Psalm 98:4-6 - October 1, 2009

Ps 98:4-6 "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn — shout for joy before the LORD, the King." NIV

What does your praise sound like? Psalm 98:4-6 is a charge from the Lord to re-examine the flavor of our praise! The language of these three verses is clear and expressive as it compels us to extravagant praise. Shouts of joy, jubilant song, the sounds of singing, trumpet calls, the blast of the ram’s horn, this is not the praise of the lukewarm but rather a celebration of God! Let the saints hear the call of God and come joyfully before Him. This passage in the psalms is such a rich reflection of the fact that our praise is intended to carry with it a triumphant expression of thanksgiving for what the Lord has done and a confident celebration of what He is going to do!
Much of the body of Christ is suppressed and reserved in our personality types and cultural norms but what is clear in this and many other passages throughout the word is that the moment we leave the world behind and become members of the kingdom of God we not only step into a new life but into a new culture. There is a culture of the kingdom of God that is created when the people of God fully rise up to embrace the ways of the word of God. Many people seek to adopt the character traits of Christ and the moral attributes of Christianity. They seek Him and want to know His voice but they seek to morph Christianity into their own existing culture, and in some regards there are positive benefits to respecting the cultures that are present in a region but there is also a danger in this practice. The Kingdom of God is a culture of its own! Rom 12:1-2 calls us into a process of transformation that distances us from the behavior and thought patterns of this world by saying “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” NIV
When the scriptures clearly define an attitude or style of behavior that is different to that which we are accustomed to it is important that we examine the nature of that passage. Is this passage instructs us in a principle that we are to apply within our own culture or is it calling us to define and establish a new culture? We can miss much of the benefit and impact of the power of God’s kingdom simply through making the mistake of adapting the word of God to fit our circumstances and ways rather than adapting our circumstances and ways to fit the word of God. The power of God is the power to change. It is vital that we embrace the scriptures and challenge our cultural norms with the culture of the kingdom! In many of Paul’s letters to the church the language of putting off old ways and putting on new ones can be clearly seen. This is a reflection of the call of God to be strangers in this world and to live with our eyes set on the Kingdom of God. Challenge the legitimacy of your routines and the habits you have fallen into in your daily life both in the church and in the world buy holding those habits up before the culture of the kingdom of God and let the scriptures redefine how you live for God!