Reflections
“The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.”
and the promise is made that when the Lord
comes, He will govern the earth with justice.
Scripture teaches us that we do not know
when the Lord will come, and we are warned
to be ready because it may happen like a thief
in the night. In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus
speaks about the day of judgment, when
awesome sights and mighty signs will come
from the sky and when the disciples will be
hated by all because of His name.
(Luke 21:11-12, 17)
Although the Psalm is about the joy of the
Lord’s coming, there may be reason for anxiety
on our part. The Book of Malachi warns us that
the day is coming when evildoers will be set on
fire and become stubble. (Malachi 3:19)
Should we be afraid of the Lord’s judgment?
One thing is sure—we need to be ready,
to prepare to face the arrival of God. We do not
know when that day may come; some in our
generation doubt that day will come at all.
For those who have put their trust in the Lord,
and learned to love their brothers and sisters,
there will be rejoicing and praise. For others who
have slacked off and found fault with their
neighbors and have not lifted a helping hand,
shame and destruction may be at hand.
After all, we are called to be caregivers;
we are indeed our brother’s keeper.
“The Lord comes to govern the earth.”
We may not always welcome someone who
comes to rule over us. Or to judge us. But the
Lord brings His “healing rays.” He is after all the
“sun of justice.” The Book of Malachi assures us
that if we fear the Lord, “The sun of justice will
arise with its healing rays.” (Malachi 3:20)
There is hope for us, as we struggle not to be
idle, and face those who hate us because of our
faith. Our Lord liberates us from whatever holds
us back or drags us down. And we kick up our
heels like calves being released from the stall.
The Psalm repeatedly tells us to be joyful about
the Lord’s coming; to sing praise to the Lord;to shout with joy to the Lord. We join with our
surroundings, “Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm speaks about the Day of the Lord, when He will come to rule
the earth with justice. Are you ready for the Lord's coming? Speak about how
you are preparing for it.
2. Our psalmist writes about those who dwell in the world shouting for joy
before the Lord, when He comes to rule the earth. Explain how you will sing
praise to the Lord and sing joyfully before the King, the Lord.
The phrase “make a joyful noise” is both powerful and familiar. It can be found as the title of children’s Christian music albums or serve as a choir director’s motto. It is also a command found throughout Scripture. Psalm 66:1, Psalm 95:1-2, and 1 Chronicles 15:16 are a few examples. And here... in Psalm 98 :4-6, we find it again. Specifically, v.6 reads, “With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!”
ReplyDeleteI understand it to mean that when we come before the Lord, He delights in us responding with joy that cannot be contained, and often, that is expressed musically. And not just mankind, erupting in song and dance, but all of creation, such as we see in the passage, “...Let the sea roar... floods clap their hands... hills sing for joy together...”.
When we encounter God, face to face in His glory, I hope that no one reverts to intellect or reason, but responds with an uninhibited expression of joy. After all, as we see in Galatians 5;22, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy!