The Missionary Psalm: 2 of 4

For the LORD is great and is highly praised; He is feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.-Psalm 96:4-6

Last week we examined three commands from God found in verses 1-3. This week we are examining verses 4-6 and discovering three reasons why we should sing to the Lord, proclaim His salvation, and why we should declare His glory among the nations.

We should sing to the Lord because He is great and is highly praised. There is no other god in all the Nations as great as the God of Christianity. When we compare the God of Christianity to other god’s we notice a stark difference. For example, the followers of Islam live in fear of appeasing Allah, and never have assurance of salvation; in contrast, followers of Christianity honor and revere Jehovah and all those who have trusted in Christ are sealed by His Spirit, held in God’s hands and no one will pluck them out of His hands. The gods of Animism are ever-changing; in contrast, followers of Christianity understand that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He never changes. Hindus follow multiple gods and have to be reincarnated hundreds of times before reaching enlightenment; in contrast, followers of Christianity understand that God is the way, the truth, and the life no-one comes to the Father except through Jesus and to be absent from the body as a follower of Christ is to be present with the Lord.

We should proclaim the Lord’s salvation from day to day because all the gods of the people are idols. Idols are made by human hands; however, God has always existed and is truly autonomous. Idols have eyes but do not see; God’s eyes roam to-and fro over the whole Earth seeing all. Idols have hands that do not move; God’s hands knit us together in our mother’s womb. Idols have mouths but do not speak; God spoke the world into existence. All the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

We should declare God’s glory among the nations because to behold Him is to behold true splendor, majesty, strength, and beauty. God’s splendor refers to His magnificence, His brilliant or gorgeous appearance. We see a picture of God’s splendor in the Old Testament when Moses asked to see God’s face and God responds to Moses saying, “No-one can see my face and live.” God’s splendor is so magnificent that to behold it would kill us. God is majestic. His majesty refers to His kingship or His Lordship over the Earth. There is no-one like our God. God is strong. He spoke the world into existence and up-holds the world by His power. God is also beautiful. God puts His beauty on display in nature. God’s beauty is seen in the dazzling display of colors and designs put force in creation. God is worthy of worship from every tribe, language, tongue and nation.

In conclusion, why should we sing to the Lord, why should we proclaim His salvation, why should we declare His glory among the nations? The answer to these three questions is found in verses 4-6. We sing because He is great and is highly praised. We proclaim His salvation because the gods of the peoples are idols and we declare His glory among the nations because to behold God is to behold true splendor, majesty, strength, and beauty.