Bible Study Psalm 100

Psalm 100 – Facilitator’s Cheat Sheet

(40-minute discussion)

Opening (3–4 min)

Pray — ask God to open hearts to joy and thanksgiving.

Read Psalm 100 aloud — consider two translations.

Psalm 100:1–5 NKJV

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

English Standard Version Psalm 100

1  Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2  Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

3  Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5  For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

Quick context:

A hymn or psalm of descriptive praise to the Lord

Two stanzas: 1) A Call to praise, 2) Cause to praise

A Psalm of Thanksgiving (superscription in Hebrew text).

Likely used as a call to worship when God’s people entered the Temple.

Author not named; some attribute it to David, but Psalm 100 stands as a general community psalm.

Themes: joyful worship, covenant relationship, God’s enduring character.

Observation Stage (10–12 min)

(Purpose: What do we see?)

What words or phrases stand out?

What repeats? (joy, gladness, thanksgiving, praise, God’s attributes)

Tone/mood of the Psalm?

Word pictures? (“sheep of His pasture”)

Notice structure — 5 verses, each with commands + reasons.

Interpretation Stage (12–15 min)

(Purpose: What does it mean?)

“Make a joyful noise” — emotion or action? Both?

“Serve the Lord with gladness” — original meaning & today’s?

“Know that the Lord, He is God” — why the reminder?

“We are His… sheep of His pasture” — what does that reveal about God?

“Enter His gates… courts” — what did that mean in Temple worship? How today?

God’s goodness, mercy, truth — why these three to end the Psalm?

Application Stage (8–10 min)

(Purpose: How do we live it?)

What’s “entering His gates with thanksgiving” look like for you daily?

What’s one way to “serve with gladness” this week?

How does remembering God’s goodness help in tough times?

Which phrase from Psalm 100 could be a personal daily prayer?

If you wrote your own short Psalm of Thanksgiving, what would be the first line?

Wrap-Up (3–4 min)

Ask 1–2 participants: “What’s your biggest takeaway?”

Reinforce big idea: Psalm 100 is a blueprint for a life of praise, not just a worship service starter.

Close in prayer — read Psalm 100 as the prayer.

Psalm 100 – Background & Context

Authorship:

No author named in the superscription.

Many psalms of thanksgiving and worship were written by David, but this one is anonymous.

Fits the style of community worship psalms used in Temple liturgy.

Historical Setting:

“A Psalm for Giving Thanks” — unique; the only psalm in the Psalter specifically labeled for thanksgiving.

Likely sung by pilgrims entering the Temple in Jerusalem for worship, especially during festivals like the Feast of Tabernacles.

Verses 4–5 echo the “call to worship” formula seen in other psalms (Ps 95:1–7; Ps 118:19–29).

Literary Features:

Short but structured:

Verses 1–2: Calls to joyful worship.

Verse 3: Reason — God is Creator, covenant Lord, Shepherd.

Verse 4: Calls to thanksgiving and praise.

Verse 5: Reason — God’s goodness, mercy, and faithfulness are everlasting.

Imperative verbs dominate — commands to worship, serve, know, enter, and give thanks.

Theological Themes:

Joyful worship is an act of obedience, not just a feeling.

Service with gladness — worship and work are both service to God.

Covenant relationship — “we are His people.”

God’s character — good, merciful, faithful forever.