Psalms 100

Introduction

Psalm 100 “A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.”

This is the last of the Theocratic Psalms (93-100). Psalms that focus on God’s ruling Israel.

The theme is this Psalm is v.1 - Psalm 100:1 “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.”

Unlike the several previous psalms, Psalms 100 does not begin with a declaration of God’s sovereignty or character. It begins with the simple and direct exhortation to all you lands to praise God with a joyful shout. This is a call to the nations, extending far beyond Israel’s borders.

An outward expression of an inward movement

General statement

“Make a joyful noise” - split the ears, shout

Alarm or joy

Spurgeon - The original word signifies a glad shout, such as loyal subjects give when their king appears among them.

There are two stanzas in this Psalm. They both follow the same pattern:

A call to Praise God

A reason to do so

Gladness

Psalm 100:2–3 “Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Call to praise Him - Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.”

Serve the Lord with gladness

“Serve” - slave

Psalm 2:11 “Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.”

Deuteronomy 28:46–47 “And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;”

LORD - Israel’s name for their God.

“The LORD He is God” = The Lord only is God!

Those who serve the LORD should do it with gladness

Spurgeon - As for the true believer in Jesus, he serves his God because he loves to serve him

Come before His presence with singing

“Singing” - a joyful noise

Reason to do so - Psalm 100:3 “Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Reasons to worship God

Know

“To know is to have firm ground underfoot, the prerequisite of praise”

We need to know why we are to come before His presence with Joy

He is God

YWHY was Israel’s name for God.

There were many different gods. What I mean by different gods is not the same god called by other names in various parts of the world. To differentiate which god was who they gave particular names. To separate Israel’s God as different and unique from their neighbors, they gave the name YWHY.

Why is this important?

Most creation myths in the region start with a state of formless chaos, like a vast ocean or darkness, from which the first god or gods emerge.

They were distant from their creation

Feared and admired but not loved.

YWHY

Self-existing

Promises are attached to this name

God is not distant but intimate

Isaiah 6:1–6 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:”

John 12:37–41 “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.”

God’s intimacy with His creation is understood in Jesus

Jesus is both God and man

God the Father and the Spirit can have a relationship with humanity:

God the Son is God

God the Son is man.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Hebrews 10:19–22 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

He created us - creatorial

Psalm 100:3 “Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

We need to know He is our creator.

Boice - “Of course, if we do not need God as our Creator, then we do not need to be thankful. Why should we? We got here by ourselves, thank you. We have no one but ourselves to thank.” (Boice)

There is no such thing as a self-made man.

The meaning of the text as it stands would be that God chooses His people by grace, not by their choice and works.

We are His sheep - personal

Psalm 100:3 “Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Hebrews 13:20 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,”

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

John 10:27–28 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

This means we have been purchased

Revelation 5:9 - Redeemed = agorazo - This word literally means, "To buy in the marketplace." It has reference to purchasing a slave right off the auction block. That is what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross. He paid the full price that we might go free from the penalty of sin. Redemption through the blood of Jesus is a reason to shout!

Galatians 5:9 - Redeem = Exagorazo - This word means "To take off the market." In other words, Jesus paid the price for us and we are no longer up for sale! He bought us and He intends to keep us. The fact that we are His, and His forever is a good reason to shout praises unto Him!

1 Peter 1:18 - Redeemed = Loutron - This word means "To release after the payment of the purchase price." It pictures one who buys a slave and then turns that slave loose. This is what Jesus did for us! He bought us off the slave block of sin. After He redeemed us, He removed us from the sale and then set us free, not free to go and sin, but free to go and serve the Lord our God. Being redeemed from sin to service is a good reason to praise the Lord!

Gratitude

Psalm 100:4–5 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.”

The call to praise Him

Come to God’s house with praise

Be thankful - We do not deserve any of God’s goodness

Bless (Adore) His name

To show gratitude and respect for

The reason to do so

He is good

Boice - “The gods of the heathen were not good. They were selfish and capricious. You could never know when they might turn against you and do you harm. Not so our God. The God of the Bible is and has always been good.”

His mercy is everlasting

Truth endures to all generations

Conclusion

Praying Psalm 100 Help me serve and worship You with gladness, Lord. [v. 2] Father, help me to realize I am Your sheep. [v. 3] Thank You, Lord, for all You have done and are doing for me. [v. 4] Father, You are good and faithful—how I praise You! [v. 5]

Applying Psalm 100 We must serve/worship our great God with joy. Only those who acknowledge His deity can offer acceptable praise and service. Gratitude and thanksgiving must abound in our worship.