Bible Study Adventure ~ Singing a New Song

          Here is something that came to mind as a way to unite people in preparing their hearts for Sunday fellowship. It is an encouragement to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness on Saturday evenings so that the Holy Spirit has more time to get us ready for our body-life fellowship the next day.

          This is something we can do by ourselves if no one else is with us. It is also something we could do together if we are spending time with others. It could be used at the dinner table to involve the children, with maybe a second-look for just the adults later on in the evening. And, of course, it is only a primer to get us thinking about such things in our new hearts, so watch for anything God may do that is above and beyond what the questions suggest.

          In Revelation 5, we see the four living creatures and twenty-four elders singing a new song in response to Jesus taking the scroll from his Father’s right hand. Their song is a declaration of praise followed by the things about Jesus that have caused such praise to fill their hearts. There are many other Scriptures that show this same pattern of an expression of praise and worship followed by the reasons that such praise and worship erupted from the hearts of the worshipers.

          To help you join in this kind of worship, read through the Psalm below with your eye on these four questions (the questions are repeated at the end of the Scripture with room for recording your answers). Remember that this is all about relating to God from the new hearts Jesus gave us, with a desire to be as filled with the Holy Spirit as we can be. In other words, taking this adventure in our new hearts will produce a far different effect than taking this adventure in our sarks (flesh).

 

1. Which phrases describe the ways praise is offered to God in this Psalm?

2. What attributes (characteristics) of God are listed as the reason for offering such praise?

3. Of all these attributes, which one would you say is the way you know God best? Give an example of how you have known God in this characteristic of who he is. (NOTE: there IS a way each child of God has come to know God by experience, so please make sure you identify it, and share how God has made himself known to you in that way.)

4. Of all these attributes, which one would you say is the way you know God least? Give an example of how knowing God in this way would change your heart.

 

¹ Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
² The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
³ He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

⁴ Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
⁵ Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
⁶ With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

⁷ Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
⁹ before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98)

 

 

1. Which phrases describe the ways praise is offered to God in this Psalm?

 

 

 

2. What attributes (characteristics) of God are listed as the reason for offering such praise?

 

 

 

3. Of all these attributes, which one would you say is the way you know God best? Give an example of how you have known God in this characteristic of who he is. (NOTE: there IS a way each child of God has come to know God by experience, so please make sure you identify it, and share how God has made himself known to you in that way.)

 

 

 

4. Of all these attributes, which one would you say is the way you know God least? Give an example of how knowing God in this way would change your heart.

 

 

          If you do not have anyone else to share your responses with, feel free to send me an email and let me know how this worked for you (in2freedom@gmail.com). Also, if you would like an email or word processor copy of this study, email me with your request.

 

© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)