WORSHIP WITH THANKSGIVING & PRAISE

 

PSALM 100

This psalm has a title as part of the Hebrew text: “A Psalm For Giving Thanks”. It is a call to worship God in thankfulness. 

Sometimes a Bible translation will give titles to the psalms, but they are not part of the Hebrew text. The translation editors put them there to help you understand the meaning and purpose of the psalm. 

For example, Crossway puts a heading on this psalm for the English Standard Version that says “His Steadfast Love Endures Forever”. But the titles inserted by the editors are not scripture. Only the titles in the Hebrew text are scripture.

This psalm is also considered the last of the enthronement psalms by many commentators, although it does not explicitly mention God’s reign. It does speak of believers being God’s people. 

The Call To Joyful Worship

100:1-2

The psalm begins with a call to worship. The command is to make a joyful noise to the Lord, literally to “shout for joy”. It calls for exuberance in worship. 

The psalms are full of calls for joy in the worship of God. In fact, that instruction resounds throughout the Bible. So, this instruction is not about ritual, but about attitude. We should not come before the Lord grudgingly, as something we do just because we are supposed to, but with joy that leads us to shout, sing, and worship when we come into his presence. Philippians 4:4 tells us to rejoice in the Lord. Paul actually says it twice in that verse for emphasis. 

“Serve” in this context is to participate in the worship of those assembled. That is how we get to our term “worship service”. Reading the bulletin, thinking about work, surfing on your phone, or otherwise distracting yourself is not serving the Lord with gladness. 

Notice that the call for worship here is not limited to believers, but to all of the earth. All are commanded to worship God with joy. In Psalm 46:10, God says “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” We may not see that happen in our lifetime, but the church should certainly model it for the world. 

Who God Is & Who We Are

100:3

Our joyful worship of God begins with knowing who he is. The psalmist declares that YHWH (“LORD”) is God. There is a god and he is it. There are no others. That is why we are commanded to worship only him. He is who he says he is in the Bible and we are not to redefine him. 

God made his people and they are his. The psalmist meant Israel by this. The Lord called them “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made”. (Isaiah 43:7)

Those who have come to God through Christ are God’s people. He made us in the sense that he chose us and set us apart for himself. (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 2:9. ) That is part of what sanctification is: being set apart for God’s purposes. 

Because God made us, we are his. God reigns over us. He may use us as he pleases. But, he also assumes responsibility for us. We are the sheep of his pasture, meaning he is the owner and shepherd. He owns us, but he also guides us and protects us. Knowing these facts should lead us to joyful worship and service.

Entering His Presence With Thanksgiving

100:4

We are to come into God’s presence with thankful hearts expressed by giving thanks with our mouths. This addresses both our attitude and actions. We are to be thankful and to give thanks. 

The imagery here is of the temple in Jerusalem. Worshipers entered the temple complex through gates and stopped in the courts surrounding the temple to worship. They could not come into the temple itself. 

Those who are in Christ may now enter into God’s presence without the barriers of gates or walls. We have Christ as our mediator and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

Reasons For Praise

100:5

The character of God leads us to thanksgiving and praise. Three attributes of God are mentioned here: (1) God is good; (2) his steadfast love for his people endures forever; and (3) his faithfulness also lasts forever. It never fails. 

This psalm inspired the writing of a hymn for the 1551 Gneva Psalter. It was referred to as the Old Hundredth. It set the words of the psalm to a tune. The Baptist Hymnal included it under the name “All People That On Earth Do Dwell”, the first words of the hymn. Today we sing the tune to what we call “The Doxology”.  

Takeaways

God is worthy of our worship and entitled to it.

We are to worship joyfully.

If we are not worshipping joyfully, we need to examine ourselves to find out why, then repent and do whatever else is necessary to do what God commands.