December 16, 2024
Sing Unto the Lord a New Song
Psalm 98:1
12/16/2024
1 Oh 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. (ESV)
The Psalmist wrote:
Oh 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.
Psalms are the hymnbook of the Bible, and there are also
other hymns throughout the Old and New Testaments. Those songs
which are not from the Psalms are called Canticles. Among the
Canticles are the Nunc Dimittis, ``Lord, now let your servant go
in peace according to Your Word''; the Magnificat, ``My soul
magnifies the Lord'', and the Benedictus, ``Blessed be the Lord
God of Israel.'' These three Canticles are found in the first
two chapters of Luke.
God's people have always raised their voices in praise of
the Almighty God. Hymns not only speak in prayer to our heavenly
Father, they also teach us of His grace, love, and mercy.
An ancient practice, one that goes back before the time of
Jesus' birth, is to sing a verse before and after a Psalm or
Canticle. This verse, called the antiphon, summarizes the
teaching of the song, or draws our attention to the importance of
the day.
During the last week of Advent, as we are preparing for the
coming of our Redeemer, the Church recalls the longing for the
Messiah with a series of antiphons which are used in the daily
worship services. Each day the antiphon begins with the word
``O'' and a title of the coming Christ. This week, beginning
tomorrow, we will hear and ponder these antiphons. You can find
the text and meditation on the antiphon on the Trinity website,
http://trinityslayton.info under the menu item ``Turn Your Radio
On.''
May our Lord grant you His grace and peace as we await His
coming. Amen.