Sing to the Lord a New Song!

Posted on by Japanese Congregational Church

Psalm 98:1-9

1 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 his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn– shout for joy before the LORD, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Sing to the Lord a New Song!

Last November we looked together at Psalm 146 and considered the question “Is Now a Good Time to Praise?” Then again, in May, we looked together at Psalm 30 and asked ourselves “How can we be joyful and dance when the world around us seems in such crisis?!” Today, we look together at Psalm 98, which is also a song of great joy.

What kind of mood does this Psalmist have? The imagery is incredibly joyful:

  • shout for joy!
  • shout with a loud voice
  • sing with joy
  • sing songs of praise
  • with the harp and flute
  • the sea, and all that is in it!
  • the earth , and all
  • rivers, clap your hands!
  • mountains, sing for joy

But what if I don’t feel thankful today? What if I don’t feel like singing?

What if God seems far away today?  What if my life is filled with sorrow? What if I lost all my family in last year’s tsunami or fire, along with my job and home? Even if I understand the importance and power of praising God, how can I really do that in a NEW way each day???

Psalm 98 gives us a couple of powerful lessons and hints for answering these very real and important questions:

1. Remembering what God has done for us in the PAST gives us reason to praise Him today.

1 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 his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

For the Psalmist, it’s clear that remembering God’s work on Israel’s behalf in the past is key here: leading Israel out of Egypt and into a promised land; remembering how the law was given through Moses; remembering all the miracles along the way, throughout 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

For Christians, it may be recalling the cross, resurrection, and Jesus’ promise to ALWAYS be with us.

And of course most powerful of all might be a recollection of our own personal experiences of how God has worked on our behalf – last year, last week, or earlier today! Remembering the past is an important part of our praise today.

2. Believing in the promises of what God will do for us in the FUTURE, gives us reason to praise Him today.

9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Judgment may seem frightening, but to the righteous person, it is a thing of great HOPE. Finally, this crooked, unjust, unequal, unfair world will be put right. God will finally make things correct. Slaves, untouchables, those who are persecuted, weak, politically left out, who have no voice – all of these people will look forward to a day of judgment. For them, it represents a good thing!

Many other biblical passages point to our hope for the future as well. Two favorites:

Jer. 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord”

Rev. 21:4-5

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Considering all of God’s promises for our future gives us reason to praise God today! God, help us to remember the past, and hope for the future, as we live our lives in praise today!

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on June 29, 2025.)