Psalm 98 is a victory or coronation psalm. It has 3 stanzas:
1-3: praise the Lord as savior
4-6: praise the Lord as King
7-9: praise the Lord as judge
Psalm 98 English Standard Version
1 A Psalm. Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
Study Questions
- Read Psalm 98 several times. Look for repeated words and phrases; contrasts and comparison; answer the “5Ws and H” (who, what, when, where, why and how).
- Psalm 98 is a hymn of praise. A hymn has 2 characteristic parts: a call to worship and the reason for the praise. Divide the Psalm into stanzas. Who or what is called to praise God in each stanza? What are the reasons for praise?
- How is God described in this psalm?
- Read Exodus 15:1-21, the Song of Moses, when the Israelites had a great victory over Egypt because God, their Divine Warrior, delivered them. This song of praise is similar to Psalm 98; however, it recalls a specific victory in the history of Israel while Psalm 98 speaks generally of any of the many victories God won for Israel. Israel needed a Divine Warrior to save them from their enemies. Do you need a Divine Warrior in your life? From what enemies does God need to save you? What does Ephesians 6:12 say about this?
- Write your own hymn of praise to God.
Part of the Series: How to Study Psalms
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