Psalm 98 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 98 Short Summary:

Psalm 98 describes a victory, a salvation, that God won for His people. This victory was a blessing to Israel, but it was known throughout the world. The psalmist calls on all people to praise the Lord for His salvation. Psalm 98 is very likely is prophetic, foretelling the arrival of Jesus, who would win victory over sin and offer salvation to the whole world.

Psalm 98 Summary

AUTHOR:

• The author of Psalm 98 is unknown.

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• No Known New Testament References.

THEMES:

• God has won for us a great salvation.

• We should praise Him forever because we are beneficiaries of His victory.

DEFINITIONS:

• Lyre (98:5) – A small hand-held stringed instrument with a U-shape. It is similar to the harp in that the musician plucks the strings to create the music.

• Equity (98:9) - Being fair and impartial.

OUTLINE:

• SALVATION WON (98:1-3):

  • The psalmist prepared his listeners to sing a new song to the Lord.

  • This song celebrated God’s salvation (victory, NASB), a victory He won by His power.

  • This salvation had been published throughout the entire earth, and all the nations knew about it.

  • It isn’t certain whether the psalmist was referring to a specific victory of God or to God’s great works in general. The psalm doesn’t provide us with enough context to say for sure.

  • In all of God’s work, He had not forgotten about His people, the house of Israel. They were blessed by Him, and they benefited from this victory.

• PRAISE TO BE OFFERED (98:4-9):

  • In light of God’s salvation, the writer calls on all people to worship.

  • “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!” (98:4-6).

  • In language similar to previous psalms, the author calls on the elements of the natural world to join in with the worship.

  • He ordered the seas to roar, the rivers to clap, and the hills to sing together in joy.

  • The last verse of the psalm prophesies the future coming of the Lord, when He will come to judge the earth with righteousness and equity.

APPLICATION:

• There are many who suggest, and I believe rightfully so, that this psalm was written looking forward to a messianic (speaking about the Messiah) fulfillment.

• No doubt, in the psalm writer’s day, God won many victories, many of which benefited the house of Israel, but God’s greatest day of salvation was yet to come.

• His greatest display of salvation was the death of Jesus on the cross followed by His resurrection.

• Jesus’ death made eternal salvation available to men and at the same time revealed the righteousness of God (98:2).

• The good news (gospel) was first preached to the house of Israel before being broadcast to “all the ends of the earth” (98:3).

• With these parallels illuminated, it seems likely the Holy Spirit was inspiring the writer of Psalm 98 to speak prophetically about the future arrival of Jesus.