Worship The King!
Picture this in your mind. David has captured the city of the Jubusites and renamed Jerusalem. He now brings the Tabernacle (God’s visible presence) to Israel’s new capital city, so that Jerusalem can be the political and religious cantre of Israel. It is a time of rejoicing for David and the people (1 Chron 16:23-33). When the tabernacle is being moved there is a call to the people to worship their God. This call to worship is Psalm 96.
The psalm can be divided into three parts: A Call to Believers to Praise the Lord (1-6), A Call to the World to Praise the Lord (7-10), and A Call to Creation to Welcome the Lord (11-13).
The psalmist begins by calling believers to sing a new song; a song that expresses the continued daily blessings of the Lord to His people (1). The song is “new” because everyday brings new blessings from the Lord. Believers are exhorted to proclaim the salvation and glory of YHWH to all unbelievers (2-3). Why should the people of God praise Him. Verses 4-6, tell us that God is He is surrounded by splendour and beauty, and the gods of the pagans are “nothings” before Him.
The peoples of the world are then called to glorify God above all and (6-8). They should be prepared to worship Him rightly and tremble before His power and holiness (9). Brethren, God is sovereign over all the earth. He is coming to judge the world in righteousness (10).
The last section (11-13) is a call for all of creation to rejoice because the King is coming. The curse will be replaced by divine blessing and the King will rule in perfect justice.