SALVATION OF OUR GOD
PSALM 98
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The Lord has made known His salvation
(Ps. 98:1b–2a).
Today we return to the Psalms. Psalm 98 illustrates God’s glory manifest to all nations through the salvation He brings forth by His own hand. God has relied on no means other than His own power and righteousness to bring salvation to fallen man. He did not send a simple human or an angel to die on the cross at Golgotha. He sent His own Son, God incarnate, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. In response to so great a salvation, the psalmist penned these words to lift our spirits in glorious praise to God.
The song we sing is new and calls forth extraordinary praise. “This appears from the reason assigned for it, that God had manifested His salvation in a singular and incredible manner,” Calvin wrote. “For having spoken of marvelous things, He represents this as the sum of all, that God had procured salvation with His own right hand; that is, not by human means, or in an ordinary way, but delivering His church in an unprecedented manner. Isaiah enlarges upon this miracle of God’s power: ‘The Lord looked if there were any to help, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His own arm brought salvation, and His righteousness sustained Him’ (Isa. 59:16). In both passages the arm of God stands opposed to ordinary means, which although when employed they derogate nothing from the glory of God, yet prevent us from so fully discovering His presence as we might otherwise do. The language of the psalmist amounts to a declaration that God would not save the world by means of an ordinary kind, but would come forth Himself and show that He was the author of a salvation in every respect so singular. He reasonably infers that mercy of such a wonderful, and, to us, incomprehensible kind, should be celebrated by no ordinary measures of praise.”
The salvation that God purchases for us flows from His righteousness and His mercy. “The righteousness of God, which is the source of salvation,” Calvin said, “does not consist in His recompensing men according to their works, but is just the illustration of His mercy, grace, and faithfulness.” Let our response to such a great salvation be to “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Ps. 98:4).
CORAM DEO
Psalms 93–95
Romans 11
WEEKEND
Psalms 96–102
Romans 12–13
Spend time this weekend meditating on passages pertaining to our great salvation in Christ. Think on this gracious gift from God when you attend worship Sunday morning. As you sing, pray, and listen to the preaching of the Word, praise God in your heart for the salvation He has made known to all the earth.
For further study: Isa. 25:9 • Zeph. 3:17 • John 3:16 • Rom. 6:23; 8 • Eph. 2:8–10
WEEKEND