Missionary Songs: Psalm Singing as Proclaiming Christ’s Kingdom

The Psalms, often seen as an Old Testament songbook, are filled with references to the King and His expanding kingdom. The concept of singing the Psalms is foreign to many evangelicals, although the Psalter’s songs drove much of the early-modern missions movement. John Paton said, "When we sang the Psalms, even in the simplest of tunes, the whole assembly seemed lifted into the presence of God. Many who could not read carried the tunes and words in their hearts, making melody to the Lord.” Adoniram Judson wrote, "The psalms, sung with heartfelt devotion, seem to carry the truths of Scripture further into the souls of both the singer and the hearer.” The great William Carey wrote in a letter to the Serampore Mission: “In our work of translation, we are careful to preserve the beauty and reverence of the psalms. These hymns are not just for reading but for singing. It is important that the people understand and worship God with the psalms in their own tongue, that they may be able to lift their hearts in praise, not merely through the mind, but through the voice.” The Book of Psalms sung are powerful tools in the hands of the missionary, proclaiming Christ’s kingdom and the global expansion thereof. 

This kingdom theme makes the Psalter profoundly relevant for New Testament believers, underscoring its role as a hymnbook for the expanding church. While some may view the kingly language of the Psalms as belonging primarily to an Old Testament context, the New Testament’s emphasis on the kingship of Christ reveals a deeper connection. The Psalter, with its universal call for all peoples to worship the King, serves as a missionary hymnbook, compelling the church to advance the gospel and expand Christ’s kingdom to the ends of the earth.

The Psalms repeatedly highlight the universality of God’s reign and His desire for all nations to worship Him. The inspired songs often call for God’s glory, justice, and salvation to be declared among the nations. Tremper Longman III captures this universal vision when he writes:

“Universalism is one of the key characteristic traits of the Psalms. The principal texts invite all the earth to sing to the LORD, the families of peoples to praise Him, and affirm that the LORD reigns over the whole world and governs with justice…subdues the nations (Psalm 47:3), and it is through His victory over the nations that He has demonstrated His rule (Psalm 98:1-2). The psalmist exhorts, “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples” (Psalm 96:3).”

This missionary vision reveals God’s purpose for the Psalms as tools for proclaiming the gospel and expanding His kingdom. Through church planting and the spread of the gospel, these songs become anthems of praise among the nations.

A few examples will be explored. 

Let All the Peoples Praise You!

The sixty-seventh Psalm exemplifies the missionary nature of the Psalter. It is a prayer for God’s blessing on His people, that His ways may be known on earth and His salvation among all nations:

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You!”

This psalm highlights the interplay between God’s covenantal blessings and the Church’s responsibility to proclaim His name. As one commentator notes, Psalm 67 establishes a “triangular relationship between Yahweh, Israel, and the peoples,” with Israel’s worship leading to the nations’ acknowledgment of God. The chiastic structure of the psalm places the universal call for all peoples to praise God at its center, emphasizing the importance of global missions. John Piper, in Discipling All the Peoples, underscores the significance of this call:

“The Old Testament is replete with promises and expectations that God would one day be worshiped by all peoples from all nations of the world. The phrase “all the peoples”  virtually never carries the meaning of Gentile individuals but always conveys the sense of ‘all the nations’ as distinct people groups outside Israel.”

This psalm encourages the Church to fulfill its missionary mandate by planting churches among every people group, bringing the gospel to urban centers, rural areas, and even immigrant communities in all the nations of the world. Through church planting, Psalm 67’s vision of all peoples praising God finds its fulfillment.

Sing a New Song!

Psalm 96 begins with a command to “sing a new song” and connects this call to the proclamation of God’s glory among the nations:

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!”

The “new song” is not a call for novelty but a missiological imperative. As the gospel advances and hearts are renewed, the nations learn to sing this new song of salvation. The psalmist’s call to declare God’s glory among the nations and to proclaim His reign aligns with the Church’s mission to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Charles Spurgeon, reflecting on this psalm, noted: “All the nations need to hear of God’s marvelous works; and a living, self-denying Church would solemnly resolve that they shall hear. None are too degraded, none too cultured, none too savage, and none too refined.” 

Psalm 96 challenges the Church to teach the psalms to new converts and incorporate them into the worship of newly planted churches. These songs become the soundtrack of a renewed people, fulfilling the psalmist’s vision of global praise.

Old Hundredth’s Call

Psalm 100, lovingly known as “Old Hundredth,” is one of the most widely sung psalms in Church history. Its opening line, “All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice,” encapsulates the missionary heart of the Psalter.

This psalm anticipates the eschatological fulfillment of God’s kingdom, when all peoples will worship Him together. For the missionary, Psalm 100 serves as a reminder that the work of missions is not in vain. Every new church plant, every new conversion, and every new gathering of believers contributes to the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm’s vision.

Praise Him All Nations!

The shortest psalm in the Bible, Psalm 117, continues the theme of the nations praising God:

“Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.”

This psalm calls all nations to praise God based on His covenant faithfulness. From the promises made to Abraham to the fulfillment in Christ, God’s steadfast love and faithfulness extend to all peoples. The Church’s missionary activity reflects this reality, as the gospel is proclaimed and disciples are made among the nations.

Psalm 117 reminds the missionary, and those in support of missions, of the eschatological hope that all nations will one day join in praising God. It is both a call and a promise—a reminder that the work of missions will ultimately result in the worship of God by people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Conclusion

The Psalter’s missionary themes remind the Church of its responsibility to proclaim the gospel and expand Christ’s kingdom. Walter Kaiser, in Missions in the Old Testament, highlights this call: “Over and over again the psalmists called on all the peoples of the lands and nations to praise the Lord. Even more directly, these ancient singers of Israel urged their people to tell, proclaim, and make known the mighty deeds of YHWH and to join in singing praises to God from all the nations. The psalmists themselves offer to sing God’s praises among the nations.”

The psalms are not merely songs of personal devotion or communal worship; they are anthems of a militant, advancing missionary church. They call the Church to proclaim Christ’s kingship and to bring His gospel to every corner of the earth.

The Psalms are filled with references to Christ’s kingship, the expansion of His kingdom, and the call for all nations to worship Him. As the Great Commission’s fulfillment sees new congregations and proclaims the gospel, the missionary themes of the Psalter find their fulfillment. These songs remind us that the work of missions is not merely an addendum to the Church’s purpose but is central to its identity. The psalms, as a hymnbook for a missionary Church, compel us to sing, proclaim, and expand Christ’s kingdom to the glory of God. 

Church of Jesus Christ, the King of the nations: sing!