Psalm 98 Key verse:
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
At first reading, this passage appears deceptively simple to the modern reader – love God and share the good news with everyone. Yet, upon further reflection, a contrast in the passage becomes apparent. Praising God with a trumpet or a ram’s horn seems quite appropriate since they are loud and jubilant. Why then would the writer suggest that we should praise God with a harp? Indeed, the harp referenced in this psalm isn’t the 47-string orchestral harp we think of today, but rather a cousin of the kinnor and kithara from ancient Israel and Greece respectively. It is a small instrument with 3 to 12 gut strings, and as I learned in music school, it is meant for indoor playing only. Even when played with a pick, it is just too quiet for outdoor music. So, again, why would we praise God with a quiet instrument like the harp? I suggest that this passage shows that all types of voices and personalities can share God’s love, not just the loud and boisterous types of voices and people. Indeed, the quieter voices have important messages to share and often those quiet voices are more compelling to those who need to hear of God’s love the most. We all need to share the wonder and gift of God’s love whether we are harps or trumpets. Every voice is important! Use yours to share the good news!
Heavenly Father, help us to use our voices, whether loud and bold as trumpets or quiet and gentle as harps, to spread the life-changing news of your love for us. AMEN
Devotion by Christine Leist