Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
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.
23 Solomon made two 15-foot-high winged creatures out of olive wood, and these guarded the inner sanctuary. 24 Each wing of one creature was 7½ feet long. The entire wingspan was 15 feet. 25-26 The other creature had the same measurements and shape: a wingspan 15 feet across and 15 feet high. 27 Solomon set up the creatures inside the inner sanctuary. Both of their wings were stretched out so that one creature’s left wing reached all the way to one wall, and the other creature’s right wing reached all the way to the other wall. Their other wings touched each other at the very center of the temple. 28 Solomon gilded both creatures.
Composed of the parts of various animals, these monstrous winged creatures, called cherubim in Hebrew, serve several purposes in the Bible. They are symbols of divine power, presence, and mobility. They first appear in Genesis, guarding the entrance to Eden (3:24); as part of the throne of mercy, they are God’s footstool in the congregation tent and the temple, and God occasionally takes a ride on them (2 Samuel 22:11; Psalm 18:10; Ezekiel 1). Wherever their images appear—on walls, in tapestries, on the covenant chest—they signify God’s presence and protection.
29 He decorated the temple walls with carvings of the winged guardian creatures, palm trees, and flowers. He did this for both the inner sanctuary and outer rooms. 30 He covered the temple floor with gold as well—both the inner sanctuary and outer rooms.
31 He crafted olive wood doors, a lintel, and five-sided doorposts for the entryway into the inner sanctuary. 32 He crafted two olive wood doors, and he decorated them with engravings of winged guardian creatures, palm trees, and flowers. He also gilded the doors, winged creatures, and palm trees.
33 He crafted olive wood doorposts for the entryway into the square central hall. 34 He also made two cypress doors for the entryway. Two of the leaves on one of the doors rotated on an axle, and two leaves of the other door also rotated on an axle. 35 He carved winged guardian creatures, palm trees, and flowers into them; and he gilded the doors and engravings carefully. 36 He constructed the interior court with three rows of cut stones and one row of cedar boards.
37 The foundation of the Eternal’s temple was completed during the spring of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, in the month of Ziv. 38 The temple was finally completed as planned in all its fine details during the autumn of the eleventh year, in the eighth month of Bul. It took seven years in all to complete construction.
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!
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.