John Calvin Commentary Psalms 96:7

"Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength." — Psalms 96:7 (ASV)

Give to Jehovah, etc. Since praise waited for God in Zion (Psalms 65:1), and that was the place devoted to the celebration of his worship, and the descendants of Abraham were alone invested with the privilege of priesthood, we cannot doubt that the Psalmist refers here to that great change which was to take place in the Church upon the advent of Christ.

An opposition or distinction is intended between God’s ancient people and the Gentile tribes, who were to be afterwards adopted into the same fellowship. To declare his glory and strength, is the same as declaring the glory of his strength.

And to show that humanity can boast nothing of its own, and in refusing to celebrate God, impiously strips him of his just honors, the Psalmist adds, Give unto the Lord the glory of his name. This expression denotes that God borrows nothing from outside himself, but comprehends all that is worthy of praise in himself.

He explicitly calls upon the Gentile nations to render to God the same worship that the Jews did. This does not mean that we must worship God now according to the outward ritual that was prescribed under the Law, but he signifies that there would be one rule and form of religion in which all nations should agree.

Now, unless the middle wall of partition had been broken down, the Gentiles could not have entered with God’s children into the courts of the sanctuary. Thus, we have here a clear prediction of the calling of the Gentiles, who needed to have their uncleanness taken away before they could be brought into the holy assembly.

The mincha, or oblation, was only one kind of sacrifice, but it is here used to denote the whole worship of God, because it was a more commonly practiced part of divine service. We see from this and other passages that the inspired writers describe the inward worship of God using symbols common in the age when they lived.

God would not have meat offerings presented to him after Christ had come; but the words that the Psalmist uses suggest that the doors of the temple, once shut, were now to be opened for the admission of the Gentiles. The Apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 13:15), tells us what those sacrifices are with which God will now be worshipped.

Hence the absurdity of the Papists, who would adduce such passages in support of the mass and their other fooleries. However, we may very properly learn from these words that we ought not to come empty-handed into the presence of God, as we are instructed to present ourselves and all that we have as a reasonable service to him (Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5).