Psalm 96 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 96 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Verse 2Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Verse 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
Verse 4For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
Verse 5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Verse 6Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Verse 7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Verse 8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Verse 9Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
Verse 10Say among the nations, "The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity."
Verse 11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
Verse 12let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
Verse 13before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
Devotion
“He will judge the world with righteousness.” (Psalm 96:13)
We don’t like the idea of God as judge, but the Bible and especially the season of Advent declares again and again that God will not only judge us but that the standard is God’s own righteousness. That should make us pause, reflect, and even tremble. And eventually we must move on to an even greater truth—that God’s judgement against us has been executed on the cross.
So, God is righteous and in the crazy logic of God’s love, so are we. In a miracle that ought to make us really tremble, God’s righteousness has actually been transferred to us in Christ. He takes from us our anxieties and guilt and gives us his peace and forgiveness. The judge is judged in our place!
Prayer
Righteous God, open the eyes of our faith so that we may dwell in the love you have given to us in Christ’s death on the cross. Amen.