{Disclaimer: these are my rough teaching notes I use in my Mishkan Katan weekly broadcasts. There will be "typos". Proceed at your own risk, lol.You can find all my Mishkan Katan video teachings on my YouTube channel: genahood2818 . Look on the playlist called Messianic LAMB TV Network.}
Good morning! And welcome back to Mishkan Katan. Today we continue on in our study of the psalms, beginning with psalm 96. Psalm 96 is the seventh psalm that Moses composed in this book of the psalms. As with the others we have studied, this psalm is dedicated to one of the tribes of Israel. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi comments that although he was taught from his teachers to whom the first six of the Mosaic psalms were dedicated he was not taught to whom the last five were assigned. However, Ibn Yachya attempts to assign a dedication to the last five and says that this one is dedicated to the tribe of Zebulon. Zebulon rejoiced when he went out to start earning a living so that he could support his brother Issachar, who could not work, because he devoted his life to the study of Torah. We see this in Deuteronomy 33:18.
The commentator Radak says that David recited Psalm 96 along with Psalm 105 when he brought up the Ark of the covenant from the house of Obed Edom, as recorded in second Samuel chapter 6. The ark had been held captive by the Philistines for several years, and David sang with great joy as he brought it up out of exile. In a similar way, when the nation of Israel becomes finally released from its exile, gathered Jews from all over the world will join the Messiah and sing to Hashem a new song.
Interestingly, we find this psalm recorded in first Chronicles 16 verses 23 through 33. There, the psalm is attributed to Asaph and his brothers, whom David appointed to lead the Thanksgiving service to God on that day when David placed the ark of the covenant in a tent in front of the presence of Hashem.
Have you ever sung to the Lord a new song? Oh, I don’t mean that you are a music composer, strictly speaking. But I can imagine that you have at times been so overwhelmed with joy at the goodness of the Lord that you just burst for and praise, and I sort of original song! I’ll give you a funny example and then I’ll give you a more serious one. The other day, I was giving a 70th birthday party for a friend. About four years ago, I had bought a beautiful cut glass punch bowl and the matching large circular tray to go underneath it, from the estate sale of an older lady in my Home community. They said it was extraordinary because of its size. It is a huge punch bowl, and the tray underneath it measures over 2 feet and diameter. Most punch bowls that you find in consignment stores or antique shops are not nearly that large. I was hoping that I would have a turnout at the party of around 40 ladies. So, I needed my large punch bowl. Well, the last time I had used it was at a baby shower for my niece. The shower was held at my mother‘s house. After that shower, my punch bowl became lost! I had the tree, and knew where it was. But the punch bowl was missing! I had turned my house upside down, looking for that thing. I figured that I had put it in the unfinished part of the basement, in a box. But I had looked there, and had not found it. So the other night, on the eve of the party, I said to my husband, “I am going to go down in that basement one more time and look for that punch bowl. I just so badly want to use it tomorrow for the party.“ I went down into the basement and I stopped, and looked up, and prayed this fervent prayer. Dear Lord God, my father, if that Punchbowl is in this basement, please, please, please let me find it. You know how badly I want it for this party!“ I have to admit, but I did not have much faith. My prayer would be answered. However, I went into the basement, into the abyss that is the unfinished part of our home, and began to look. I moved aside a large mounted bass, and underneath it was a box. It looked to be about the right size. I appeared over the top of it, because it was stacked on top of other boxes, and I saw the words “punch bow“ I thought to myself oh no, no no Shirley not! But yes, I opened the box, and they are she was, and all her glory! I was so overjoyed that I ran upstairs praising the Lord just like a lunatic woman! I bursting into the room where my husband was sitting in the recliner, and I believe I actually scared him a little, lol!I practically jumped into his lap, screaming with joy that I had found this item that I had wanted so badly. I was singing to the Lord a new song!
Then, on the morning I was preparing this lesson, I got a phone call from a very good friend who was in tears. She was crying and praising the Lord and praising the Lord and crying some more. And I thought what in the world is happening! Through her tears and her praising she managed to tell me that she had received some test results that she had been terribly terribly concerned about. The results had come back negative! With great joy, she was singing to the Lord a new song.
Now both of these examples have to do with joy. In both cases, we were blessing the name of the Lord for His goodness and mercy to us. You can also sing to the Lord a new song when your heart is broken. We are told in the scriptures to bless the Lord at all times. That’s when it’s the hardest to do.
My husband had a fall this week. He had been walking in a nearby park, and his feet somehow got ahead of his brain, and next thing he knew, he had face planted into the grass. He was able to get himself up and drive home. However, he wisely phoned me on his way, to warn me of what I was going to see when he arrived. I have to admit… My first reaction was not to bless the Lord! Instead, I waited those couple of minutes with great trepidation, and when I saw my poor husband, my heart just broke. He said, “you should see the other guy.“ We both started laughing, and it began to sink into my brain, how fortunate we were that his injuries were not worse. Even though we took him to the ER to be evaluated, due to him being on blood thinners, His injuries were surface and minimal. In my heart, I have been singing to the Lord a new song.
Well, my anecdotal, examples aside, let’s look at what the commentators have to say about this short, but beautiful Psalm. It is only 13 verses.
We’ll begin with verse 1. For a change, I am going to use the translation in the Tehillim ArtScroll commentary, instead of the CJB translation.
Sing to Hashem, a new song, sing to Hashim, everyone on earth.
If you will flip over a moment to the first verse of Psalm 98, you will see that that Psalm begins in a similar fashion. The commentators say that the psalms which speak of the future redemption by Mashiach feature these words, because in the time of the machine, everyone will exhort his or her neighbor to praise God with these words. Other psalms which contain this similar encouragement are Psalm 33 verse three, Psalm 40 verse four, the aforementioned Psalm 98 verse one, Psalm 149 verse one, and Isaiah 42:10.
As many of you know, the Hebrew language has both masculine nouns and feminine nouns. The word most often found in Scripture for the word “song” is “shirah”, a feminine form. The Midrash says the reason it takes a feminine form is that songs of triumph and joy and often followed by times of trouble and tears, an endless cycle of joy and sorrow, a pattern which resembles the female cycle of pregnancy and childbirth. However, when the Scriptures are referring to the “new song” of the Messianic Era, the masculine form is used. Why? Well, that is because there will be endless joy in the Olam Haba, the world to come. No more sorrows, no more tears. “Sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 51:11). The cycle will be forever broken.
Verse 2 - - Sing to Hashem, bless His Name; announce His salvation daily.
The sages say that it is not enough to simply have knowledge of God’s salvation, that in order to not take His glorious love revealed to us for granted we must remind ourselves of it every day by blessing His name and then by proclaiming it to others. “Oh magnify the Lord with me! And, Let us exalt His name together!” Psalm 34:3 says. This is what my overjoyed friend who got the wonderful test results did. She proclaimed the goodness of God in her life by calling all her dear friends and blessing His name. It is so important to remind each other of God’s goodness.
After my husband’s fall, I sent a friend a text which said, “God is good, all the time.” And, He is. That is a scriptural affirmation. Even if my husband’s CAT scan had shown a brain bleed, God is good all the time. Even if he had broken his collarbone, hip or arm, God is good. He is everlastingly good. We can easily say that when we are relieved by good news. It is harder to say when we receive devastating news.
I am reading a book by two men who received death diagnoses about their health. The book is called The Biblio Diet, written by Jordan Rubin and Josh Axe. I highly recommend it. I want to share with you a short quote from Josh, when he was told he (a former triathlete) would soon lose the ability to even pick up his small child. In the face of a diagnosis of disability and even death, Josh chose to bless the name of the Lord and to sing to Him a new song. Here’s his own words. “I committed to stop believing the voices of the experts who advised I would never fully recover. Instead, I started listening to the voice of the Great Physician. I swapped my limiting beliefs for the promises of God. I did this every, single day. My prognosis may have been discouraging, but I was determined to believe the biblical truth that God is bigger than my condition.” He went on to list 5 Bible verses that he would pray and recite several times a day. He blessed the Lord God by praying diligently His word. Wow, what a testimony!
Verses 3 and 4 now.
Relate His glory among the peoples, among all the nations His wonders:
That Hashem is great and exceedingly praised, awesome is He above all heavenly powers.
Is there a difference between “peoples” and “nations” here? Norah Tehillos says that peoples are characterized by their geography or by their ethnic characteristics. Whereas “nations” are united by their common beliefs, such as a firm faith in the one true God. A famous American once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Abraham Lincoln in a speech about slavery, quoting Mark 3:25). I contend that any country is strongest when there is common agreement on the basic beliefs that undergird life. Diversity of belief on these bedrock issues weakens a nation.
Who are the “heavenly powers” referred to in verse 4? Radak says, as we have studied previously, that this refers to those celestial beings who are in the closest proximity to Hashem and who have the clearest comprehension of how awesome He is. This would include the heavenly council, again, as we have previously studied about together.
Verse 5 - -
For all the gods of the nations are nothings,
But Hashem made heaven!
There are 10 different names that Scripture uses to represent “idols”. Each name alludes to a different aspect of the worthlessness of idols. Here are the 10 references:
Eh-lee-LEEM - - hollow, empty ones
PEH-sell - - carved by men
Mah-say-KHAH - - molten metal, poured into forms
Maht-say-VAH - - vertical and immobile
Aht-sah-veem- - assembled from small pieces
T’rah-PHEEM - - when I saw this word in the list I knew I had heard it before; as a class, this refers to the general category of “household idols”, such as those Rachel absconded with from her father, Laban’s, house. However, the basic meaning of the word means “weak, decadent and disintegrating”.
Ghee-loo-LEEM - - abominable
She-pootz-EEM - - disgusting
Khah-mah-NEEM - - baked in the sun
Ah-Shay-REEM - - which means fortunate, but they do not bring their worshippers any good fortune. They lack any intrinsic value.
In contrast to these “nothings”, these false gods, these idols, Hashem made the heavens all by himself. He created the heavens on the second day, before he made the angels. No angels can then claim that they had a hand in creating the heavens. No comparison between Hashem and false gods or lesser heavenly beings!
Verse 6
Glory and majesty are before Him, might and splendor in His Sanctuary.
The reference to His Sanctuary here refers to His celestial Temple, the location of the throne room of Hashem. This is the area that proclaims, “the heavens declare the glory of god, and the expanse of the sky tells of His handiwork.” (Psalms 19:2), according to the commentator, Radak.
Now that the psalmist has revealed all other little-g “gods” as worthless, the psalmist tells the reader where praise is rightfully directed.
Verses 7 through 9:
Attribute to Hashem, O families of nations, attribute to Hashim honor and might.
Attribute to Hashem honor, worthy of his name, take an offering and come to his courtyards.
Prostrate before Hashem in His intensely holy place, tremble before him, everyone on earth.
The Hebrew word, hah-VOO, is translated in this version as “attribute”. Elsewhere it is translated as “ascribe” or “give” or “bring”. We saw this in Psalm 29 verse 1 as well. Another good translation might be “assign” or “attach to”. The human tendency is for these nations to ascribe honor and might to themselves. We see this a lot with our current US administration. This administration is strongly nationalistic, which means, it wants the USA to be number one in the world, a stand-out among nations. While I don’t basically disagree with that, it is important to acknowledge from Whom such success comes. Such favor comes from the Lord Almighty, the Lord of Heaven and Earth. To pretend otherwise is vain and pretentious. We should ascribe all glory to God alone.
When the astronauts of Artemis II, two men and one woman, returned to Earth, one of the men, a black man, was openly praising God for all He had seen and all that had been accomplished in the mission. The other man later said that he had converted to Christianity, because there was truly no other explanation for what he had experienced than the existence of a divine Creator. I remember, too, when one of my favorite actors, who sadly says he is not a Christian, went briefly up into space. When he returned, he was overwhelmed with the emotion of the experience, although to my knowledge, it did not cause him to make any religious commitment or statement beyond that.
Verse 10
Declare among the peoples, “Hashem reigns!” Indeed, the world is fixed so that it cannot falter.
He will judge the nations with equity.
Verses 8, 9 and 10 are a complete thought. Verse 8 describes worshippers bringing an offering to Hashem in his Temple and then prostrating (we talked about this word last week) themselves in the most holy place into which one could go. That depended on the person’s characteristics….gentiles could only proceed so far into the structure, Jewish women a little further in, Jewish men a little further than the Jewish women, Levites further than the usual Jewish man, and priests further in than the Levites. The only person who could enter the MOST holy part of the Temple, the Holy of the Holies, was the high priest, and then he could only once per year. Increasing levels of holiness, the further into the building. Regardless of where one’s limitations were, though, each person was expected to worship with awe and to tremble before Him. And then, in verse 10, to leave the Temple complex, return home and declare among the peoples that “Hashem reigns!” The theme of Hashem’s reign figures prominently in this section of psalms.
Hashem’s judgment is ongoing, of course, but this verse (verse 10) refers to the judgments associated with the onset of the Messianic kingdom. We can be sure that Hashem’s judgments ongoing, at all times, are righteous and just, although we may not see or feel that when it is happening. It would, however, be contrary to His character to do otherwise than judge righteously.
His judgment will be universal, to all people groups on Earth, during the Messianic reign. That is why this verse, verse 10, is addressed to all people.
The earth is fixed, so that it cannot falter. Some versions say, “it shall not be moved”. We see these same words in Psalm 93:1. To quote Jonathan Parnell at fighterverses.com
Essentially, because the Lord reigns, the earth is not going to spin out of orbit. It’s not carelessly vulnerable to apocalyptic meteors crashing into it and wiping everything out. This has never happened. The earth is still here. We are proof of that.
Have you ever wondered why that’s the case? Psalm 96:10 tells us it is because God is in control. God’s reign means the most basic needs of life, like rain falling and the sun rising and a stable planet that doesn’t evaporate, happens for the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45). These are facts about God’s reign that mean good for every single person on earth.
This most basic security, which is often taken for granted, is grounded in the wondrous reality that the Lord reigns.
Now for the remaining verses of this psalm, verses 11 through 13.
The heavens will rejoice and the earth will be glad, the sea will roar with its fullness;
The field will exult and everything in it, then all the trees of the forest will sing joyously before Hashem, for He arrives, for He arrives to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness, and nations with His faithful truth.
The Sage Ibn Ezra points out that as Hashem approaches to judge the earth, the components of nature will demonstrate their joy by carrying out their assigned functions vigorously. I was walking with my sister a day ago, on a paved path beside a creek. This particular creek is notorious for flooding. As we walked under a roadway bridge, my sister pointed out that the waters of this creek, when it flooded about six months ago, rose to the base of that roadway. It was over 20 feet above our head. I marveled at how that creek “roared”. Waters when they are swollen to flood stage certainly do make a roaring sound. But, I wonder if, when Hashem comes to judge the earth as Yeshua returning, the seas will leap out of their assigned banks. Radak believes that even the fish will sing as part of the sea roaring.
Then, we learn that the trees will sing. How will that be? Have you ever heard a tree sing? The only thing I can think of is when winds toss trees to and fro. When that happens, the leaves and branches of the trees make sounds for sure. Here is says they will sing “joyously”! Rabbi Hirsch says that the way they will sing will be to produce their fruit joyfully.
You know, when the King returns, the earth will have been through a lot of damage and tribulation, according to the book of Revelation. I’m sure, after all the ravages of the judgments Hashem will pour out upon the earth during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, all nature will be incredibly relieved when its Creator returns to restore order and peace. Hirsch notes that all nature will be rejuvenated.
Verse 12 mentions the fields and how they will exult. Alshich comments that the curse that Adam’s disobedience brought onto the ground will be removed, nullified and that they will return to their original, created state.
Verse 13 features a repetition. The phrase “for He arrives” appears twice in succession. There are various explanations given for this. One of them, for example, hypothesizes that the first occurrence refers to when God redeems Israel in the last days, and that the second occurrence refers to when he arrives to judge the earth, as it says at the end of the verse, with faithful truth.
Let’s move on now to Psalm 97, the eighth psalm of Moses’ 11 psalms. This one, according to Ibn Yachya is connected with the tribes of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Perhaps the reason for this association is that Joshua, Moses’ successor, was from this tribe. Joshua led the Hebrew nation in the conquering of Canaan, whose victories are celebrated in verse 1 of this psalm.
Let’s read all of this psalm together, from the CJB translation.
1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols—
worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments, Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light shines[a] on the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.
The first five verses remind us that Hashem is not going to sneak into the room quietly. No, anytime His presence has been felt on earth, it has been an upheaval type of event. These verses remind me of the various judgments on the earth, as described in the book of Revelation. Mountains melting like wax? Lightning so powerful it lights up the whole earth? Massive earthquakes? That’s some terrifying stuff, right there.
The sages say that the expression “fire goes before Him” is a reference to the future battle of Gog and Magog, which precedes the return of Mashiach. Ezekiel 38:22 says about that same battle or war “And I will punish him with pestilence and with blood. Torrential rain, hailstones, and sulfurous fire I will rain upon him.” This is avenging fire. Similarly, Isaiah 11:4 predicts, “He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.”
The sages say that the “daughters of Judah” are singled out in verse 8 because Mashiach is from that tribe. Therefore, when He returns, they will have special cause to celebrate.
Verse 11 in another translation states “Light is sown for the righteous”. What does that mean? The Midrash says (Shemos Rabbah 35:1) that at the time of Creation, there was an original light “Let there be light!” This light illuminated the entire world at once. With this supernatural light, man could see the entire world at once. But, God realized in man the potential to use this wonderful gift for nefarious, corrupt purposes. So, He hid theirs light in the Garden of Eden, where it remains today, reserved for the righteous. The Talmud explains that just as not all humans will be blessed with special enlightenment, also not all will be blessed with gladness, also mentioned in verse 11. Rashi makes a distinction between the upright in heart and the righteous, with the former being on a higher spiritual plane.
Well, we are going to attempt to also begin and finish both Psalms 98 and 99 today. Psalm 98 does not specify an author, although it lies within the psalms 90-100 that are Mosaic in nature. Remember that only Psalm 90 is directly connected as a psalm written by Moses. Psalm 98 is, by the sages, aligned with the tribe of Naphtali. In Deuteronomy 33:23, it was said of Naphtali: “satisfied with favor and full of Hashem’s blessing”. This trait of contentment, as evidenced by the tribe of Naphtali, will be abundant and will envelope the earth during the Messianic Age.
Some sages call this “the orphaned psalm”, as it does not refer to any specific event other than its universal quality indicating that it is truly the psalm of the future Messianic age.
This psalm is relatively short, only 9 verses.
Let’s read it from the CJB.
1) Sing a new song to Adonai,
because he has done wonders.
His right hand, his holy arm
have won him victory.
2 Adonai has made known his victory;
revealed his vindication in full view of the nations,
3 remembered his grace and faithfulness
to the house of Isra’el.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
Break forth, sing for joy, sing praises!
5 Sing praises to Adonai with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious music!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the shofar,
shout for joy before the king, Adonai!
7 Let the sea roar, and everything in it;
the world, and those living in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the mountains sing together for joy
9 before Adonai, for he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly and the peoples fairly.
At the beginning of today’s teaching, I told you that the opening verse of Psalm 96 and also of Psalm 98 references a new song (masculine form of the word “song”), indicating that the setting of this singing is the Messianic Age. The Midrash Tanchuma lists 10 great songs of faith in Jewish history. This one is listed as the 10th and final song.
There is belief in the midrash that a story in 1 Samuel 6 is linked to this psalm. If you want to turn there you can. I’m not going to read the story, but instead will paraphrase. In the long-standing war between the Philistines and the Hebrew nation of Israel, at one point, the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant. Having it in their possession brought them terrible “bad luck”, you might call it. Basically, the Lord sent pestilences among the Philistines, because they had stolen it or taken it as a spoil of war. Things got so bad that the Philistines decided to send it back to Israelite territory. They loaded it carefully into a cart, pulled by two oxen and 1 Samuel 6:12 says that the oxen went straight on the path. That is, they headed straight for Israelite territory like a couple of homing pigeons.
Here’s where the Midrash gets interesting. The sages say those two oxen began to sing for joy as they trotted for home. One opinion is that they sang Psalm 93; other say it was Psalm 99, which we will study next week, and Rav Shimon ben Lakish contends that the oxen sang Psalm 98, this psalm right here.
Do you want to know what the other 9 songs are Tahoe Midrash Tanchuma enumerates as great songs of faith? Here they are:
The song the Jews sang on the evening of the first Passover
The Song of the Sea, as the Egyptians were drowned (Exodus 15)
The song dedicated to Miriam’s well (Numbers 21)
Moses’ final song before his death (Deut 32)
Joshua’s song of victory (Joshua 10)
Deborah’s song of victory (Judges 5)
David’s song of salvation from his enemies (Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22)
David’s song that he wrote for the future inauguration of the Temple (Psalm 30)
And number 9 - - King Solomon’s book Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, whichever you call it.
As we move on through this psalm you can see several similarities between this one and Psalm 96. In both psalms, you have nature rejoicing. Compare verse 11 and 12 of Psalm 96 with verses 7 and 8 of Psalm 98. In the same vein, Psalm 98: 9 is very similar to Psalm 96:13.
On to Psalm 99, our last psalm for today. This one speaks too of the coming Day of Judgment, when Hashem will judge all the heathen nations. Again, one huge feature of that time period will be the battle or war of Gog and Magog, and at the end of that war, Hashem will set up His earthly kingdom through Mashiach/Messiah Yeshua.
This psalm is dedicated to the tribe of Dan, because this tribe was known as a war-like tribe. Their allotted territory was near the northern border of the original boundaries of the land of Israel. Moses blessed the tribe of Dan by comparing him in Deut. 33:22 to a young, powerful lion, who leaps up from the area of Bashan. Bashan is also in the far north of the land of Israel.
In this series of psalms, beginning with Psalm 96, the reign of Hashem is specifically mentioned three times: Psalm 96:10, Psalm 97:1 and here in Psalm 99:1. Let’s begin reading with that last verse in the line-up, and read all of Psalm 99.
99 Adonai is king; let the peoples tremble.
He sits enthroned on the k’ruvim; let the earth shake!
2 Adonai is great in Tziyon;
he is high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and fearsome name (he is holy):
4 “Mighty king who loves justice, you established
fairness, justice and righteousness in Ya‘akov.”
5 Exalt Adonai our God!
Prostrate yourselves at his footstool (he is holy).
6 Moshe and Aharon among his cohanim
and Sh’mu’el among those who call on his name
called on Adonai, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the column of cloud;
they kept his instructions and the law that he gave them.
8 Adonai our God, you answered them.
To them you were a forgiving God,
although you took vengeance on their wrongdoings.
9 Exalt Adonai our God,
bow down toward his holy mountain,
for Adonai our God is holy!
Well, we have covered a lot of ground today, 4 psalms. Next week, we will resume with one of my very favorite psalms, and the last one in the Mosaic line-up, Psalm 100. I am eager to be with you at that time. Meanwhile, Shalom, Shalom, and keep counting the Omer! Shavuot is coming!
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