Ancient tradition ascribes this psalm to David though the writer did not name himself. “Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.” (Verses 1-2). Much of this psalm is recorded in 1 Chronicles 16.
Here he becomes the evangelist. He didn’t want to just praise the Lord himself, but he wanted all nations to worship God. He wanted them to find the peace, joy, and salvation that comes from knowing the hope that would come through the Messiah: the hope of eternal life. Can you imagine anyone wanting to share the good news of salvation with people he was always at war with? This is what can happen when our hearts are in tune with God’s desires.
In Isaiah 2:1-4, the prophet Isaiah describes God’s plan for peace among nations. In Luke 2:8-14, Luke records the announcement of the Messiah’s birth to shepherds where angels sang, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” And, in Revelation 22:2-3, John records that, “On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.” If this were for some time in the future when only the true children of God were there and all others were in a lake of fire for eternity, why would we need medicine to heal the nations? Only in the existing world do we need healing of the nations. The leaves of the tree of life, Jesus Christ, is the good news that God loves all of the creatures made in His likeness. Experiencing that love comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
We will see that type of world only when we, the church, fall on our knees continually to pray for a worldwide awakening. I hope the church is ready for that type of commitment. I pray that God will convict us of our indifference, our hearts will be broken for the lost, and it will become our priority. When we read the early chapters of Acts, we find the church on their knees in prayer.