Saturday Psalm & Praise ~ Psalm 98

Before my children and I began singing hymns, I had never considered singing the psalms. (Obviously we don’t come from a background that teaches psalmody nor hymnody.) The only Psalm I’d heard sung was the 23rd – and snippets of others included in modern choruses.

Although I’d bought an old Psalter, mainly for educational purposes as we studied the Pilgrims and Puritans, we hadn’t seriously began learning them. When we went to a family camp 3 years ago we were introduced to congregational singing of the Psalms  – and their beauty. How anyone can say that psalm and hymn singing is dead and dreary is beyond me. (Well, obviously they’ve only encountered it in a “church” that is dead and dreary. The people are dead, not the hymns!)

The saints of God, with their voices raised in harmonious praise, singing the rich Psalms and Hymns, excellent music with depth, put the simple ditties we “grew up” on to shame. It isn’t just emotional-feelings stirring music, it is rich, deep complete soul enlivening and arresting music. It isn’t music you mindlessly sing, but music that engages both the mind and the heart, enabling you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

I find it quite telling that in contemporary worship, people are always seeking a newer song list. The songs that were sung 2 or 3 years ago are “old” and everyone is tired of them. It seems it is always time to move on, because, although the songs were fun while they lasted, there was nothing substantial to keep them surviving long term. They were nothing but a fad. They stirred emotions once, but no longer are having the same effect. They’ve become ho-hum. (I can say that having been in worship ministry for over 20 years.)

Yet, other songs have survived hundreds of years, and still touch the hearts, souls, lives of people in deep ways. These songs have survived, not 2 years, not 10, not 20, but many, many generations, 100’s of years and still have a message that honors God and reaches hearts in lasting ways. (Not all hymns of course. There’s been a good share of shallow, non-lasting “fluff” there too. They aren’t still around, just like much of today’s music won’t still be around in a hundred years.)

The Psalm I’d like to share with you today is one we first heard at that family camp. The whole family loved it. We came home and tried to find it. It took nearly 3 years, but a couple months ago I finally found the tune online.

This is the version of words we sang at camp (I believe), (they were altered a bit for the tune.)

1 O sing a new song to the Lord,
for wonders he hath done:
His right hand and his holy arm
him victory hath won.

2 The Lord God his salvation
hath caused to be known;
His justice in the heathen’s sight
he openly hath shown.

3 He mindful of his grace and truth
to Isr’el’s house hath been;
And the salvation of our God
all ends of th’ earth have seen.

4 Let all the earth unto the Lord
send forth a joyful noise;
Lift up your voice aloud to him,
sing praises, and rejoice.

5 With harp, with harp, and voice of psalms,
unto Jehovah sing:
6 With trumpets, cornets, gladly sound
before the Lord the King.

7 Let seas and all their fullness roar;
the world, and dwellers there;
8 Let floods clap hands, and let the hills
together joy declare

9 Before the Lord; because he comes,
to judge the earth comes he:
He’ll judge the world with righteousness,
his folk with equity.

SDG,
Lisa