Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name; bring an oblation and come into his courts;
Psalm 96 calls the whole earth to worship. Verse 8 says what the nations must do: give Him what His name is worth, and come to Him with something in hand. Three questions follow. Who is called? What is the offering? Where are these courts?
The psalm before this one speaks to people already inside the circle of worship. This one turns outward, and commentators read it as good news for the nations. Some writers use the name "Jehovah" where this verse says "the LORD."
Psalm 96 summons all the earth to come in, in the spirit of the everlasting gospel. They are to own Jehovah; the gods of the nations are mere vanity. Psalm 95 invites those who already belong to the company — "Come, let us sing." Now the word goes to those who are far off: Sing to Jehovah. His glory is to be declared among the nations.
The phrase "the glory due his name" sets a standard no worshipper can meet. So why does God ask for it?
The families of the people are summoned to give the Lord glory and strength (v. 7). No one can exaggerate the greatness of His glory. The glory due His name is infinite. With this in view, how can we give Him anything less and be content with it? Yet God's kindness shows in the invitation to bring an offering and come into His courts (v. 8). Of course, He is worthy of far more adoration and worship than we, or all creation combined, can ever give. Yet He still delights in whatever measure of honour we give Him, and we are blessed through this.
"His courts" is not a vague phrase for God's presence. It names a place, and the summons is to come up to it.
Though the summons is to all the earth, Jerusalem is the centre. The Jews are called on as the instruments of the summons, and Jehovah is the subject of the song… All the families of the peoples are called to come up and own this Jehovah the Creator, whose glory is in Israel. They are to worship in His courts there in the beauty of holiness.
If the courts are real, so is the offering brought into them. One writer sets this verse beside other passages about a temple and priesthood on earth. He argues Scripture states these things plainly, instead of leaving us to work them out.
Where a temple is on earth, a priesthood goes with it. And if there is a priesthood, it is hard to see its use without sacrifices. With us, spiritual priesthood and spiritual sacrifices go together. (Compare Hebrews 10–13; and 1 Peter 2:5.) Nor does Scripture leave us to work it out by inference. It says plainly that there will be priests of Aaron's line, offerings and sacrifices, and it even describes them in detail. (Compare Psalm 96:8; 132:13-18; Isaiah 60:6-7; Jeremiah 33:18; Ezekiel 43–46; Zechariah 14:16-21.)
1 Chronicles 16 repeats much of this psalm, but not word for word. One of the changes falls on this verse.
In the same way, 1 Chronicles 16:29 says, "Come before Him," rather than "Come into His courts" (Psalm 96:8). This again fits the passing state of David's reign.
The instruction to bring something is not confined to this psalm. It runs through the law, and the New Testament takes it up too.
On the other hand, we know that worship is something we ought to bring. God deserves to be worshipped (see Deuteronomy 26:10; 1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 29:2; 45:11; 95:6; 96:9; 99:5, 9; 132:7). We should not "appear before the Lord empty" (Exodus 23:15; 34:20; Deuteronomy 16:16). New Testament encouragements to worship include 1 Peter 2:5 and Hebrews 13:15.
- Called. The call goes outward, to the nations far off, in the spirit of the everlasting gospel.
- Owed. The glory due His name is infinite. That is the reason never to be content with giving Him less.
- Invited. He still delights in any measure of honour we give. That is His kindness, not our achievement.
- Courts. The destination is a real place. Jerusalem is the centre, and the peoples must come up to it.
- Brought. Worship is something we carry, not only something we feel. Scripture repeats that we should not appear before the Lord empty.
Worship Jehovah in holy splendour; tremble before him, all the earth.
Psalm 96 calls the whole world to sing. Verse 9 tells that world how to come: worship in the splendour of holiness, and tremble before Him. So what makes holiness beautiful, and why does that beauty bring trembling?
The psalm before this one speaks to Israel; this one turns outward. One writer traces the shift by the pronouns themselves:
The previous psalm speaks to the nation of Israel. That is why the words "Let us" keep coming back — "Let us sing"; "Let us make a joyful noise"; "Let us come"; "Let us worship," and "Let us kneel." This psalm speaks to the nations outside Israel. So the appeal is to "All the earth," "the nations," and "all the peoples."
The call goes out to those far off, and it carries the tone of good news:
Psalm 96 calls all the earth to come in, in the spirit of the everlasting gospel. They are to own Jehovah; the gods of the nations are nothing but emptiness. Psalm 95 invites people as part of the company — "Come, let us sing." Now the word goes out to those who are far off: Sing to Jehovah, and declare His glory among the nations.
This worship has an address. The same writer names the centre the nations are called to:
The summons goes to all the earth, yet Jerusalem is the centre, and the Jews are the ones called on to carry that summons. Jehovah is the subject of the song… All the families of the peoples are called to come up and own this Jehovah the Creator, whose glory is in Israel. They are to worship in His courts there in the beauty of holiness. All the earth is to fear before Him.
The verse ties beauty to holiness. Older wording calls it "the beauty of holiness," and the writers here use that phrase. One writer explains holiness by what it loves and what it refuses, then links it to the trembling in the second half of the verse:
Our worship too is to be "in the beauty of holiness," not in the ugliness of forced subjection. Holiness involves the love of what is good and the positive rejection of what is evil. No wonder, then, that all the earth should "tremble before Him."
The phrase also works by contrast:
I have often been struck by the expression in the Old Testament, "the beauty of holiness" (Ps. 29:2; 96:9). It is a delightful expression. There is beauty in holiness, but there is ugliness in sin, and how offensive sin is to God!
This trembling is not the fear of an unstable world. It stands beside a promise:
The ground of the appeal is that Jehovah reigns, and the world is established. No longer moved by wars and rumours of wars, it will come into rest. Jehovah will exercise judgment over all the peoples in righteousness.
No worshipper produces this beauty out of himself. One writer says where it comes from:
So we may come with confidence into His blessed presence. Rejoicing before Him, we give Him our praise and worship together, blessing His Holy Name… How wonderful that we can give to Him! We have nothing in ourselves, and we are unworthy too. Yet God's rich grace puts us among those called to give to the Lord, and enables us to offer to Him in the beauty of holiness — the beauty that is ours in Christ through His redeeming work at Calvary.
And the giving itself is never a matter of the least we can manage:
It is impossible to exaggerate the greatness of His glory. The glory due His name is infinite. With that in view, how can we give Him anything less, and be content with it?
- Called — The psalm before it says "let us" to Israel. This one says "all the earth" to the nations, and it comes in the spirit of good news, not bare command.
- Centred — The call has an address. The nations come up to His courts, where Jehovah's glory is in Israel.
- Clothed — "The beauty of holiness" is holy splendour: the love of what is good and the refusal of what is evil. Sin is the ugly thing; holiness is the beautiful one.
- Covered — Nothing in ourselves fits us to offer that beauty. It is ours in Christ through His work at Calvary, so we can come with confidence.
- Crowned — The trembling is not forced subjection. It rests on a settled announcement: the Lord reigns, the world is established, and He will judge the peoples in righteousness.