Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1931

Psalms 95, 96

Psalm 95 is a call to Israel, and Psalm 96 is addressed to all the earth. The time has now come of which Psalms 2, 24 and 45 speak, and Jehovah the Lord of the earth takes His power and reigns. What a contrast these psalms present to the first coming of the Messiah as portrayed by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! For Jehovah here is Jesus whom the heavens have received until the time of restitution of all things (Acts 3:19-23¹⁹Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: ²¹Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. ²²For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. ²³And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. (Acts 3:19‑23)).

Notice how the Holy Spirit makes use of the latter part of Psalm 95 in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 3. It is a last appeal for repentance; presently the opportunity for salvation will be closed forever. What a story of divine grace this psalm contains!

Psalm 96 presents Jehovah to the nations in the spirit of the everlasting gospel (see Revelation 14:6, 7⁶And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, ⁷Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:6‑7)). At the close, the heavens, earth and sea are called upon to rejoice. In its full expression, this rejoicing is shown in the last three psalms, 148, 149 and 150.

The Christian rejoices already in the thought of the day of which these psalms speak. We too own Jesus as Jehovah, but He is our Lord whom we have known by faith (whom having not seen we love) in the time of His rejection and absence, and when Israel beholds Him we shall be with Him. Then the heavens, the heavenly people, will rejoice with the earth. What hallelujahs will fill both heaven and earth when the once thorn crowned, now glory crowned Jesus is revealed to adoring hearts!

ML 06/28/1931

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