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Psalm 96
The Voice
Psalm 96
The Voice
Psalm 96
1 Sing a new song to the Eternal;
sing in one voice to the Eternal, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Eternal of all the good things He’s done.
Bless His name;
broadcast the good news of His salvation each and every day.
3 Enlighten the nations to His splendor;
describe His wondrous acts to all people.
4 For the Eternal is great indeed and praiseworthy;
feared and reverenced above all gods, the True God shall be.
5 For all human-made, lifeless gods are worthless idols,
but the Eternal plotted the vast heavens, shaped every last detail.
6 Honor and majesty precede Him;
strength and beauty infuse His holy sanctuary.
One of the great themes of Scripture and Psalms is the kingship of God. While lesser kings come and go, God is the One who ultimately rules and reigns over His people, and by extension over the rest of creation. Psalm 96 and others in the collection are often referred to as “enthronement” psalms because they declare boldly and unequivocally that the Eternal is King. There is evidence to suggest that an annual festival at the beginning of the year provided an opportunity to reaffirm the people’s loyalty to the one True God. Psalm 96 calls for new songs to be composed and sung to God and about God as a witness. The enthronement psalms call the world and all its inhabitants to come and recognize His beauty and majesty.
7 Give all credit to the Eternal, families of the world!
Credit Him with glory, honor, and strength!
8 Credit Him with the glory worthy of His magnificent name;
gather your sacrifice, and present it at His temple.
9 Bow down to the Eternal, adorned in holiness;
lay awestruck before Him, trembling, all people of the earth.
10 Shout out to the nations, “The Eternal reigns!
Yes, indeed, the world is anchored and will not shake loose.
He governs all people with a fair hand.”
11 And so, let the heavens resound in gladness!
Let joy be the earth’s rhythm as the sea and all its creatures roar.
12 Let the fields grow in triumph, a grand jubilee for all that live there.
Let all the trees of the forest dig in and reach high with songs of joy before the Eternal,
13 For the Eternal is on His way:
yes, He is coming to judge the earth.
He will set the world right by His standards,
and by His faithfulness, He will examine the people.
Psalm 96
New International Version
Psalm 96
New International Version
Psalm 96(A)
1 Sing to the Lord(B) a new song;(C)
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;(D)
proclaim his salvation(E) day after day.
3 Declare his glory(F) among the nations,
his marvelous deeds(G) among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(H)
he is to be feared(I) above all gods.(J)
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,(K)
but the Lord made the heavens.(L)
6 Splendor and majesty(M) are before him;
strength and glory(N) are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord,(O) all you families of nations,(P)
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering(Q) and come into his courts.(R)
9 Worship the Lord(S) in the splendor of his[a] holiness;(T)
tremble(U) before him, all the earth.(V)
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.(W)”
The world is firmly established,(X) it cannot be moved;(Y)
he will judge(Z) the peoples with equity.(AA)
11 Let the heavens rejoice,(AB) let the earth be glad;(AC)
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest(AD) sing for joy.(AE)
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge(AF) the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness(AG)
and the peoples in his faithfulness.(AH)
Footnotes
- Psalm 96:9 Or Lord with the splendor of
1 Kings 12:20-33
The Voice
1 Kings 12:20-33
The Voice
20 Now when the entire community of Israel received word that Jeroboam had returned, they invited him to the assembly where they made him king over the entire Kingdom of Israel. Only the tribe of Judah was still devoted to David’s house.
21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered together the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. There were 180,000 handpicked warriors gathered together in a plot to battle against Israel in order to get the kingdom back under the rule of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. 22 But the word of the True God visited Shemaiah, the man of God.
Eternal One: 23 Go talk to Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, who is now Judah’s king. Give Rehoboam, the house of Judah, the tribe of Benjamin, and all the people 24 this message of the Eternal: “Do not wage war against your brothers, the Israelites. Every warrior should put down his sword and spear without further delay and return to his home. This change in power is from Me.”
They honored the message of warning from the Eternal, returned to their homes, and did exactly as He had instructed them to do.
25 In Israel Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hilly land of Ephraim. He lived there for a time, then he took on another project and fortified Penuel.
Jeroboam (in his heart): 26 It is possible that the kingdom might return to the house of David. 27 If these people make sacrifices in the Eternal’s temple in Jerusalem, then their hearts will go back to their lord, even to Rehoboam, Judah’s king. They will surely execute me and go back to Rehoboam, Judah’s king.
28 The king sought out advice and then cast two calves out of gold.
Jeroboam (to Israel): It’s too difficult for you to travel all the way to Jerusalem to make your sacrifices. These are your gods, Israel, who led you out of Egypt.
29 Jeroboam placed one of the golden calves in Bethel and the other in Dan. 30 This was a horribly wicked sin. People even traveled with the golden calf in a religious procession when it was placed in Dan. 31 Jeroboam constructed temples on high places, and he appointed men to be priests who were not descendants of Levi.
32 Jeroboam instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. It was similar to the Feast of Booths that is celebrated in the seventh month in Judah.[a] He then approached the altar in Bethel and offered sacrifices to the golden calves he had crafted. While he was doing this, he instructed the priests of the country’s high places to serve in Bethel. 33 Jeroboam then approached the altar in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month to make sacrifices according to a plan he had devised. There, he instituted this festival for all the Israelites. Then he approached the altar and burned incense.
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1 Kings 12:20-33
New International Version
1 Kings 12:20-33
New International Version
20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.(A)
21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war(B) against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.
22 But this word of God came to Shemaiah(C) the man of God:(D) 23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.
Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan
25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem(E) in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.[a](F)
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem,(G) they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”
28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves.(H) He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”(I) 29 One he set up in Bethel,(J) and the other in Dan.(K) 30 And this thing became a sin;(L) the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.[b]
31 Jeroboam built shrines(M) on high places and appointed priests(N) from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth(O) month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel,(P) sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel.(Q) So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 12:25 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel
- 1 Kings 12:30 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text people went to the one as far as Dan
2 Corinthians 5:11-17
The Voice
2 Corinthians 5:11-17
The Voice
11 So because we stand in awe of the one true Lord, we make it our aim to convince all people of the truth of the gospel; God sees who we really are, and I hope in some way that you’ll look deeply into your consciences to see us as well. 12 But we hope you understand that we are not trying to prove ourselves to you or pull together a résumé that will impress you. We are simply hoping that you will find a sense of joy in connecting with us. And when you are approached by others (who may value appearances more than the heart) asking questions about us, you will be able to offer an answer for them. 13 If we seem out of control or act like fanatics, it is for God. But if we act in a coherent and reasonable way, it is for you. 14 You see, the controlling force in our lives is the love of the Anointed One. And our confession is this: One died for all; therefore, all have died. 15 He died for us so that we will all live, not for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose from the dead. 16 Because of all that God has done, we now have a new perspective. We used to show regard for people based on worldly standards and interests. No longer. We used to think of the Anointed the same way. No longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and see—a new life has begun!
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2 Corinthians 5:11-17
New International Version
2 Corinthians 5:11-17
New International Version
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,(A) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.(B) 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,(C) but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us,(D) so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,”(E) as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.(F) 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves(G) but for him who died for them(H) and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly(I) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,(J) the new creation(K) has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!(L)
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or Christ, that person is a new creation.
The Voice (VOICE)
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