Advent will be starting in just a couple of weeks, ushering in the Christmas season, and Christmas four short weeks after. Stores have already begun the Christmas shopping season, and even a few radio stations have already begun playing Christmas songs. Our psalm for this week forms the basis and background for one very popular Christmas Carol - Joy to the World. Let’s take a quick look at this psalm which led to a very popular Christmas carol.
The human author of Psalm 98 is unknown, while the author of the hymn “Joy to the World” was the 17th/18th century English minister, Isaac Watts. He did not write his hymn to be a Christmas carol, as neither the hymn, nor the psalm refer at all to the virgin birth of Jesus. Both speak of His Second Coming. It wasn’t until the 19th century when it began to be sung at Christmas, and only in the 20th century did it become as massively popular a Christmas carol as we know it today.
Psalm 98 is a psalm of praise to God, as it calls for all of creation to rejoice in God’s marvelous works, in His salvation, and in His coming judgment. The psalm begins with a call to sing a new song to God (vs. 1). Our praise to the Lord for His mighty acts should be fresh every day. Every day we should give God new praise for His salvation. That salvation was accomplished by God’s own power, His holy arm, not by any human effort (Isaiah 59:16). Our gratitude to God should never grow stale.
That salvation which God bought for us with the Blood of His Son Jesus, is public and universal (vs. 2-3). Salvation is not hidden. It is revealed openly through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Though His covenant faithfulness to Israel was fulfilled in Jesus, it is extended to “all the ends of the earth”. Salvation is for all nations, not just a select few.
The psalmist calls upon everyone, everywhere to sing forth praise to God (vs. 4-6). He calls for a whole orchestra to break out in musical song to Him. Not only should we be singing our praise to God today and every day, this also anticipates the millennial reign of Jesus, when all nations will openly worship Him (Zechariah 14:16).
Even nature itself is pictured as rejoicing at God’s reign (vs. 7-8). St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that all of creation groans now, but will rejoice when Jesus returns and restores all things (Romans 8:19-22). When Adam and Eve fell, all of creation suffered as well. Nature now started to bring forth thorns, thistles, and poisonous plants. Animals, which previously all got along with each other, now became predator and prey. Natural disasters in weather and through the actual earth began to happen. Creation is waiting for the day it will be set free from death and decay from its bondage to corruption. Creation is waiting with us for Jesus’ return. The curse will be lifted when Jesus Christ restores all things (Revelation 21:1-5).
Our psalm closes with its final verse, pointing to Christ’s second coming (vs. 9). The Lord Jesus will return as the righteous Judge and King (Revelation 19:11-16). When He returns, He will bring God’s judgment to the earth. His judgment is not arbitrary, but is righteous and equitable. Unlike human justice which is often partial or corrupt, the judgment Jesus brings is done in truth. As believers, we can rejoice in God’s coming judgment because it means vindication for all we have suffered at the hands of unbelievers. It also means justice will be brought against those who hate the Lord and His people, along with the establishment of His kingdom.
We now close our look at Psalm 98, a psalm that was used for the basis of a beautiful hymn, which was later used as a popular Christmas carol, when in actuality it is not referring to Jesus’ first coming as a baby in Bethlehem, but rather His second coming as King and Judge. We see that Psalm 98 spans redemptive history, spanning the past with our salvation purchased on the cross, the present with our daily worship, and the future with the Lord’s coming judgment. Let’s remember to bring our praises to the Lord fresh and new every day, as we live in hope and holiness, anticipating Jesus’ return.
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