Today’s Reading: Psalm 75; 93-94; 97-100

These psalms frequently mention the nations and the whole earth (i.e. all creation). Sometimes it is all too easy to gloss over these verses like they’re problem free, but wait a moment; wasn’t Yahweh the God of Israel? Remember Deuteronomy 6:4? “Hear O’ Israel, Yahweh is OUR God, Yahweh is one.” Other nations seem to be excluded. Likewise, it seems as if in the time between Joshua and David’s kingdom, the nation of Israel was focused on her own relationship with the Lord and its revival. But here, in the Psalms, the Holy Spirit inspired David and others to exhort all the nations of the world to praise Him. In the midst of Israel’s narrow focus, God reminded them that the scope of His vision is much broader than just Israel!

This narrow-mindedness is not endemic to Old Testament Israel, it is, I believe, an epidemic within the Church today. As Christians today, we can be prone to focus on Christian this and Christian that, so much that we forget that there are “nations” around us (such as our neighbours, co-workers, non-Christian family members, and others) to whom we need to declare the glory of God.

“The LORD has made His salvation known
and revealed His righteousness to the nations.”
Psalm 98:2