Singing on Sunday
Psalm 92
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath Day.
1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The dullard cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this:
7 though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction for ever,
8 but you, O Lord, are on high for ever.
9 For your enemies, O Lord, for your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap,
15 showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
The title is intriguing – a song for Sabbath – a song for worship on the Sabbath.
There are four sections to the psalm. Vs. 1-4, give praise to God – giving God thanks, singing God’s praises, declaring God’s love and faithfulness – all of which made the congregation glad and brought them joy. The musical instruments add to the joy and gladness.
Vs. 5-9, declare the greatness of God. But this section makes us uncomfortable because of its portrayal of people. The section rests on the end of vs. 5, “your thoughts are very deep” – God is beyond simple explanations, God’s ways beyond the easy answers that are demanded – to be in connection with God is to be willing to live in mystery, trusting God who is both good and beyond our ability to fully understand.
The destruction, the scattering, the downfall of enemies in vs. 9 and 11 – also cause us discomfort. However, in a world where people launch deadly attacks on others, where nations kill their own people, where human beings flee homes and community because they are in danger, in such a world knowing that God is bringing justice, is something to rejoice in even as we are discomforted. In terms of worship this is a declaration that God is this the coming ruler of all things. On Sabbaths, Sundays, we remember that the forces of evil which appear to be winning will fail and fall.
The final section, vs. 12-15, paints a metaphorical picture of the life that is shaped by the worship of God. They will grow deeper in relationship with God and their lives will produce a crop of a righteous life. God will work in and through those who worship him, even into “old age” (vs. 14).
Our worship and praise of God shapes our lives for good and for God. As God is the purpose and goal of our week-by-week worship, we are changed into people who live into God’s desire for human beings.
PRAYER:
Lord God, thank you for the gift of praise and the gift of worship, in which we declare the wonders of who you are what you have done, and we also are changed more and more into the people who have made us to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.