Commentary - Psalm 98:1-3

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 98 is a summons to global, celebratory worship. The reason for this worship is not a subjective feeling or a vague sense of spirituality, but rather the objective, historical, and mighty acts of God. Specifically, God has accomplished salvation by His own power, and He has done so publicly. This salvation, while rooted in His covenant promises to Israel, was always intended for a global audience. The psalm declares that God has unveiled His righteousness before the eyes of the nations, and as a result, the entire world has seen His saving work. This is a royal psalm, an enthronement psalm, celebrating the fact that Yahweh reigns, and His reign is a saving reign that extends to the ends of the earth.

In short, this is a missionary psalm. It commands a new song because God has done a new and wondrous thing. The ultimate fulfillment of this is found in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection are the ultimate "wondrous deeds," accomplished by God's own "right hand," and this salvation has been made known to the nations through the proclamation of the gospel. The psalm is therefore not just a historical reflection but a prophetic and optimistic vision of the victory of Christ's kingdom in the world.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 98 belongs to a collection of psalms (often identified as Psalms 93 and 95-100) known as the "enthronement psalms." The central theme of these psalms is the triumphant declaration, "Yahweh reigns!" They celebrate God not just as the God of Israel, but as the sovereign King over all creation, all nations, and all history. Psalm 98 follows directly on the heels of Psalm 97, which describes the awesome power of the Lord's reign, causing the earth to rejoice and idols to be put to shame. Psalm 98 picks up this theme of joy and provides the central reason for it: God's reign is a saving reign. It is a call to respond to the reality of His kingship with a "new song," a song that recognizes the new thing God has done in bringing His salvation to the forefront of world history.

Key Issues

Salvation Gone Viral

We are commanded here to sing a new song. Why a new one? Because the old ones, while glorious, were insufficient for this new occasion. The song of deliverance at the Red Sea was a magnificent song, but it was a song about one nation. The songs of David's victories were great, but they were about one king. The new thing that God has done requires a new anthem. The reason given is that "He has done wondrous deeds." The central wondrous deed that encompasses all others is the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the ultimate victory, won by God's own power.

And this victory was not a secret. God's salvation is not a private affair, whispered among a spiritual elite. God "made known" His salvation. He "revealed" His righteousness. He did it all "in the eyes of the nations." The cross was not hidden in a corner; it was a public spectacle. The resurrection was not a rumor; it was a publicly attested fact. The gospel is a public proclamation. God's plan was always for His salvation to go viral, to be seen and known by "all the ends of the earth." This psalm is a press release from the court of the heavenly King, announcing that His plan for global redemption is underway and its success is guaranteed.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Sing to Yahweh a new song, For He has done wondrous deeds, His right hand and His holy arm have worked out His salvation.

The psalm opens with an imperative, a command. Worship is not a suggestion for our consideration; it is a requirement. And the worship required is a new song. This is because God is a living God who acts in history. When God does something new and marvelous, the old songs, as good as they are, will not suffice. A new act of redemption demands a new anthem of praise. The ground of this song is objective fact: "For He has done wondrous deeds." Our singing is not based on our feelings, but on His actions. What are these deeds? The final clause tells us: He has worked out salvation. And how did He do it? By "His right hand and His holy arm." This is a classic Hebrew idiom for God's own personal, unilateral power. He did not need our help. He did not ask for our assistance. Salvation is not a joint project between God and man. God did it Himself, for Himself, by Himself. This is the doctrine of monergistic grace, set to music.

2 Yahweh has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the eyes of the nations.

This great salvation, won by God's own power, was not done in secret. God is not shy about His work. He has "made known" His salvation. The Hebrew word for "made known" has the sense of causing something to be known, to publish it. He has also "revealed" His righteousness. The word means to uncover, to lay bare. And where did He do this? "In the eyes of the nations." The Gentiles, the pagan world, were the intended audience for this revelation. God's righteousness here is not just His personal attribute of being just. It is His covenant justice, His power to set things right. The gospel is the revelation of this righteousness of God (Rom 1:17). When Christ was lifted up on the cross, God was putting His saving righteousness on public display for the entire world to see.

3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

So, does this global revelation to the nations mean that God has abandoned His promises to Israel? Absolutely not. The psalmist says the exact opposite. This very act is the proof that God has remembered His covenant. His lovingkindness (hesed) and His faithfulness (emunah) were promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The promise was that through Israel, all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen 12:3). The gospel going to the Gentiles is not God breaking His promise to Israel; it is the ultimate fulfillment of that promise. And the result is stated with prophetic certainty: "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." The psalmist uses a past tense verb, what we call a prophetic perfect. He speaks of this future, global event as though it has already happened, because in the counsel of God, it is an absolute certainty. This is not a hope for a few converts here and there. This is a vision of total, global victory for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Application

First, our worship must be grounded in the objective work of God. We do not sing because singing makes us feel good. We sing because God has acted. We sing because of the cross and the empty tomb. Our worship should be robust, theological, and celebratory, recounting the wondrous deeds of our God. If our worship is limp, it is likely because our grasp of what God has done is weak.

Second, we must have an unshakeable confidence in the gospel. The salvation described here was accomplished by God's arm alone. The same God who accomplished it is the one who makes it known and reveals it to the nations. Our task in evangelism is not to try to make salvation happen, but to announce the salvation that has already been accomplished. We are heralds of a victory that has already been won.

Finally, we must be a people with a global vision. We must be postmillennial in our prayers and in our outlook. God's intention, stated plainly here, is that "all the ends of the earth" will see His salvation. This is not a pipe dream; it is a blood-bought promise. Therefore, we should pray, give, and work with the confident expectation that the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ will advance in history, that the nations will be discipled, and that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will one day cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. This psalm is our marching order and our victory anthem.