Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred forty-five of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Today, we are setting out on a trek that expands our horizon from the borders of Israel to the very ends of the earth. We are exploring Psalm Ninety-six, covering the entire hymn, verses one through thirteen, in the New Living Translation.

In our previous trek through Psalm Ninety-five, we stood in the holy assembly of Israel. We heard the invitation to bow before our Maker, but we also heard the stern warning from the Shepherd-King: "Don’t harden your hearts." That psalm ended with a somber reminder of the wilderness generation who failed to enter God's rest because they refused to listen to His voice. It was a call to the insider to stay faithful.

Psalm Ninety-six flings the doors of the temple wide open. It turns away from the failure of the past and looks forward to a glorious future where all nations—not just Israel—are invited to worship Yahweh. It is a missionary anthem. It is a coronation hymn. It declares that the God of Israel is not a tribal deity, but the rightful King of the Cosmos who is reclaiming the nations from the lesser spiritual beings that have held them in bondage.

So, let us lift our voices and join the global chorus, declaring that the Lord reigns!

Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!  Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.  Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

The psalm opens with an explosion of joy and a threefold command: "Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name."

Why a "new song"? In the Psalms, a new song is often required because God has done a new thing. The old songs were about the Exodus from Egypt, about God delivering one nation from another. But this new song is about something far greater. It is about God delivering all nations. The scope has shifted from the local to the universal. The invitation is no longer just for the children of Jacob; it is for "the whole earth."

The instruction is specific: "Each day proclaim the good news that he saves."

This phrase, "proclaim the good news," is the Hebrew verb basar. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word is euangelizo—the root of our word "Evangelism" or "Gospel." The psalmist is telling us to evangelize the world! We are to announce, daily, that Yahweh is the source of salvation (yeshû‘â). This salvation is not just a private spiritual safety; it is a cosmic victory over the forces of evil.

The mission is clear: "Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does."

We are to be the heralds, the town criers of the Kingdom. We are not keeping this wisdom a secret. We are publishing it. The "glorious deeds" are the proofs of His Kingship. In the Ancient Near East, a king's glory was defined by his military victories and his ability to provide order. We are telling the nations—who are currently serving other masters—that the true High King has arrived, and His resume of "amazing things" proves He is worthy of their allegiance.

Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.  The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens!  Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

Now, the psalmist explains why this message must go to the nations. He enters into a direct theological confrontation with the spiritual powers of the world: "Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods."

Here, we must apply our Ancient Israelite worldview lenses again. When the text says God is to be feared above all "gods" (elohim), it is not merely using a figure of speech. It is acknowledging the reality of the spiritual hierarchy.

Since the Tower of Babel (Deuteronomy Thirty-two: eight), the nations were placed under the administration of lesser spiritual beings, the "sons of God." But these beings rebelled; they became corrupt and demanded worship for themselves (as we saw in Psalm Eighty-two). The nations are currently in spiritual bondage to these rebel entities.

The psalmist is declaring that Yahweh is "feared above" them. He is the Supreme Authority.

Verse five contains a powerful pun in the Hebrew: "The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens!"

The Hebrew word for "gods" is elohim. The Hebrew word translated as "idols" is elilim. It sounds similar, but elilim means "worthless things," "weak things," or literally, "nothings."

The psalmist is saying: "The elohim of the nations are actually elilim!" They are spiritual zeros compared to Yahweh. Why? Because "the Lord made the heavens!"

This is the distinguishing mark of the True God: Creation. The gods of the nations are created beings; they are part of the furniture of the universe. Yahweh is the Architect and Builder of the house. Because He is the Creator, He has the right to reclaim the nations from the usurpers.

The atmosphere of His true throne room is described in verse six: "Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary."

The rebel gods offer chaos and fear. Yahweh offers "strength and beauty." This combination is vital. Strength without beauty is tyranny; beauty without strength is sentimentality. God possesses absolute power (oz) and absolute splendor (tiphereth). His sanctuary is not just a place of religious ritual; it is the command center of a beautiful, orderly universe.

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.  Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts.  Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.

Having established Yahweh’s supremacy over the rebel gods, the psalmist now issues a direct summons to the people living under those gods: "O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong."

The phrase "nations of the world" is literally "families of the peoples" (mishpachot ammim). This harkens back to the promise given to Abraham in Genesis Twelve: "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

This is a call for the reunification of the human family. The nations that were scattered at Babel and disinherited are now being called home. They are told to "recognize" (literally, "ascribe" or "give") glory and strength to Yahweh. They are being asked to switch their allegiance. They must stop giving credit to their local, territorial spirits and acknowledge the One True Source of power.

The invitation is liturgical: "Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts."

In the ancient world, you only brought tribute to your suzerain, your king. Bringing an "offering" (minchah) into Yahweh's courts was an act of political and spiritual submission. It meant, "I belong to You now."

The psalmist invites the Gentiles into the very courts of the Temple—a radical concept! He envisions a day when the barriers are removed, and the nations stream to Zion to worship.

The proper response to this invitation is "trembling" (chîl—to writhe or shake). This is not the trembling of a victim before a predator, but the trembling of a creature realizing it stands before the Infinite Creator. It is the awe of realizing that the gods we used to fear are nothing compared to Him.

Tell all the nations, "The Lord reigns!" The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly.  Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!  Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy  before the Lord, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.

The psalm moves to its climax with the core message we are to carry to the world: "Tell all the nations, 'The Lord reigns!'"

This is the gospel of the Old Testament. Yahweh Malak—The Lord is King. Because He reigns, the cosmic order is secured: "The world stands firm and cannot be shaken." Just as we saw in Psalm Ninety-three, God’s Kingship is the only thing that prevents the universe from dissolving into chaos.

And the hallmark of His reign is justice: "He will judge all peoples fairly."

For the nations who have lived under the corrupt rule of the rebel gods (as described in Psalm Eighty-two, where those gods judged unjustly), this is the best news imaginable. The new King is not a tyrant; He is fair. He brings equity (meysharim). He fixes what is broken.

The reaction to this news is so overwhelming that human voices are not enough. The psalmist calls on the creation itself to join the choir: "Let the heavens be glad... earth rejoice... sea shout... fields burst out... trees sing."

We see a total personification of nature. The "sea," which was once a symbol of chaos and rebellion, is now shouting praise. The "fields" and the "trees" represent the restoration of Edenic abundance.

Why is nature so happy? Because, as Romans Eight tells us, creation has been groaning under the curse, waiting for liberation. When the True King returns, the curse is lifted. The land itself knows its Master.

The reason for this universal joy is repeated for emphasis: "before the Lord, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth."

In our modern thinking, we often fear the idea of "judgment." But in the Psalms, judgment is something to celebrate. It means putting things right. It means the end of oppression, the end of corruption, and the restoration of truth.

God’s Truth (’ĕmûnâ—faithfulness) is the standard. He will be faithful to His promises to Abraham to bless the nations. He will be faithful to His creation to liberate it from decay. He will be faithful to His own character.

Psalm Ninety-six leaves us with a mandate and a melody.

The mandate is to be Kingdom Heralds. We live in a world that is still confused about who is in charge. People fear political powers, economic forces, and spiritual darkness. Our job is to go into the "families of the peoples" and announce, "Your gods are weak nothings. The Creator is the King. He is coming to set things right."

The melody is the New Song. It is a song that isn't just about my personal comfort, but about cosmic restoration. It is a song that harmonizes with the trees and the oceans. It is the song of a world being reclaimed by Love.

So today, as you walk your trek, look at the world around you—the people, the nations, even the nature in your backyard. Remember that it all belongs to Yahweh. And let your life be a verse in that New Song, proclaiming His salvation day after day.

If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of, ‘Wisdom-Trek,   Creating a Legacy.’

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.   As we take this Trek of life together, let us always: Live Abundantly.   Love Unconditionally.   Listen Intentionally.   Learn Continuously.   Lend to others Generously.   Lead with Integrity.   Leave a Living Legacy Each Day.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, reminding you to’ Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day, Everyday! See you next time for more daily wisdom!