1. O sing unto the Lord
a new song. New joys are filling human hearts,
for the glad tidings of blessing to all people are proclaimed; therefore let
them sing a new song. Angels inaugurated the new dispensation with new songs,
and shall not we take up the strain? Unto the one only God all music is to be
dedicated. Mourning is over, and the time of the singing of hearts has come.
People are made new creatures, and their song is new also.
Sing unto the Lord,
all the earth. National jealousies are dead; a Jew
invites the Gentiles to adore, and joins with them. All the earth Jehovah made,
and all the earth must sing to him. Nor people alone, but the earth itself is
to praise its Maker. Made subject to vanity for a while by a sad necessity, the
creation itself also is to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and
brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God, so that sea and
forest, field and flood, are to be joyful before the Lord.
2. Sing unto the Lord,
bless his name. Thrice is the name of the Lord
repeated, and not without meaning. Is it not unto the Three-One Lord that the
enlightened nations will sing? Unitarianism is the religion of units;it is too
cold to warm the world to worship; the sacred fire of adoration only burns with
vehement flame where the Trinity is believed in and beloved. In other ways
beside singing, the blessed Lord is to be blessed. His name, his fame, his
character, his revealed word and will are to be delighted in, and remembered
with perpetual thanksgiving. We may well bless him who so divinely blesses us. Show
forth his salvation from day to day. The Gospel is the clearest revelation
of himself; salvation outshines creation and providence. Let us proclaim the
glad tidings, and do so continually, never ceasing the blissful testimony. Each
day brings us deeper experience of our saving God, each day shows us anew how
deeply we need his salvation, each day reveals the power of the Gospel, each
day the Spirit strives with the sons of men; therefore, never pausing, be it
ours to tell out the glorious message of free grace. Let those do this who know
for themselves what his salvation means.
3. Declare his glory among the heathen. His salvation is his glory, the word of the Gospel
glorifies him; and this should be published far and wide, till the remotest
nations of the earth have known it. Too often the name of the Lord Jesus has
been dishonored among the heathen by the vices and cruelties of those who call
themselves Christians; may this fact excite true believers to greater diligence
in causing the Gospel to be proclaimed as with a trumpet in all quarters of the
habitable globe. His wonders among all people. The Gospel is a mass of
wonders, its history is full of wonders, and it is in itself far more marvelous
than miracles themselves. In his Son the Lord has displayed wonders of love,
wisdom, grace, and power. All nations need to hear of God’s marvelous works;
and if a really living, self-denying church would solemnly resolve that right
speedily they all shall hear thereof. The tribes which are dying out are not to
be excluded from Gospel teaching. None are too degraded, none too cultured,
none too savage, and none too refined.
4. For the Lord
is great and greatly to be praised.
Nothing mean or narrow can be found in him or his acts; in all things he is
infinite. Praise should be proportionate to its object; therefore let it be
infinite when rendered unto the Lord. All the honor rendered unto him should be
given in largeness of heart, with the utmost zeal for his glory. He is to be
feared above all gods. Dread of other gods is mere superstition; awe of the
Lord is pure religion. Holy fear is the beginning of the graces, and yet it is
the accompaniment of their highest range.
5. For all the gods of the nations are idols. Mere images of wood and stone, vanities, nothings. But
the Lord made the heavens. The
reality of his Godhead is proved by his works. The idol gods have no existence,
but our God is the author of all existences; they are mere earthly vanities,
while he is not only heavenly, but made the heavens.
6. Honor and majesty are before him. People can but mimic these things; their pompous pageants
are but the pretense of greatness. In the presence of Jehovah real glory and
sovereignty abide. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. In him are
combined all that is mighty and lovely, powerful and resplendent. In Chronicles
we read strength and gladness; and the two renderings do not disagree in
sense. Not in outward show or parade of costly robes does the glory of God
consist; such things are tricks of state with which the ignorant are dazzled;
holiness, justice, wisdom, grace, these are the splendors of Jehovah’s courts.
7. The first
six verses commenced with an exhortation to sing, three times repeated, with
the name of the Lord thrice mentioned; here we meet with the expression Give
unto the Lord, used in the
same triple manner. The invocation of the sweet singer is still addressed to
all mankind, to whom he speaks as Ye kindreds of the people. Divided
into tribes and families, we are called in our courses and order to appear
before him and ascribe to him all honor. Family worship is especially pleasing
unto him who is the God of all the families of Israel. Give unto the Lord glory and strength; that is to
say, recognize the glory and power of Jehovah, and ascribe them unto him in
your solemn hymns. Great nations, who count yourselves both famous and mighty,
cease your boastings! Monarchs, who are styled imperial and powerful, humble
yourselves in the dust before the only Potentate. Glory and strength are nowhere
to be found save with the Lord; all others possess but the semblance thereof.
8. Give unto the Lord
glory due unto his name. However
much of zealous homage we may offer to him, we cannot give him more than his
due. If we cannot bring in the full revenue which he justly claims, at least
let us not fail from want of honest endeavor. Bring an offering, and come
into his courts. Atonement for sin having been made, it only remains to
bring thank-offerings, and let not these be forgotten. When assembling for public
worship we should make a point of bringing with us a contribution to his cause,
according to that ancient word, “None of you shall appear before me empty.”
The time will come when from all ranks and all nations the Lord will receive
gifts when they gather together for his worship.
9. O worship the Lord
in the beauty of holiness. This is
the only beauty which he cares for in our public services, and it is one for
which no other can compensate. Beauty of architecture and apparel he does not
regard; moral and spiritual beauty is that in which his soul delighteth.
Worship must not be rendered to God in a slovenly, sinful, superficial manner;
we must be reverent, sincere, earnest, and pure in heart both in our prayers
and praises. Fear before him, all the earth. “Tremble” is the word in
the original, and it expresses the profoundest awe, just as the word
“worship” does, which would be more accurately translated by “bow down.”
Even the bodily frame would be moved to trembling and prostration if people
were thoroughly conscious of the power and glory of Jehovah. The sight of the
King in his beauty caused no alarm to John in Patmos, and yet it made him fall
at his feet as dead.
10. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth.
This is the gladdest news which can be carried to them—the Lord Jehovah, in the
person of his Son, has assumed the throne, and taken to himself his great
power. Tell this out among the heathen, and let the heathen themselves, being
converted, repeat the same rejoicingly. The world also shall be established
that it shall not be moved. A settled government is essential to national
prosperity; the reign of the God of truth and righteousness will promote this
to the highest degree. Sin has shaken the world; the reign of Jesus will set it
fast again upon sure foundations. He shall judge the people righteously.
Iniquity makes the dynasties of tyrants fall; equity causes the throne of Jesus
to stand. He will impartially rule over Jew and Gentile, prince and peasant.
11. Let the heaven rejoice, and let the earth be glad. Above and below let the joy be manifested. Let the angels
who have stood in amazement at the wickedness of men now rejoice over their
repentance and restoration to favor, and let men themselves express their
pleasure in seeing their true prince set upon his throne. Let the sea roar,
and the fulness thereof. Let it be no more a troubled sea; let all its
teeming life express the utmost joy because the Lord reigneth even in the depth
of the sea. In common with the rest of the creation, the sea has groaned and
travailed until now.
12. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein. Let the cultivated plains praise the Lord. Peace enables
their owners to plow and sow and reap, without fear of the rapine of invaders,
and therefore in glad notes they applaud him whose empire is peace. Both men,
and creatures that graze the plain, and the crops themselves are represented as
swelling the praises of Jehovah. Then shall all the trees of the wood
rejoice. He does not say, let them rejoice, but they shall do so.
Perhaps the psalmist was thinking of the birds.
13. Before the Lord:
for he cometh. Even now he is near; his advent
should, therefore, be the cause of immediate rejoicing: already are we in his
presence; let us worship him with delight. For he cometh to judge the earth,
to rule it with discretion; not to tax it, and control it by force, as kings
often do, but to preside as magistrates do whose business it is to see justice
carried out between people. All the world will be under the jurisdiction of
this great Judge, and before his bar all will be summoned to appear. At this
moment he is on the road, and the hour of his coming draweth nigh. He shall
judge the world with righteousness. His essential rectitude will determine
all causes and cases; there will be no bribery and corruption there, neither
can error or failure be found in his decisions. And the people with his
truth, or rather “the nations in faithfulness.” Honesty, veracity,
integrity will rule upon his judgment-seat. No nation will be favored there,
and none be made to suffer through prejudice. The black man will be tried by
the same law as his white master; the aboriginal will have justice executed for
him against his civilized exterminator.
In closing, let us ourselves join in the song. Since the
whole universe is to be clothed with smiles, shall not we be glad?
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
