Psalm 96:11-13

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (NRSV)

The Psalmist says in Psalm 19 that the heavens speak for themselves about the glory of God’s handiwork, and in the beginning of Psalm 96, three times we are commanded to join in and sing along. There are occasions, though, when the testimony of God’s creation and the praise of His people are not enough. In Luke 2, the angels themselves sing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace …” In both the carol and Psalm 96, nature reverberates with the songs of God’s kingship over all the earth and righteousness.

The carol’s second verse is made up entirely of questions. When the shepherds have proclaimed what they have seen, Luke says, “all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them,” and the carol asks “Why? Why? What? Which?” The shepherds respond, obeying what the Psalmist commands in Psalm 96:10, “Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’” but the Psalmist continues, “… he will judge the peoples with equity.”

If we read Psalm 96:11-13, the turn in verse 13 from joy to judgement might seem strange, “the trees … sing for joy … for he comes to judge the earth.” This is why, though, the angels burst through creation and sing to lowly shepherds. God’s glory is his justice that makes peace when “He will judge the world in righteousness.” Through every injustice, we have hope in God’s faithfulness. It echoes off the mountains, through the trees, and over the birth of Christ the King.

Contributed by Lance Hall