June 2, 2024 - Psalms 96-100

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!   Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods” (96:1-4).  All the earth!  What a timely psalm as I reflect back over the last three weeks.  Even the peoples of Qatar and the peoples of Indonesia will, one day, sing that new song to the Lord.  Makes me think of Isaiah 19:23-25 – “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.  In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.’”  Imagine, not only the peoples of Qatar and Indonesia but, also, Egypt and Assyria, long time enemies of Israel, will come together in receiving God’s blessing and singing unto him!

Let all the world in every corner sing,

“My God and King!”

The heav’ns are not too high,

God's praise may thither fly;

the earth is not too low,

God's praises there may grow.

Let all the world in every corner sing,

“My God and King!”   -- George Herbert (1865)