Psalm 96: Worship the Lord in the splendour of Holiness

By Andy Flood

Psalm 96 (NIV)


If you get time, it's well worth reading the story behind this Psalm. It's in 1 Chronicles 14-16.
It's the passage where David dances through the city in his ephod. I love it when you can cross reference the Bible this way, knowing the history of the Psalm casts a whole new light on it, bringing with it a greater understanding of God’s word.

This is a great encouraging Psalm, an encouragement to sing new songs to Him, to declare His praises afresh. But it also encourages us to, "Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness," but what does this mean? We're all familiar with phrase but is that our understanding stops?

Does it mean we need to make ourselves holy before we can worship God? NO WAY!
It is IMPOSSIBLE to make ourselves holy. Only God can make us holy, yes we try, as much as possible, to live pure, to please our Father, to keep our relationship on the right track. But it is God who makes us holy, set apart. Without the cross of Christ any attempt at holiness is an abomination, our best efforts would be like being proud to offer a soiled nappy in exchange for holiness.

So to worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness, is to accept the holiness God has clothed us in and worship Him in the full knowledge we are not worthy to be in His presence and not looking to our own efforts to curry favour but looking at the cross in grateful awe and admiration to the One who made us holy.