Friday 3 January 2025

Psalm 96

Background
To put this passage in context, the people of Israel have had a long period in exile in Babylon which tested their faith. The exile was ended by Cyrus of Persia when he defeated the Babylonians (539 BC), resulting in the Israelites being allowed to go back to their homeland. Cyrus even provided funds for the rebuilding of the Temple. In subsequent years many returned to Judah and the sacred city of Jerusalem (Mount Zion). However, the decades that followed, which include the period when this passage was written, were certainly not trouble-free. Many exiles who returned had grumbles about the situation and it seemed that Yahweh (God) was unable to help. There are echoes here of the discontent of the Israelites exiled in Egypt centuries before. Did God free them from slavery in Egypt, only to abandon them?

In today’s verses, the prophet Isaiah looks forward to great days of salvation and encourages his readers to prepare for the Lord in the best way possible. Things may still have appeared bleak, but good times were just round the corner, along with salvation. There’s a mixture of praise and hope in Isaiah’s words, and a call for the people of God to be properly prepared. Those who had been exiles are needed now to work hard. They are encouraged to build a new city, re-lay the highway and clear it of stones (v. 10). The ensign is to be a witness to what God can do with people willing to help, to be both an encouragement to other Israelites and to let surrounding tribes know that the Israelites’ God is both faithful to his people and worthy of praise.

Of course, Isaiah’s words in Chapter 62, echoing thoughts in previous chapters, have come to have a messianic interpretation, that all these practical preparations were to welcome the ultimate bringer of spiritual salvation, Jesus Christ. “Prepare the way“(v. 10) sounds similar to John the Baptist's words when he was preparing the way for Jesus.

Finally, verse 12 Isaiah says there are four names for the people of a New Jerusalem: “The Holy People”, “The Redeemed of the Lord”, “Sought Out” and “A City Not Forsaken.”

To Ponder:

• Can we ever be fully prepared for God? Isn’t God so often found in the unexpected? Yet when God’s presence is discerned in 2025, how important it is for there to be people who know what it is to be redeemed, then themselves seek to become an engaged, nurturing community.
• Seen on a poster: “A yes from God, blesses you. A no from God, protects you. And waiting on God, prepares you.” Do you agree?

Prayer
God our creator, helper and sustainer, in the morning may we give you time, so that we are prepared for everything the day will bring. May such preparation better enable us to glimpse your kingdom in unexpected situations and people. And at the end of the day, may we reflect on where we were able to see your love in action. Amen.

Bible notes author: Michael King
Michael is a Methodist local preacher in Salisbury and was Vice-President of the Conference in 2018.