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Originally Posted by blhowes  What was meant here and in the other scriptures when it said to sing a new song? |
Psalm 96 and 98 both contain the phrase "new song" and neither refers to constructing new songs. What is being exhorted is the singing of songs that are new to that person. Psalm 96 is a core missionary psalm and is eschatological looking forward to the gospel dispensation. Here, Israel is sounding forth the encouragement to gentiles to forsake their idols and turn to Jehovah. God is, through Israel, calling upon the gentiles to sing a new song, a song that as heathen, and strangers to the covenants and commonwealth, they have never sung before. The gentiles are being urged to sing unto Jehovah, i.e. to submit to the king (note these psalms fall in the block of Psalms 90-100 where the focus is on God's kingship over all nations) and take his praise upon their lips.
Simply: the phrase "new song" is "repent, have faith in Christ" in poetic form. All the earth is exhorted to be converted and so "sing unto the LORD a new song".
The inscription in the Syriac version for Psalm 96 is, "a Psalm of David, a Prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, and of the calling of the Gentiles that believe in him''. The inscription of the Syriac version calls Psalm 98 "a Psalm of David, concerning the redemption of the people out of Egypt, when they conquered and triumphed;'' adding "but spiritually a prophecy concerning the coming of Christ, and the calling of the Gentiles unto the faith.''