A CALL TO WORSHIP

This psalm is a peaceful scene in which the Lord and His people, Israel, are resting and in fellowship. Praise is appropriate following the forgiveness of Psalm 32, and now there is a new song of redemption. This will be like a national anthem when Israel is enjoying the blessings of the millennium. This national hymn of thanksgiving begins with a call to worship. True rejoicing and praise from the heart can only come from righteous people. Attempts to change the beauty of holiness into appealing entertainment to get people to attend meetings are simply music instead of holy praise. The sounds of the instruments do not replace the words of a spiritual song sung from the hearts of redeemed worshippers. How many reasons are there for God’s people to praise Him!!

The first three verses are a public call for the righteous to come to worship and praise the Lord with a new song accompanied by quiet instruments like zithers and harps. The Lord is worshipped and praised as the Creator and the universal Ruler. There is praise for His majesty and grace as the people rejoiced in the presence of the Lord. New experiences produce new songs. There will be a new song in heaven in time to come. In this psalm, they sang a new song to the Creator. In heaven, we will be singing a new song to our Redeemer.

The words of God and the works of God are evidence of the power of God. Enthusiastic spirits are characteristic of those who love the Lord and praise and worship Him. God deserves our best, so in our praise, it is only right that we sing with skill as we testify to what is “right.” “Right” demands a message that is not deceitful but is truthful. That is a valid reason for the sacrifice of praise as the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. When praise was given for the Lord’s word, God’s moral attributes were listed. The Lord is upright and faithful. He is righteous and just, and His loving-kindness has been demonstrated and experienced. Praise for the Lord’s power in creation includes His sovereign design, thoughts, will, and actions that are always right for us to offer Him.

All of God’s works are right and done according to His sovereign plans and consistent with His character, both in creation and redemption. Evidence of His love and greatness is seen everywhere we look. It is common among those who do not know the Lord to discount God and demean His people, but God’s sovereign will is never thwarted. He sees all our motives and actions. He knows who trusts Him and wants to please Him. In creation, the order He created stood “firm,” and His plans for His people still stand “firm” also. Everything God does has a reason behind it and order to it. There is a purpose for every created thing and a purpose behind every divinely appointed event. It all demonstrates His “unfailing love” to all and for all.

Even the water on earth has God-appointed locations and boundaries. When those boundaries are crossed, it is evident that the Creator is trying to get people's attention.

There is a third section of this psalm in which praise of the counsel of the Lord is called for. His counsels are sure, wise, and right in contrast to the counsel of the heathen, which has no effect except as an exercise in futility. Everything about the Lord, including His words and His works, is reliable and can be trusted to be right without any reservation whatsoever on our part. He does not lie. He does not change, nor does He change His words and promises. He is never inconsistent because His intentions are unchanging. Creation remains the same because the Creator does. He does not add new animals or plants here and there on a whim. Men are trying to make changes through genetic engineering, but there are obvious negative consequences even when producing something that looks good and produces more. To men, what they do seems superior to what God did when He created all things by the word of His power.

The counsels of earthly leaders are ineffective because they do not consider God in their decisions, nor do they seek the will of God. “Blessed is the nation who God is the Lord” is not only true of Israel but of any nation. This nation started small and weak, dependent on God for survival, but has become great. However, we are now weakening as a nation because of inner corruption within ourselves. God is observing all things everywhere. He sees motives, actions, individuals, and results before the events. He is not limited to the size of an army. He is on the side of those who fear Him.

There is hope and confidence when men's plans are consistent with God's mind. Sadly, usually, the plans of men are in contrast with the counsels of God. He sees and carefully focuses His attention on that which is happening. He considers what He sees and understands the evil intentions of ungodly people. He also sees and knows the needs of His people. He understands perfectly why we do what we do and will judge accordingly. He alone can meet human needs. His counsel and His plans for us are completely trustworthy. Our hopes are not in military might but in God.