Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred forty-eight 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.

The title for today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Divine Warrior’s Victory Lap – Creation Applauds the King

Today, we are lacing up our boots for a joyous celebration as we trek through Psalm Ninety-eight, covering the entire psalm, verses one through nine, in the New Living Translation.

This psalm is the crescendo of the Royal Psalms.   In our last trek through Psalm Ninety-seven, we witnessed the terrifying majesty of the Cloud Rider.   We saw Yahweh marching out as a Man of War, with fire going before Him to burn up His enemies.   We saw the mountains melting like wax and the "throne of destruction" being dismantled.   It was a psalm of cosmic conquest, where the rebel gods of the Divine Council were humbled before the Most High.

Psalm Ninety-eight is the sequel to that conquest.   If Psalm Ninety-seven was the battle, Psalm Ninety-eight is the Victory Parade.   The smoke has cleared.   The enemies are scattered.   The King has ascended to His throne, and now, a "new song" breaks out across the universe.

This is a psalm of unadulterated triumph.   It does not contain a single petition or request.   It doesn't ask God for anything; it simply celebrates what He has already done.   It invites us to join an orchestra that includes not just harps and horns, but the roaring sea and the clapping rivers.

So, let us take our place in the choir and sing to the Warrior King.

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.

The psalm bursts open with a command: "Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds."

We have seen this command before in Psalm Ninety-six, but here, the motivation is specific.   We sing a "new song" because the cosmic status quo has been shattered.   God has done "wonderful deeds" (niphla’ot—marvels, things that are distinct and extraordinary).

What is this marvelous deed?   "His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!"

This is the language of the Divine Warrior.   In the ancient world, and in the Divine Council worldview, the gods were often depicted as needing armies or alliances to defeat chaos.   But here, the psalmist emphasizes that Yahweh needed no help.   It was His right hand.   It was His holy arm.

This is a statement of solitary sovereignty.   When God decided to reclaim the nations from the corrupt spiritual beings that held them in bondage (as seen in Psalm Eighty-two), He did not call for a coalition.   He stepped in Himself.   As Isaiah Fifty-nine says, "He saw that there was no one... so his own arm achieved salvation for him."   The victory is entirely His, and therefore, the glory is entirely His.

The result of this victory is public revelation: "The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!"

The word "victory" here is literally yeshû‘â—salvation.   But in this context, it isn't just being saved from sin; it is victory in battle.   God has vindicated His name.

Crucially, this is done "in the sight of the nations" (goyim).   Remember, since the Tower of Babel, the nations were under the dominion of other, lesser elohim.   But now, Yahweh has stripped away the veil.   He has shown the nations what true Righteousness (tsedeq) looks like.   He has exposed the other gods as frauds and demonstrated that He is the only One with the power to save.

Yet, even in this global conquest, He remains the covenant God: "He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel."

His Unfailing Love (ḥesed) and Faithfulness (’ĕmûnâ) to the house of Israel are the engine behind this cosmic victory.   By rescuing Israel and fulfilling His promises to David, God demonstrates to "the ends of the earth" that He is a God who keeps His word.   The global victory is rooted in local loyalty.

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!

Having declared the victory, the psalmist now organizes the celebration.   He acts as the conductor of a global orchestra: "Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!"

The word "shout" (rûa‘) is the war cry, the shout of homage to a king.   The phrase "break out" (patsach) literally means to burst forth, like water breaking through a dam.   The joy cannot be contained; it must explode.

The instrumentation is specific and significant: "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."

We have the harp (kinnor), representing the sweet, melodic music of the Levites in the temple.   But we also have the trumpets (chatsotserah—metal trumpets) and the ram’s horn (shofar).

In ancient Israel, these wind instruments were used for two primary things: War and Coronation.   Since the war is over (verses one through three), this is a Coronation Ceremony.

The command is to: "Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!"

Here is the central title: The King (Ha-Melek).   Yahweh has taken His seat.   He has displaced the usurpers.   He has proven His right to rule by the strength of His "holy arm."   Now, the human response must be loud, organized, and ecstatic.   We are hailing the new administration of the universe.

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.

The celebration is too big for just humanity.   The walls of the temple cannot contain it.   The psalmist turns to the creation itself and commands it to join the party: "Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in."

This is a profound reversal of imagery.   In Psalm Ninety-three, the "floods" and the "sea" were the enemies.   They represented the forces of chaos that "lifted up their voice" against God.   But now, the Sea has been pacified.   The roaring of the waves is no longer the sound of rebellion; it is the "shout of praise" (ra’am—thunder).   The chaos monsters have been tamed and converted into choir members.

Then we have one of the most delightful images in Scripture: "Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy."

The rivers (or floods), which once threatened to overwhelm the land, are now clapping in applause for the King.   The hills and mountains, which melted like wax in Psalm Ninety-seven, are now stable enough to sing.

This personification of nature reflects the deep biblical truth found in Romans Chapter Eight: creation itself is groaning for redemption.   The natural world suffers under the rule of wickedness and corruption.   But when the True King arrives, nature recognizes Him.   The trees, the rivers, and the oceans know that His rule means life, health, and restoration for them, too.

Why is the universe so happy? "before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth."

Once again, we see that Judgment is good news.   For the oppressed, for the broken, for the creation subjected to futility, the coming of the Judge is the coming of the Liberator.   He is not coming to destroy the earth; He is coming to fix it.

Justice (tsedeq) and Fairness (meysharim—equity).   This is the platform of the new administration.   Unlike the corrupt gods of the nations who ruled with partiality and injustice (Psalm Eighty-two), Yahweh rules with absolute equity.   No one will be bribed.   No one will be exploited.   The scales of the cosmos will finally be balanced.

Psalm Ninety-eight leaves us with a vibrant picture of what the future holds.

It teaches us that history is moving toward a Coronation.   It reminds us that our God is a Warrior who wins victories with His own right hand.   It assures us that He is faithful to His promises to Israel, and through that faithfulness, He is reclaiming the "ends of the earth."

But it also challenges us.   If the rivers are clapping and the hills are singing, how can we remain silent?   If the sea is shouting praise, shouldn't we?

We are invited to live our lives as part of this New Song.   We are called to be the trumpeters of His justice and the harpists of His grace.   As we walk our trek today, let us look for the "marvelous deeds" God is doing, and let us be quick to give Him the applause He deserves.

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!