Commentary - Psalm 92:1-4

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 92 is designated as a song for the Sabbath, which for the Christian is the Lord's Day. This is not a psalm for a day of grim obligation, but rather a day of glad celebration. The structure is straightforward: the psalmist begins by declaring that worship is a good and fitting thing (vv. 1-3) and then immediately gives the reason why (v. 4). The foundation of all true worship is the objective work of God in creation and redemption. Our gladness is not a feeling we work up from within; it is a response to what God has done outside of us. This psalm teaches us to ground our worship in the mighty acts of God, to give it a daily rhythm, and to offer it with skillful joy.

The movement is from the general declaration of the goodness of praise to the specific grounds for that praise. It is a call to a worship that is both thoughtful and joyful, structured and heartfelt. It is a pattern for how believers should orient their entire week, beginning with the feasting and gladness of the Lord's Day, fueled by the finished work of Christ.

Outline

Context In The Psalter

The superscription, "A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day," is unique in the Psalter. This sets it apart as a piece specifically intended for corporate worship on the day of rest. In the Old Covenant, this was the seventh day, looking back at the work of creation. For the New Covenant believer, the Sabbath is the first day of the week, the Lord's Day, which celebrates the new creation inaugurated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This psalm, therefore, is a foundational text for how Christians should approach the Lord's Day, not as a burden, but as a delight and a foretaste of the eternal rest to come.

Commentary on the Text

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

The psalm is given its liturgical setting right at the top. This is a song for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, and so this day is a gift. It is a day for feasting, not fasting. It is a day to cease from our regular labors in order to delight in the Lord and His works. In the New Covenant, we begin our week with this rest, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, and from that place of rest and worship, we go out to our six days of labor. This psalm provides the script for the central activity of that day of rest: joyful and thankful worship.

v. 1 It is good to give thanks to Yahweh And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

The psalmist begins with a foundational declaration: it is good to give thanks. This is not "good" in the sense of merely being pleasant, though it is that. It is good in the sense of being morally right, fitting, and beautiful. It is the creature doing what the creature was made to do. Ingratitude is ugly and perverse; gratitude is comely. The object of our thanks is Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God, the God who has drawn near and made promises. The object of our praise is the Most High, the transcendent sovereign, God over all. We worship the God who is both immanent and transcendent, our personal God and the King of the cosmos. Thanksgiving and praise are the bookends of a right response to who He is.

v. 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,

Worship has a rhythm; it is not a sporadic activity but the very pulse of a godly life. In the morning, we declare His lovingkindness. The Hebrew word is hesed, which means covenant loyalty, steadfast love, mercy. Every morning we wake to new mercies, to the fresh declaration that God's covenant love for us in Christ has not wavered. And at the end of the day, we declare His faithfulness. The word is emunah, from which we get our "amen." It means His stability, His reliability, His truthfulness. We look back over the day, with all its troubles and triumphs, and we affirm that God was faithful through it all. This daily discipline frames our existence, reminding us that our lives are lived entirely within the atmosphere of God's covenant love and faithfulness.

v. 3 With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, With resounding music upon the lyre.

This worship is not a silent, internal affair. It is audible, musical, and skillful. The psalmist lists three kinds of stringed instruments. This is not minimalist worship. This is robust, full-bodied, loud praise. God is not honored by half-hearted, amateurish offerings when we are capable of more. He desires skillful music, played with joy and excellence. The New Testament carries this forward, telling us to make melody, a word which means to pluck a string. Our worship should be rich and full, employing the best of our artistic abilities to the glory of God. A rich interior life of faith should not result in a poverty-stricken musical expression.

v. 4 For You, O Yahweh, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

Here is the foundation for everything that has come before. The "For" at the beginning of the verse is crucial. Why is it good to give thanks? Why do we sing morning and night? Why do we get out the instruments? Because of what God has done. Our gladness is not a subjective mood we have to manufacture. It is an objective reality, grounded in the works of God. God has acted, and that action produces gladness in us. What are these works? They are the works of creation, the sun that rises, the world He has made. But supremely, they are the works of redemption. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. The ultimate work of His hands was the cross, where He defeated sin and death. The ultimate thing He has done is raise Jesus from the dead. Our joy is a response to His mighty acts in history. We are not glad in a vacuum; we are made glad by Him. We do not just sing; we sing for joy at the works of His hands.

Application

This psalm is a direct charge to Christians about how to view and use the Lord's Day. It is to be a day of gladness, centered on the worship of God. We are not to treat it as a day of legalistic box-checking, but as a feast. Our worship on this day, and every day, should be structured by the rhythm of morning gratitude for God's love and evening reflection on His faithfulness.

Furthermore, our worship must be grounded. It is not based on our feelings, but on the facts of what God has done. When you come to worship and you do not "feel" glad, the answer is not to look inside yourself. The answer is to look outside yourself to the works of God's hands. Look to creation. Look to the cross. Look to the empty tomb. God has acted, and His actions are the unshakeable foundation of our joy. Let your gladness be a response to His mighty works, and let that gladness be expressed with the best of your skill, whether with your voice or with an instrument, to the glory of God the Most High.