Daily Lesson for Wednesday 20th of March 2024

Worship includes singing to the Lord (Psalms 96:1-2), praising His name (Psalms 96:2), proclaiming His goodness and greatness (Psalms 96:3-4), and bringing gifts to His temple (Psalms 96:8). In addition to these familiar traits of worship, Psalms 96:1-13 highlights one not so obvious aspect of ­worship—the evangelical dimension in proclaiming the Lord’s kingdom to other peoples (Psalms 96:2, 3, 10).

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Yet, singing, praising, bringing gifts, and proclaiming the gospel are not separate actions but are varied expressions of worship. The proclamation of God’s salvation to all nations gives substance to praise and content to worship. Notice how the reasons for worship coincide with the message proclaimed to other peoples: “for the Lord is great” (Psalms 96:4), “for all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens” (Psalms 96:5, NKJV), “ ‘the Lord reigns’ ” (Psalms 96:10, NKJV), and “for He is coming to judge the earth” (Psalms 96:13, NKJV). Thus, the goal of evangelism is to unite other peoples with God’s people, and ultimately the whole creation in the worship of the Lord (Psalms 96:11-13).

Worship springs from the inward recognition of who the Lord is, that is, Creator, King, and Judge (Psalms 96:5,10,13). Worship thus involves remembering God’s past acts (Creation), celebrating His present wonders (God’s sustaining of the world and His present reign), and anticipating His future deeds (end-time judgment and a new life in a new heavens and earth).

Judgment in the Psalms means restoration of the divine order of peace, justice, and well-being in a world presently burdened by injustice and suffering. Hence, the whole earth rejoices in anticipation of God’s judgments (Psalms 96:10-13, Psalms 98:4-9). The fact that the Lord is a righteous Judge should additionally motivate people to worship Him in holiness and “tremble,” and should caution them against taking worship lightly (Psalms 96:9). Worship involves both immense joy and confidence (Psalms 96:1-2, 11-13) and holy fear and awe (Psalms 96:4, 9).

The universal appeal of Psalms 96:1-13 to worship the Creator and the Judge is reflected in God’s final gospel proclamation to the world, the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12. In many ways this psalm seems to incorporate this end-time message: creation, salvation (“everlasting gospel”), worship, and judgment. It’s all there.

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Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dragoslava Santrac, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson, “The Lord Reigns.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/12-worship-that-never-ends-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/

View an in-depth discussion of Worship than Never Ends in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.  
Click on the image below to view the video:

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Daily Lesson for Tuesday 19th of March 2024

The answer given in this psalm is the summary of the requirements already given in God’s law and the prophets: the ones whose actions (“works righteousness”) and character (“in his heart”) (see Deuteronomy 6:5, Micah 6:6-8) are a reflection of God.

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The sanctuary was a holy place, and everything in it, including the priests, was consecrated. Thus, holiness is a mandatory requirement for entering the presence of God. Israel’s holiness was to be comprehensive, uniting worship with ethics and exercised in all aspects of life. The law was given to God’s people to enable them to fulfill their greatest potential (i.e., live as a kingdom of priests). The royal priesthood includes a life of holiness in the presence of God and bringing the covenant blessings to other nations.

“A perfect heart” is the worshiper’s greatest quality before God. The Hebrew tamim, “perfect,” conveys the notion of “completeness” and “wholeness.” A “perfect” vine is whole, undamaged, and healthy (Ezekiel 15:5). Animals offered as sacrifices had to be tamim, or without blemish (Leviticus 22:21-24). “Perfect” speech is entirely truthful (Job 36:4). A “perfect heart” thus is a “pure heart” (Psalms 24:4) or a heart of integrity (Psalms 15:2). It seeks God (Psalms 24:6) and is restored by God’s forgiveness (Psalms 51:2-10). A blameless life springs from the acknowledgment of God’s grace and His righteousness. Divine grace inspires and enables God’s servants to live in the fear of the Lord, which means to live in unhindered fellowship with God and in submission to His Word. A testimony of a devoted and pious life brings praise to God and not to one’s own self. Notice that most requirements in Psalms 15:1-5 are given in negative terms (Psalms 15:3-5). This is not about earning God’s favor but about avoiding the things that would separate us from God.

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Daily Lesson for Monday 18th of March 2024

These psalms summon people to sing a “new song.” What is a “new song” here? The reason for the “new song” is the fresh recognition of the Lord’s majesty and sovereignty over the world and gratitude for His care and salvation as the Creator and Judge of the earth.

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Deliverance from enemies and from death, and God’s special favor toward Israel, are some of the more personal motives to sing “a new song.” While other songs also praise the Lord for His loving-kindness and wonders, the “new song” is a special song, expressing rekindled joy and promising renewed devotion to God. The new experience of divine deliverance inspires the people to acknowledge the Lord as their Creator and King. The common themes in the psalms that tell of “a new song” are trust in God, praise of His wonderful works, and deliverance from affliction, among other things.

God’s people Israel is depicted in affectionate terms as “a people near to Him [God]” (Psalms 148:14, NKJV), implying that of all the creation, Israel has the most special status, and thus is most obliged and privileged to praise God. The Bible thus encourages believers of all generations to sing the new song in praise of their Redeemer, which carries their unique testimony about salvation in the blood of the Lamb. A “new song” can depict a fresh song that no one has ever heard before, a song that commemorates a vivid experience of God’s grace in one’s life. The “new song” can also express hope, in which case the newness of the song is demonstrated in the anticipation of the unique, unprece­dented experience of God’s majesty in the future. True worship goes beyond sacrifices and offerings and reflects a living relationship with God that is always fresh and dynamic. In a sense, one could simply say that the “new song” is a new expression, even each day, of our love and appreciation for what God has done for us.

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