531_Sing of God’s salvation

Psalm 98 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we read of Paul and Silas imprisoned in Philippi after a savage beating. They had much reason to be dejected. Yet Scripture tells us that “about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Amidst earthly suffering, their hearts were in heaven and the song of heaven in their mouths. That night, an earthquake destroyed the prison and removed their chains. Even more, the jailer and his household believed on the Lord Jesus Christ that night. This is the kind of new song that this psalm speaks about. Such a song flows from hearts that know the salvation of God, and reaches the ears of those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.

The psalm speaks to God’s people, the nations, and to all of earth, to sing of what the Lord has done. It opens: “Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” (v. 1). This is not just a call for a catchy tune or a fresh melody; it is a call for worship that springs out of a heart that has tasted the goodness and salvation of God.

The “new song” idea appears in many places in Scripture—Psalm 33:3, Psalm 40:3, Isaiah 42:10, Revelation 5:9, and others. Each time, it reminds us that worship must be alive, not stale. We don’t worship God merely by repeating words without thought. Every encounter with His grace gives us another reason to sing. Salvation is never a dull story.

The Lord’s salvation is both deeply personal and cosmic in its scope. God’s people knew His salvation firsthand—He had remembered His steadfast love and faithfulness to Israel (v. 3). But this salvation was never meant to remain hidden in a corner. “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (v. 3). God’s marvelous acts are on display for the whole world.

Scripture reveals the threefold nature of the salvation of God. God’s work of salvation has three stages. Christ promises that we pass from death to life when we turn from our own way to faith in him. Such faith is simply submitting to him, the Son of God, who brings us God’s own message – “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” For Christ made atonement for us on the cross, and there is no condemnation for those in him, as Romans 8:1 declares. They are justified – declared righteous – for their sins have been forgiven and they are acquitted as innocent.

But the cross and resurrection of our Lord also brings us deliverance from the power of sin, as Romans 6 teaches us. One with him in his death, we are also to be one with him in newness of life. 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes how we are being changed into Christ’s image with ever-increasing glory. This is sanctification, the reshaping of our character into his image.

And one glorious day, we will be with our Lord, free from the presence of sin. 1 Corinthians 15:52–53 points us to that future hope when, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be clothed with immortality. That is glorification, the final chapter of God’s salvation story.

No one but the Lord could accomplish such a marvelous salvation. This is why the psalm calls: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” (v. 4). With loud and joyful music from human voices and triumphant instruments, the earth and its people are called to praise the Lord.

Today, much music is used to drag the mind and soul down rather than lift it up towards God. This gives new urgency to the psalmist’s call: Use music for its true purpose. Let every instrument, every melody, every voice, be used to direct our thoughts to what is good, lovely, pure, honest, of good repute – to whatever is of God the King!

The language of psalm becomes even more poetic: “Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord” (vv. 7–9). Indeed, creation is not a silent bystander—it is groaning now under the weight of sin, but it eagerly awaits redemption. Romans 8 echoes this revelation, declaring the longing of creation for its liberation when the sons of God are finally revealed.

Isaiah 35:1–2 gives us a glimpse of that day of redemption: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.” God’s salvation is about the renewal of all creation. And at the heart of that new creation, that triumphant peal of joy, is divine justice and righteousness.

Verse 9 declares, “For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” In God’s hands, judgment is good news. In a world where human injustice rankles deeply, where evil roams seemingly unchecked, the heart gains strength to persevere from the oft-repeated promise that he will set all things right in his time. Malachi 4:2–3 says, “For you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” That is a picture of joy, freedom, and restoration. For those in Christ, the day of judgment is not a dreadful day, but a much-anticipated day of gladness.

Now when all of creation prepares to sing, when God’s marvelous salvation has been revealed, how joyfully we should raise our voices to worship him with a new song! For this is the natural response of a grateful heart to its redemption. This is not just about Sunday singing. Rather, let our daily lives of contentment and reverence proclaim the goodness and majesty of God. Let our neighbors and colleagues listen to the song of salvation that our lives peal forth. For we have the greatest news of all – that Christ has brought us the salvation of God, and one day he will come again to restore all things.

As we eagerly look forward to the day when the whole earth will be filled with His praise, let us sing with our hearts. Let us make melody to the Lord at home, at church, in our communities. Let us join the eternal chorus of praise. For it is a good thing, it is the right thing, and it is a joyful thing, to sing forever of the salvation of our God. God bless.