatred and death. Numerous angels love and serve Him. His house is filled with peace, joy and love.

We look to the Lord to keep our minds out of the gutters where false religions and sinful behavior thrives. We want to soar as on the wings of eagle to the heights where the real God is praised and worshipped.

In Romans 12:1, Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

God’s majesty inspires reverence. His beauty attracts our hearts. He is worthy of our 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. O, 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

Psalm 96 is a prophetic celebration of the reign of Jesus Christ and the spread of the Gospel to all nations. Its central theme is that Christ reigns as King, governs righteously, and will ultimately bring joy, justice, and restoration to the whole creation. [1]

This was the heart of the apostolic message. In Acts 17:24-31, Paul proclaimed, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being... We ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, silver, or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Unlike earthly rulers, Christ governs in perfect righteousness. His reign is characterized by just and holy laws, faithful administration, truth that enlightens minds and directs consciences, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit within believers. [2]

In John 18:37, Jesus told Pilate that He came into the world to bear witness to the truth. His kingdom advances not merely by power but by truth working in human hearts. [3]

“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.” Psalm 96:11-12

The Psalmist summons heaven to rejoice and earth to be glad. He invites sea and field to be joyful so that trees will rejoice before the Lord. It was on a tree that Christ was crucified to pay the price for humankind’s sin. Humanity’s sin brought a curse on creation. But in Galatians 3:13-14, we learn that Christ took our sin’s curse upon Himself while hanging on a tree so that we who are in Christ would receive His Holy Spirit.

In Romans 8:19-23, Paul wrote of how the earnest expectation of creation awaits the revealing of the sons of God. The creation was subjected to futility due to humankind’s sin. Created things want to be delivered from corruption. “We know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” Both created things and we “who have the firstfruits of the Spirit” groan as we eagerly await for the Lord to restore people to paradise.

“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 96:13

The incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ is in a sense a judgment of God. The judgment was that there was no one among us who could redeem us from our sins. Our human kings, priests, prophets and judges all fell short. We needed the Son of God to become flesh and dwell among us. To live a sinless life among us! We needed a sinless Messiah to atone for our sins, and Christ did that! Praise God!

In Matthew Henry’s Commentary, he connects the hope expressed by Paul in Romans 8 for people with the desire of created things to become incorruptible.

The practical application of Psalm 96 for us today is to proclaim Christ’s kingship to others. Trust His sovereign rule when circumstances seem unstable. Submit to His righteous rule in our daily lives. Live in hope of His return. Rejoice in His kingdom and invite others to do the same. [4]

Psalm 96 reminds us that history is moving toward a glorious conclusion: “All creation will rejoice under Christ’s righteous rule.” [5]

The twice repeated phrase, “He is coming” assures us of Christ’s return. Though centuries have passed, God’s timing is perfect and His promises are sure. [6]


[1-6] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary