Monday, November 11, 2019
Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness. Psalm 98:1-9
If you’re suffering through physical or
emotional pain from the middle of a great loss, it’s difficult to even
entertain the notion that rejoicing and singing a new song is possible. And if you’re a Christian believer, a
follower of Jesus Christ, the guilt of feeling that way becomes an additional
burden. What’s a sufferer to do?
New things are big things, aren’t they? Just in my lifetime the advent of computers,
man stepping on the surface of the moon, civil unrest leading to civil rights
(think Obama), communications jumping from a 5” screen to 90” (with color, no
less), and now a president who is at odds with everybody, and an oversight
committee blinded to anything that doesn’t lead to impeachment. Against that backdrop the Psalmist is telling
me to sing a new song, shout loud praises, and celebrate righteous
judgment with the whole creation.
There’s a word for that….WHAT?
I believe Israel’s prophets and Jesus’ apostles
might have wondered about that word. Consider
the circumstances of those who devoted themselves to God most excellently:
Old Testament prophets:
·
Joel and
Amos were clubbed to death with sticks
·
Micah was
executed by Israel’s King Joram
·
Habakkuk
was stoned to death
·
Ezekiel
and Zechariah were killed with swords
·
Isaiah was
put to death with a saw blade; they cut him in two.
New Testament apostles:
·
Peter and
Andrew were crucified
·
Matthias
was stabbed to death by a crowd
·
James the
less was clubbed and stoned
·
Paul was
beheaded
·
Only John
(of the original 12) died of natural causes, but only after he lived in exile
working in the coal mines of Patmos
In Scripture we are often reminded that
the “just” (those who trust Christ) live their lives in faith, not by what they
can see, hold, or spend. Singing a new
song, or rejoicing in what you can’t see, is seeing with God’s eyes. It is seeing through the pain and anguish
life sometimes brings, trusting in God’s ultimate goodness and purpose.
None of the patriarchs, prophets, or apostles
lived to see the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Come to think of it, neither have any of us.
Jeremiah preached from a pit. Paul spent his last years in prison. John breathed coal dust until he was 90. Isaiah watched as they brought the two man
saw across his belly. And countless
Christians huddled in a frightened chaos as Roman soldiers opened the gates
that meant the hungry lions were on the way.
Sing a new song? Yup; that’s
exactly what the Christians did when the lions were let loose…they went to
heaven with a song of praise on their lips.
Sometimes it’s hard to sing a new song; sing anyway.
