Psalm 98: Raising the Sea Level of Grace Together

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. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. - Psalm 98

"Let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity."

I'm a big, white guy, from a middle-class background, decently intelligent and educated. Sure, I was picked on a little bit growing up and my family background was a bit messed up, but it was stable and I grew up healthy and relatively well adjusted. I appreciate it more as I go along.

But not everyone grew up that way, either in circumstance or environment. There are those who are pushed around, displaced, stolen from, in want or fearful. The hopeless that I've felt in small portions in my time, they have lived in full measure.

What is my job, before the Lord, for people in these circumstances? One is to rejoice with them. The "Let them sing" at the end of Psalm 98 is not referring to the people of Israel specifically or even the oppressed in general. No, it is the "sea", "everything in it", the "world", "all who live in it", the "rivers" and the "mountains". It is the onlookers who are expected to take as much joy in God's justice as those who are vindicated. For me, it is especially those who have been "okay" to celebrate with others because "equity" that God gives shows his goodness and it raises the sea level of grace for all of us and the redeemed spur each other on towards God.