WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:18.500 God, we come from various walks of life, different seasons, but as your people, no matter where 00:00:18.500 --> 00:00:25.320 we are, we all want to be characterized by joy because of your salvation. 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:38.480 And so we ask, God, that you would grant us joy, exceeding joy that transcends our circumstances. 00:00:40.859 --> 00:00:46.039 And we pray that you would inspire that kind of joy as we hear from your word, as we speak 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:47.200 to us from Psalm 98. 00:00:48.460 --> 00:00:50.480 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 00:00:50.480 --> 00:00:50.579 Amen. 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:53.880 Psalm 98. 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:59.939 It's a little superscription that says a psalm. 00:01:00.780 --> 00:01:02.060 I'll read it out loud for us. 00:01:04.060 --> 00:01:09.420 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:14.460 His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 00:01:15.460 --> 00:01:17.359 The Lord has made known his salvation. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:20.439 He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 00:01:21.039 --> 00:01:25.019 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. 00:01:25.319 --> 00:01:29.779 All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 00:01:29.780 --> 00:01:34.000 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. 00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:37.599 Break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:40.859 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre. 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:43.320 With the lyre and the sound of melody. 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:45.700 With trumpets and the sound of the horn. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:48.439 Make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:51.179 Let the sea roar and all that fills it. 00:01:51.179 --> 00:01:53.159 The world and those who dwell in it. 00:01:53.399 --> 00:01:55.019 Let the rivers clap their hands. 00:01:55.340 --> 00:01:57.500 Let the hills sing for joy together. 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:01.060 Before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. 00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:06.519 He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:12.359 The year was 1719. 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:24.400 There was a man in England who lamented the dullness and the listlessness of the corporate worship of Christians during his time. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:25.819 And he said this. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:26.099 He said, 00:02:26.099 --> 00:02:45.680 And one day he was reading Psalm 98. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:48.599 And he was gripped by verse 4. 00:02:49.300 --> 00:02:51.640 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. 00:02:51.920 --> 00:02:54.780 Break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 00:02:55.379 --> 00:02:59.420 And he wanted Christian worship to be characterized by that kind of joy. 00:03:00.819 --> 00:03:04.000 And so he set out to write fresh songs of worship. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:08.200 New lyrics that would inspire such joyous singing. 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:10.280 And he wrote these words. 00:03:10.900 --> 00:03:12.960 Joy to the world, the Lord is come. 00:03:13.300 --> 00:03:14.520 Let earth receive her King. 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:20.420 The famous first line of the most published Christmas hymn in North America, Joy to the World. 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:23.000 And written by Isaac Watts. 00:03:23.660 --> 00:03:26.040 And it was inspired by this psalm, Psalm 98. 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:31.860 And the psalm teaches us that we should make a joyful noise at the coming of Christ the King. 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:38.060 And so it's a very similar psalm to 96, which we covered two weeks ago. 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:41.379 And it begins with the exact same exhortation, which is, 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:43.100 Oh, sing to the Lord a new psalm. 00:03:43.099 --> 00:03:49.699 And we talked about that a couple weeks ago, that it doesn't mean to sing a brand new song every time we sing it. 00:03:49.699 --> 00:03:49.839 Right? 00:03:50.259 --> 00:03:57.099 It's more that we ought to sing from a fresh, live, kind of present experience of God's grace in our lives. 00:03:57.099 --> 00:04:02.099 So that our worship is not just this ritualistic thing that you repeat and regurgitate without thinking about it. 00:04:02.099 --> 00:04:03.599 It's not stagnant, but it's live. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:10.659 And Ronald Allen, who is a Christian author and a seminary professor, writes in his book about worship, 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.519 that when a non-singer becomes a Christian, he or she becomes a singer. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:23.300 Not all are blessed with a finely tuned ear and a well-modulated voice, so the sound may not be superb. 00:04:23.939 --> 00:04:25.620 It may even be out of tune and off key. 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:28.319 Remember, worship is a state of heart. 00:04:28.900 --> 00:04:30.699 Musical sound is a state of art. 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:32.420 Let's not confuse them. 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:37.740 And so not all Christians might compose worship songs, right? 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:42.900 But as this psalm commences, every Christian should sing to the Lord a new song. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:49.800 A song that stems from their heart, from their fresh experience of the grace of God, the saving grace of God in their lives. 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:53.840 And the reason is given, verses 1 to 3, why we should sing this new song. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:56.679 Four, he has done marvelous things. 00:04:56.779 --> 00:04:59.619 His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:01.819 The Lord has made known his salvation. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:04.560 He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 00:05:04.979 --> 00:05:08.399 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:11.719 All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 00:05:12.239 --> 00:05:18.500 The language that's used here, right, of God's right hand and arm working salvation are anthropomorphisms, 00:05:18.500 --> 00:05:26.360 describing God metaphorically in human terms, because obviously God does not have physical, literal hands and arms, 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:29.319 because God is spirit, as John 4, 24 says. 00:05:30.019 --> 00:05:36.860 But metaphorically speaking, I mean, he has the right hand, his arms, right? 00:05:37.100 --> 00:05:39.720 He's got the biggest biceps in the world, so to speak, right? 00:05:40.300 --> 00:05:41.680 It's metaphorically speaking. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:46.620 And these images are used prominently in the Song of Moses in Exodus 15, 00:05:46.699 --> 00:05:50.519 after the deliverance of Israelites from out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:56.019 These expressions are used, his right hand, arm, the strength and power belong to God. 00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:06.840 And in verse 2, the clause the Lord has made known his salvation is parallel to the clause that he has revealed his righteousness. 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:09.759 So make known salvation, reveal righteousness. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:12.620 Those righteousness and salvation are conceptually related. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:19.819 And because God's salvation comes from the establishment of God's righteous reign. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:25.980 When God reigns and his righteousness is established, that's when salvation comes to his people, right? 00:06:26.039 --> 00:06:30.399 And so God overthrows the oppressors and he inaugurates his kingdom. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:33.480 God delivers his people and rules over them with righteousness. 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:40.220 And the reason why God has done this is because he has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. 00:06:40.860 --> 00:06:43.819 And that doesn't mean that he had previously forgotten his steadfast love. 00:06:44.140 --> 00:06:48.520 It just means that he has acted on the basis of his steadfast love and faithfulness at this time. 00:06:49.060 --> 00:06:51.220 He has remembered them and has come through for them. 00:06:51.939 --> 00:06:57.319 And the steadfast love and faithfulness are two attributes that are most commonly attributed to God throughout Scripture. 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:05.019 God was revealed in Exodus 34, 5-7 as abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:12.800 And steadfast love refers to the loving kindness of God, refers to the unmerited favor that he bestows on his people, 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.180 the unchanging commitment he has toward his people. 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:21.220 And then the word faithfulness refers to God's stability, his reliability, his firmness of character, 00:07:21.300 --> 00:07:24.459 that he always acts in a manner that's consistent with who he is, his character. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:27.840 And so he is stable, firm, and unchanging. 00:07:28.259 --> 00:07:29.800 He's faithful and true. 00:07:30.660 --> 00:07:34.439 And by acting in a manner that's consistent with his character, God has worked salvation. 00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:38.480 And this salvation doesn't merely benefit the house of Israel, which is mentioned here, 00:07:38.540 --> 00:07:42.680 but also leads to the revelation of God's righteousness in the sight of the nations, it says. 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:46.980 And all the ends of the earth seeing the salvation of our God. 00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:51.340 And because the whole earth, not just Israel, sees God's salvation, 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:55.400 verse 4 commands all the earth to make a joyful noise to the Lord 00:07:55.400 --> 00:07:58.920 and to break forth into joyous songs and sing praises. 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:03.120 And after he exhorts all the peoples to make a joyful noise to God, 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:07.019 the psalmist exhorts all creation to make a joyful noise to God in verses 7-9. 00:08:07.660 --> 00:08:11.579 Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the world and those who dwell in it. 00:08:11.579 --> 00:08:13.219 Let the rivers clap their hands. 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:16.139 Let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord. 00:08:16.139 --> 00:08:19.159 For he comes to judge the earth, he will judge the world with righteousness 00:08:19.159 --> 00:08:20.500 and the peoples with equity. 00:08:21.339 --> 00:08:22.579 It's a really great image, right? 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:27.180 It's like not only the inhabitants of the world, but also the world itself, 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:32.139 the environment itself, will make a joyful noise to God in worship. 00:08:32.139 --> 00:08:37.759 So the sea roars, hills sing, rivers clap their hands. 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:42.799 It's the choir of creation joining the worship of God's congregation. 00:08:43.860 --> 00:08:53.779 And we often like to think that it's better for us. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:55.179 We often resist God's rule. 00:08:55.179 --> 00:09:00.500 There's kind of a widespread kind of suspicion of authority in our generation. 00:09:01.219 --> 00:09:03.639 People don't like the idea of judgment. 00:09:03.899 --> 00:09:06.979 People don't like the idea of submitting to someone else's, 00:09:07.079 --> 00:09:08.359 someone who is in authority. 00:09:09.599 --> 00:09:14.239 And so we kind of question verse 9 when it says, 00:09:14.439 --> 00:09:17.579 God judges the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness, 00:09:17.819 --> 00:09:23.779 and that this is supposed to lead to joy because we're allergic to the idea of judgment, right? 00:09:23.779 --> 00:09:27.759 But it's kind of like we're being like children, right, who refuse to, 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:30.899 I don't know, I can think of so many examples, 00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:37.839 children who refuse to wear a jacket to go out into freezing weather, right, 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:43.459 or children that insist on having ice cream for breakfast and lunch and dinner, right, 00:09:43.539 --> 00:09:50.079 or children who just flail their arms and refuse to take the medicine 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:53.600 when they're, you know, sick and needed. 00:09:53.720 --> 00:09:56.200 It's like they don't know what's best for them, right? 00:09:56.740 --> 00:09:58.680 And we're kind of like that sometimes, right? 00:09:58.680 --> 00:10:01.520 We resist God's judgments, resist his rule and think, 00:10:01.620 --> 00:10:03.420 no, it would be better if I had it my own way. 00:10:04.040 --> 00:10:07.680 But the judgment of God, because he's righteous and because he's equitable, 00:10:07.780 --> 00:10:09.560 as it says in verse 9, right, 00:10:09.680 --> 00:10:13.139 when we submit to it, it brings joy, right? 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:15.259 And we're going to be able to make joyful noise to him. 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:18.220 And that's what this hope is about, 00:10:18.299 --> 00:10:21.319 is that when God's reign is fully established on this earth, 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:23.840 that all injustices will be made right, 00:10:24.019 --> 00:10:25.720 all oppressions will cease, 00:10:25.899 --> 00:10:28.840 and there will be a joyful celebration of God's rule, right? 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.460 But when will that day finally come, as Psalm 98 says? 00:10:33.100 --> 00:10:35.039 When will God come to judge the earth? 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:38.799 And this psalm, like all of Scripture, is fulfilled by Jesus. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:43.179 And the salvation that God's people has experienced throughout the ages 00:10:43.179 --> 00:10:45.399 culminates in the salvation that comes through Jesus, 00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:49.059 who dies on the cross for our sins and is resurrected 00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:51.659 and ascends to the Father's right hand. 00:10:52.199 --> 00:10:54.979 And that's why the Gospel of Luke, which we've been studying on Sundays, 00:10:55.959 --> 00:10:59.459 mentions, associates the word salvation repeatedly with Jesus' birth. 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:01.679 And then the divine attributes of God, 00:11:01.899 --> 00:11:03.639 steadfast love and faithfulness, 00:11:03.779 --> 00:11:07.559 which when it's rendered in Greek becomes grace and truth, 00:11:07.559 --> 00:11:09.399 are attributed to Jesus, right? 00:11:09.859 --> 00:11:13.199 John 1.14 says Jesus is full of grace and truth. 00:11:13.619 --> 00:11:16.019 So he's the one who demonstrates the steadfast love of God 00:11:16.019 --> 00:11:18.399 by coming and demonstrating his unmerited favor, 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:21.859 by coming to a disobedient, disloyal people to save them. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:24.500 He's also the one who demonstrates God's faithfulness to his character 00:11:24.500 --> 00:11:27.899 by displaying God's righteousness in punishing sin, 00:11:28.419 --> 00:11:30.739 and in Jesus bearing the penalty of our sin. 00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:34.899 And that's the beginning of God's salvation. 00:11:35.239 --> 00:11:37.500 It's not the consummation of it, right? 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:41.419 Because the consummation will come when Jesus returns for the second time. 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:47.179 In the second coming, this righteousness, this equity, 00:11:47.599 --> 00:11:52.619 his rule and the fullness of joy will come at his second coming. 00:11:53.099 --> 00:11:55.699 But it has already been inaugurated, has been started. 00:11:55.859 --> 00:11:57.579 It's been initiated in his first coming. 00:11:58.299 --> 00:12:02.219 And so it's appropriate to sing of it at Christmas time as well. 00:12:03.040 --> 00:12:07.139 So if we rightly understand that that's what God has done for us in Jesus, 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:09.060 that would make us joyful, right? 00:12:09.500 --> 00:12:12.759 And so the question I want to ask is, is your life characterized by joy? 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:18.580 If not, then let's let this Christmas season serve as a reminder for us 00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:22.580 that God may restore the joy of salvation in us 00:12:22.580 --> 00:12:25.960 so that we can make a joyful noise at the coming of Christ the King. 00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:28.080 And I think it's important.